The use of humor in branding is a really interesting and sometimes surprising phenomenon. If used correctly, it can bring amazing results, but if it is mistaken, it can lead to a serious defeat of the brand’s fate.
Properly used humor literally breaks down barriers and creates a trusting, emotional relationship between the object of advertising and the consumer, demonstrating that the brand speaks the same language with its audience and is based on values that are significant to it.
Many examples point to attempts to embody humor in branding, making it the main vector of the company. However, not all attempts are successful. In many cases, humor causes the firm to fall face down in the mud, causing serious problems.
Take, for example, the decaying company TVC OLX, which did not meet the expectations of the brand. OLX is a company that provides online advertisements for the sale of second-hand goods, such as furniture, musical instruments, sports goods, cars, children's products, motorcycles, cameras, mobile phones and much more. She always used wit in the past, creating commercials filled with humor, wordplay, sketches, etc. However, in this direction did not last long. Despite the fact that the company received some traction and response among the audience due to the unique method of presenting advertising information, mediocre and homogeneous content did not allow this to last for a long time.
Or “Angelina Pharma Rus”, which in its television commercial showed the famous Russian rapper Timati, who reads about the features of the promoted drug. It would seem that the risks are high, as this is a completely unusual type of advertising for the consumer, but the relevance of the artist's industry and the enthusiasm of young people have borne fruit. Soon, they began to mock, rewrite and distribute over the video, which resulted in enormous brand recognition.
Absurd problems
Yes, it is true that branding in the modern world faces many absurd problems. Vital messages that you want to convey to the target audience, are lost in a mess and noisy modern market.
Today's consumers are increasingly afraid of the too-widespread marketing tactics used by regular companies more than once, which is why many brands try to evoke emotions in the form of humor in their message. A lot of effort goes into creating content with humor, but not all brands use it for its intended purpose and / or at the right time. For such brands, it’s like repeated repetition of a bad joke - or, even worse, an association with someone you don’t want to associate with.
Sincerity and Conformity
Brands that use humor in their advertising strategies should have a genuine character attached to their message. Along with this, it is appropriate and sincerity, and compliance. In addition, the message conveyed through humor must be fresh and meaningful so that the voice of the brand remains clear.
Honestly, it's hard to get people to be emotional without making a wit. Thus, some brands only spoil their image when they try to use humor, because even though they try to make people laugh, they miss vital elements such as imagination and intelligence. The result is a soft corporate splash without soul, empathy, and the "human" element.
Human condition
Brands that want to communicate with the consumer through humor, must have a deep understanding of the human condition. It is often said that it is impossible to convey humor if you are not very serious about the humor you want to convey to yourself. Sometimes a message that companies want to deliver to the end user may have incorrect connotations. In 2015, Bic pens used a promotional greeting through the announcement of the National Women's Day (South Africa), which looked witty, but as a result, the audience perceived it as an unimaginably sexy message that later appeared on reputation.
Pretentiousness
Being pretentious is the last thing companies would like to do. None of the people wants to be “saddled” or misled. The executioner cannot joke when he has a job - a hanged-in convict. On the other hand, a bank that jokes about investor money only undermines trust, loses its customer base and destroys the brand. Firms that fail, being honest, cannot convey their message - no one likes a liar.
Close communication with people is the key to the right humor in branding. A company must examine people, in particular, its target audience, in order to treat the market correctly. Often, corporate cars lose touch with their audience and lose sight of it, because they have killed an important human face for themselves and people, which was like a friend to them.
A joke, which is not at all related to the product being promoted or even the brand, distracts: entertains, but does not sell. Humor, neglecting the cultural, age and other features of the target audience, causes a lot of negative feelings and emotions that are immediately transferred to the product and brand.
Thus, the creation of funny, memorable and quoted advertising requires virtuosity and at least professional performance. Humor in branding remains a vital strategy for today, but it is necessary to take into account all the above points in order to achieve the designated goals and not scare the consumer.