Humor in marketing, when done right, can be a game changer. Tapping this marketing emotion can take your brand from being ‘one of many’ to becoming a beloved and popular brand.
And if done consistently, it can make your TG actually look forward to receiving marketing communication from you. Now wouldn’t that be as rare as someone eagerly waiting to visit a dentist?
Before we move ahead, you might want to check out my previous Vegan Marketing Love Letter issue explaining why humor is critical in marketing, especially for vegan brands.
Done? Good. Let’s charge ahead…
4 popular ways to inject humor in vegan marketing
1. Stand-up comedy
We all know influencer marketing works, especially for a niche category like vegan products. Veganism stirs up people’s passions very strongly, both for and against it. (Remember that raging plant-based meat Bloomberg controversy from Jan 2023?).
How do you make communications headway in such a category without raising hackles? Work with an influential or popular comedian!!
Try someone like Aiyyo Shraddha (Shraddha Jain), one of my personal favorites. She has created wonderfully satirical and witty sets even on topics as serious as layoffs. And videos on such topics have not only done well but have also gone viral.
Even if the comedy influencer video created for your vegan brand doesn’t go as viral as expected, it will at least touch a chord in every one who comes across it.
2. Memes
Have you seen vegan memes shared by dedicated accounts on Instagram? E.g. Vegan Memes, Vegan Sarcasm, etc. Memes need no introduction. They can work equally well for communicating about your vegan product. So definitely give them a shot in your communications.
E.g. of a vegan meme:
3. Puns/ Wordplay
For this to work, your copywriting needs to be top notch. And if written well, the pun can bring a smile to the face of the TG when they decode it. And as we know, we tend to share something that entertains us or makes us laugh, right?
I am a huge fan of Meatless Farm‘s witty copy, filled with puns/ wordplay.
Another of my personal favorites is Imagine Meats. They use puns not only in their ads but also throughout their website. Just check the Imagine Meats website and you’ll know what I am saying.
Last example of a witty brand- The Whole Truth. Wit oozes from every single sentence they put out, including on their packaging. I enjoy their marketing wit so much that I even made a loving ode to them on Instagram.
4. Say the truth, laugh at yourself
Humor also shines through when you openly say the things your TG is thinking. If you know your TG is mocking your attempts at marketing, share those mocking statements. Sometimes that might come across as cheeky but that’s ok so long as it’s not disrespectful.
This popular humor method needs you to be confident enough to laugh at yourself. And nothing is as attractive as a brand that’s confident in its own worth.
No one does it better or more consistently than Oatly. Huge fan.
Oatly took the crown at self-deprecating humor by launching a special website called F*ck Oatly. You must check it out.
p.s. Most humor works when it is relatable. Most content is relatable when it is true for a large number of people. That is why, before you embark on your humor journey, it would be a good idea to define the USP 2.0 i.e. Universal Sore Point you are trying to address.
Question to think about: 💡
If you are new to humor in marketing, should you start small i.e. first try it in your social media captions and posts. Then add it to your website copy and ad copy. Then in your transactional emails. Finally hitting the packaging as well?
Should you want to talk, I am just an email away. You know that, right?