Right now, ‘disruption’ is the buzzword. It seems everyone wants to engage with their particular industry/market by doing things differently. Going against the ‘normal’ business model can mean anything from challenging traditional structures and processes, to redefining meaning and intent.
Humour has become one method of disruptive practice, especially with B2C marketing. Increasingly, businesses are embracing lighter tones and quirky communications to get their message across. Done right, humour can be a fantastic and potentially viral means of getting attention in a saturated marketplace; done wrong, it can seem put-on and unprofessional.
For instance, bookmaker brand Paddy Power is known for pushing boundaries with its marketing and advertising. Just this year it stirred/poked fun at English-Irish relations in the build up to the Six Nations rugby clash, and featured Ryan Giggs’ brother Rhodri in its “Loyalty Is Dead” TV ad.
In 2013, in anticipation of the birth of Prince George, Paddy Power sent three giant babies in green onesies to pose outside St. Mary’s hospital with a chalkboard showing betting odds on the baby’s name. It’s also taken on Putin and the Russian Olympic doping scandal, Trump’s wall and the pope. Whether the campaigns court controversy or laughter, they’re always talked about and are hard to ignore.
Be unforgettable
Which adverts do you remember? Chances are, they’re the ones that made you laugh or at least smile. Whether it was a funny observation, a clever line or something unexpectedly outrageous, you might still be able to recall it years or even decades later.
Think Cadbury’s drum-playing gorilla, or Pizza Hut’s post-Euro 96 spot with the penalty-missing Gareth Southgate, or PG Tips’ cockney removal chimps, or the hapless Baldy Man in a photobooth for Hamlet Cigars. Humour is a very good way of making people remember you and associate good feelings with your brand.
People want to be entertained. If you can draw them in and keep them there, they’re more likely to interact meaningfully with your business. This is especially true online. A little humour on your website will do wonders, particularly if the customer is not expecting it. In fact, humour can be most effective when promoting a ‘boring’ or ‘unglamorous’ business because the majority in the same industry aren’t using it; it’s one way of saying, “We’re different.”
Be informative (and approachable)
Some industries, financial in particular, can be difficult to understand or even care about for the average person. They know a bank and insurance and a pension are necessities, but they’re things most people don’t want to spend too much time thinking about. Money is nice to have, but saving it or using it in practical ways can seem dull.
By using a more light-hearted tone to explain what your product is and why someone needs it, customers are more likely to trust you and choose your service over others because you come across more human and approachable. It’s the difference between dealing with a faceless authority and a friend.
Compare The Market has done this with its Russian meerkats. GEICO’s famous Gecko is so well-known that in 2013 he released his own self-help book, ‘You’re Only Human’. From 2010, GEICO released a series of TV commercials parodying traditional nursery rhymes in which calamitous protagonists make insurance claims.
But be careful…
There are lots of things most people find funny, but there are also lots of things most people don’t. Before adding humour into your business, first consider if it’s appropriate for your brand image, and whether it will help or hinder your customer base.
If done incorrectly, or indeed overdone, humour can annoy and alienate customers. Also take into account how wide or narrow your market is as this will give you an idea of how and where to direct your humour. These days, with social media forums and watchdogs for every demographic imaginable, it’s very easy to offend and for that offense to suddenly go global.
If in doubt, keep your message clear and welcoming, but keep the humour in check for another day or another company.