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An Internet meme is defined as a comic phrase or image that is widely shared and adapted within a culture.
Memes can be textual or visual (images, comics, gifs). They are widely used to express emotions, spread ideas, and interact with others.
Memes often arise from events that are actively discussed by Internet users. They may evolve and change over time, but the basic idea and humorous element usually remains and is actively used for a certain period of time.
Therefore, meme marketing is a marketing strategy that involves the use of popular memes and cultural references specifically to promote brands, products or services.
The main goal of meme marketing is to attract the attention of the audience, promote the viral spread of information about the product or brand and create a positive image, as it is a great way to communicate with the audience on their level. And for effective meme marketing, it is important to create memes that will be relevant to the target audience and evoke positive emotions. Memes should also be consistent with the brand concept they are promoting.
Every year, meme marketing becomes more popular as memes can generate viral content with minimal investment. Truly successful memes spread very quickly, so marketers want to use them in their activities.
The big advantage of meme marketing is that it doesn't require much effort since most of
the work is already done and marketers only need to tailor the image or text to their brand.
Why is meme marketing effective?
Meme marketing allows brands to connect with audiences on a personal level. Memes are often used to express emotions, and they can help brands show their human side.
Memes entertain audiences
They are a simple and accessible way of communication, often causing laughter, sympathy and a sense of understanding. Using memes allows brands to intentionally evoke positive emotions, which helps strengthen an emotional connection with their audience.
So if you share a good meme, you are guaranteed views, likes, shares, retweets and active engagement.
Memes spread quickly
Memes spread like viruses on the Internet because they easily attract the attention and
interest of users. Once a meme becomes popular, it quickly spreads across social media and other media platforms.
Memes allow you to connect with young audiences
Memes are a kind of language that is most actively used by young people, especially Generation Z. They easily recognize and understand the message, which allows brands and organizations to speak the same language with this audience.
Memes create a unique image
Memes are often very creative and unconventional. This can help a brand stand out from the crowd and create a unique image that consumers will truly remember.
What's the secret to a successful meme?
Unfortunately, there are no prescribed rules for creating the perfect meme. And it's very difficult to give specific reasons why memes go viral on the Internet because it
depends on many factors. However, there are some factors that may affect this:
Simplicity
The more clear and obvious the context of a meme, the more people will be able to relate to it, and the greater the likelihood of it spreading virally.
Relevance to the target audience
To determine what will appeal to your target audience, you can research how your competitors are entertaining their subscribers. People tend to respond better to content that reflects their values and interests, and if a meme matches certain characteristics of the target audience, it will generate greater emotional response and understanding. But you need to find the right balance between promotion and engagement.
Timeliness
Memes based on powerful current events that either happened recently or are currently
happening are best received by audiences. So if you want to go viral, it's a good idea to create memes based on trends, as this can trigger an emotional reaction in people - laughter, anger, joy or whatever. An emotional response increases the likelihood that a person will share the meme on their social networks.
Humor
Obviously, humor is the most important component of a good meme, because if it makes you laugh, it will spread much faster than thoughtful memes. Humor is a universal language.
Popular meme topics
If you are having difficulty creating memes yourself, you can use this list of topics:
Politics and social events
Culture and entertainment
Everyday life
Animals
Kids
Classic Quotes
Jokes and phrases
Society
Story
Music
Holidays
Family relationships
Sport
Friendship
Health
The best way to create a meme is to simply be creative and bold.
Potential Risks
It is important to remember that the effectiveness of meme marketing depends on the
context, target audience and creativity of the approach. Poor use of memes can cause a negative reaction from the audience. Marketers must understand that the line between funny and offensive is very thin, so they need to carefully know the context of a joke before publishing it on a brand page, otherwise it can lead to loss of reputation. Under no circumstances should you post memes with vulgar, sexist, homophobic, racist content, even for brands with a bold tone of voice. This is unforgivable in today's world, and a meme that makes fun of a certain group of people will definitely get a backlash from that group.
Examples of successful meme marketing
Netflix
Netflix's social media team are experts at creating memes. They use their extensive media library to create hilarious images based on films, TV shows and cartoons, such as the one below.
KitKat
KitKat's social media is full of funny sayings, puns, jokes and suggestions to just sit down and relax. Users love this tone of voice and actively discuss posts in the comments section.
KFC
Through the use of memes and funny pictures in their content, KFC achieves a level of reach that even marketing campaigns backed by large investments cannot achieve.
Chupa Chups
Chupa Chups is known for its brightly colored lollipops on a stick and original marketing approach. The company's marketing strategy is aimed at attracting Generation Z and they do a great job of it by actively using memes in their content.
Old Spice
Until 2010, Old Spice was focused on an older audience, mainly people aged 40 to 60, but later, after assessing market trends, they decided to change their strategy to focus on young people. Thus, after 2010, Old Spice changed dramatically, launching the legendary "Man Your Man Could Smell Like" advert, which later became one of the most recognizable memes on the Internet. Since then, the brand's tone of voice on social media has changed to a cheerful and slightly daring one.
Friskies
Friskies are real experts in using memes and funny pictures with cats to engage the audience. They usually use photos of cats and various funny captions for their memes. It is on their social media that you can often see the Angry Cat.
TikTok
It would be surprising if TikTok didn't use memes to engage its social media audience. They usually create funny pictures, poking fun at the topic of tiktok viewing, such as the one below.
Lay's
Lay's is one of the leaders in meme marketing. The company successfully uses memes to promote its products and services, and this helps it to remain competitive in the market. Lay's is very active in running interesting social media campaigns to connect with its audience and promote its products.
Doritos
Doritos' success in social media is built on the skilful use of humor. They often make memes based on funny life situations that make people laugh. This brand is well aware that humor is a universal language that can be used to easily evoke positive associations with its products
and connect with the audience.
Chipotle
Chipotle sets itself apart from the competition with its distinctive social media marketing
campaigns. They usually create memes of themselves, using photos of their products and adding emoticons to them, or making various collages. This approach is well received by the audience and attracts new customers.
Conclusion
Communicating with a young audience is a very difficult task, but there is a tool that can help: humor and memes. By understanding your audience, supporting your brand, and using your talents wisely, you can create content that will resonate with young people and help you stand out from the competition. While meme marketing may not be right for every brand, it's worth exploring as a way to add a unique twist to your marketing strategy.