Do you ever buy a product or service because the brand made you laugh? If so, you're not alone. According to Oracle's (2022) report, customers want brands to make them smile and laugh. Humour is an important factor in your purchasing decision, and it can be the difference between choosing one product over another. In this blog post, we'll discuss the importance of humour in branding and how you can use it to your advantage.
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The benefits of humour in marketing
Humour is often seen as a tool to lighten the mood, but it can also be used for marketing campaigns that use humour are more likely to be successful because they make people remember the campaign, and they are more likely to share it with friends. Humour can also help to build a rapport with potential customers, making them more likely to do business with the company. In a world where marketing messages are constantly bombarding people from all sides, a little humour can go a long way in helping a company to stand out from the crowd. So if you're looking for a way to boost your marketing efforts, don't forget the power of humour.
According to a new study from Oracle Fusion Cloud Customer Experience (CX), consumers want companies to make them laugh and smile, but business executives are cautious about employing humour in client interactions. According to the Happiness Report, which included insights from more than 12,000 consumers and business leaders in 14 countries across the UAE and the rest of the world, people are seeking new experiences to make them smile and laugh, and they will reward brands that embrace humour with loyalty, advocacy, and repeat purchases.
Consumers are seeking new ways to be happy and are willing to pay a premium.
Here are some key findings from the report:
61 percent of respondents wish for more positive memories and experiences in their life. People are placing greater focus on their health (80%), personal relationships (73%), and events (26%) to be happy.
A perennial concern is whether money can buy happiness. More than half (66 percent) of respondents wish money could bring about joy, with 89% prepared to pay a premium for genuine happiness.
According to the survey, during the pandemic, 90 percent of consumers attempted to find pleasure in online purchasing, while more than half said receiving shipments made them happy (49 percent), but only 16 percent struggled to recall their purchases.
Customers want businesses to make them laugh and smile, yet company executives acknowledge that their brands seldom interact with consumers in a lighthearted manner.
How to use humour the right way
There are a few key things to keep in mind when using humour in your social media marketing campaigns.
First, ensure that the humour is appropriate for your brand and target audience. You don't want to use jokes that will fall flat or offend people.
Second, make sure the humour is relevant to your product or service. For example, jokes about vacuum cleaners are likely to be funnier than jokes about cars.
Finally, make sure that the humour is used sparingly. A little bit of humour can go a long way, but if you use it too much it can become tiresome and ineffective.
If you're looking for some inspiration, here are a few examples of brands that have used humour successfully:
Old Spice: This brand has become famous for its humorous marketing campaigns, which often feature absurdist humour and a healthy dose of self-deprecation.
Source: Old Spice
Burger King: The burger QSR brand is well-known for its funny social media posts, which often take the form of jokes about its competitors.
Zomato: The food discovery and the delivery brand have used humour in its marketing since its inception. The brand’s social media presence is full of witty one-liners and pun-laden posts.
Source: Zomato
Zomato congratulates another start-up on listing day on the Indian stock exchange.
Amul: The content of Amul is ridiculously witty. They take current affairs and trends and give them an Amul twist. This makes the customers smile and also creates a top-of-mind recall for the product.
Source: Amul
The risks of using humour in marketing
While humour can be a great way to connect with customers, it's important to remember that there are some risks involved.
First, as we mentioned before, it's important to make sure that the humour is appropriate for your brand and your target audience. If you use jokes that are too edgy or offensive, you could alienate potential customers.
Second, humour can be a double-edged sword. If you use it too much, it can become tiresome and ineffective.
Finally, there is always the risk that something could go wrong. For example, if you make a joke about a sensitive topic, you could unintentionally offend someone.
Concluding thoughts
Humour is a powerful marketing tool because it can help you connect with customers on a personal level. It can also be a great way to show off your brand's personality and create a top-of-mind recall for your product. However, it's important to use humour sparingly and make sure that the jokes are appropriate for your target audience.
Source: https://www.oracle.com/middleeast/news/announcement/oracle-cx-happiness-research-study-2022-06-15/
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