The Skillful Art of Meme Marketing for Brands
In the world of social media, memes reign supreme. These bite-sized nuggets of internet humor can turn a regular Tuesday into a viral sensation or a brand post into a conversation starter. But as with anything trendy, there’s a fine line between "give whoever does your social media a raise" and "yikes, there’s still time to delete this."
For brands, memes can be a powerful tool for marketing and engagement - when done right. Leaning into meme culture can humanize your brand, boost your relatability, and skyrocket your visibility. But let’s not kid ourselves: doing it wrong can backfire faster than a stale joke at open mic night. So, how can brands leverage memes without falling into unironic cringe territory? Let’s discuss.
Why Memes Are Marketing Gold
Memes are the internet’s love language. They’re easy to consume, endlessly shareable, and generally pretty funny, ironically or otherwise. For brands, memes offer a way to connect with audiences on a deeper, more personal level - because nothing builds relationships better than laughter.
Here’s why memes work so well in marketing:
Relatability: Memes tap into universal feelings and shared experiences. When a meme speaks to your audience, they’re more likely to engage and share it (just think - how many times have YOU screenshot and dropped a fresh meme in the groupchat?)
Virality Potential: A good meme has legs. When your meme resonates, it doesn’t just get likes and comments it gets shared, retweeted, and reposted across platforms.
Low-Cost Creativity: Memes are quick to create and don’t require a massive budget or high production value. A quality caption and a clever image are often enough to make magic.
In short, memes can help brands stay relevant, foster community, and build cultural currency—all while keeping things light and fun.
When Memes Go Wrong: The Undeniable, Inescapable Cringe Factor
Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Meme marketing can easily veer into cringe territory if it’s not approached carefully. Here’s how it usually happens:
Trying Too Hard to Be Cool: If a brand forces a meme trend that doesn’t align with its voice, it can feel awkward and out of touch. Think “How do you do, fellow kids” energy - and not in a good way.
Using Outdated Memes: The lifespan of a meme is notoriously short. Posting last month’s meme today? Social media death sentence.
Misunderstanding the Context: If you don’t fully grasp the meaning behind a meme, you risk offending your audience or coming across as clueless. Of course, if done correctly, an out of context meme can take off with the right crowd, but crafting memes that rely on irony is a FINE art skill that many don’t often possess.
Memeing with the Pros
Done right, memes can be a game-changer for brands. Here’s how to nail it:
Stay Current: Keep up with trending memes and hop on them while they’re still fresh. Tools like Know Your Meme or just scrolling through Twitter and TikTok can help you stay in the loop (but be careful not to overdo it - seriously, not every post needs to be “demure and mindful,” sorry Jools.)
Know Your Audience: Tailor your memes to fit your target demographic. What works for Gen Z might not resonate with millennials, and vice versa (ok, it MOST LIKELY won’t work.)
Be Authentic: Don’t force it. Your audience can tell when you’re trying too hard to be funny or relatable. Let your brand’s voice shine through naturally.
Align with Your Brand: While it’s fun to be unconventional, ensure your meme content still aligns with your brand’s tone and values. If it doesn’t fit - skip it.
Brands Killing it in the Meme Department (according to us)
Some brands have turned memes into a full-blown marketing strategy, proving that humor and relatability can pay off big time. Let’s look at a few champions of the meme world:
1. Wendy’s
When it comes to social media sass, Wendy’s is the reigning queen. Their Twitter account is infamous (in the best way) for roasting competitors and engaging with fans using humor and memes. Wendy’s leans into internet culture to keep its brand fresh, relatable, and absolutely iconic. Case in point: their “National Roast Day” event, where fans and brands voluntarily ask to be roasted, and were accordingly.
2. Denny’s
Denny’s has mastered the art of being weird - and it works. Their offbeat, surreal memes and tweets have helped them carve out a unique identity in the social media space. They’re not afraid to lean into absurdity, like turning pancakes into internet memes or posting cryptic, emoji-filled captions. Seriously, name one other corporation’s Tumblr account that you care about. (Exactly.)
3. Netflix
Netflix knows its audience really well, and it uses memes to fuel fandoms. By creating meme-worthy content around its original shows and movies, the brand keeps conversations going long after a release. Leaning into self-deprecating humor about binge culture, which resonates perfectly with their audience, is their bread and butter.
The Benefits of Being Unconventional
Unconventional marketing - like embracing memes - allows brands to stand out in crowded social feeds. When you lean into trends, you’re signaling that your brand is paying attention, that you get it. This can build deeper trust and stronger connections with your audience.
But, being unconventional also means taking risks. Not every meme will land, and that’s okay. The key is to listen to your audience, learn from your mistakes, and keep experimenting.
Warning: Meme Responsibly
Memes are more than just internet jokes - they’re a powerful way for brands to engage, entertain, and connect with audiences. But they’re also a tool that requires finesse. By staying current, being authentic, and embracing your brand’s unique voice, you can use memes to elevate your social media game.
So go ahead, dip your toes into the meme pool - but remember: if you’re going to meme, meme responsibly. Nobody wants to be the brand that tried to bring back 2014’s “Doge” in 2024 (The Elon-cringe walking ick jokes are writing themselves here.)
Now excuse us while we get back to sending our friends just a chill guy memes on TikTok which are probably not cool anymore by the time this blog is scheduled to publish, oops.
