We’re just going to come out and say it…people like funny. It’s engaging, it grabs attention, it stands out from the norm. Everything you’d want from a marketing campaign really. So why do so many brands shy away from it?
Well, we’d say that the biggest obstacle we come across when presenting a more ‘tongue in cheek’ campaign to clients is the worry that they will appear as unprofessional or, even worse, cause offence.
The best advice we can give here is to know your audience. Know where the line is and how far you can take it without coming across as unprofessional or offensive. Drop a good joke in, have an interesting take on something topical, hell even drop a few puns in if that’s your bag. Get the balance right and you may just strike gold.
It may be, however, that humour just isn’t for your brand. And that’s fine too. There are some businesses and topics that aren’t ok to joke about or take that tone with. In which case, please feel free to dismiss this blog entirely. But for the vast majority of you, there’s something you can do. You can instantly make your brand seem more personable, human and relatable, just by relaxing your tone and dropping in a joke or two.
Brands that tickle our funny bone
There are a few brands out there that get the balance absolutely perfect. So much so that it’s now what they’re known for. Some our favourites out there are:
The irreverent smoothie makers have been making us lol on social for years now!
Yorkshire Tea
The Northern brand that proves tea doesn’t have to be boring. (Check out our podcast with Ollie Ratcliffe, Digital Specialist at Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate here!)
From clever use of copy in their apology following a nationwide chicken shortage to ‘trying out’ other brands’ slogans after it was pointed out that ‘finger licking good’ was not recommended in times of Covid, KFC are the masters of turning potential bad press on its head and making it funny.
Dave Harland
Ok, he’s not a brand. But he is funny and a really good example of how you can use humour to help grow your business as a freelancer. (We’ve also done a podcast with Dave! Listen here!)
Finding the fun in B2B
B2B brands aren’t often known for being hilarious. Yes, you may need to keep it professional and play safer than what you would with B2C. But believe it or not, there are things you can do to bring personality and humour into your marketing without stepping over the line. How far you can push it will of course depend on the nature of your business and target audience but we’d advise most businesses to give it a go.
Not quite ready to put it all out there? That’s fine. Try social! Social media is naturally more relaxed than other marketing channels and it’s a great starting point for trying out a bit of humour. The most important thing to remember is that yes, you are selling to businesses, but businesses are run by people. And people like funny.
Want to add touch of personality to your brand? Come speak to us!
Want more tips, tricks and advice? Follow us on social! You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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