Time for Fun: Brands Misfiring in Internet Culture's Complicated Landscape
In the ever-evolving world of internet culture, memes have become more than just viral jokes. They serve as quick, nuanced communication tools that signal belonging and shared understanding. Brands that have successfully navigated this landscape have reaped significant rewards, with businesses using memes in their marketing being 60% more likely to land sales than those using traditional graphics.
Success stories abound, with brands such as Wendy’s, Netflix, Gucci, Balenciaga, and Semrush leading the pack. Wendy’s, for instance, cleverly promoted their Frosty dessert by leveraging the meme trend around the TV show The Bear. Netflix, on the other hand, employed memes effectively during the release of Bird Box to engage audiences.
The key to success in meme marketing lies in authenticity, cultural fluency, and alignment with the brand voice. Playful brands like Wendy’s thrive with sarcasm, whereas luxury brands prefer subtle, clever memes. Failure often stems from misunderstanding internet culture or using memes without proper context, which can alienate audiences or damage brand image.
Understanding the internet culture landscape is crucial. Brands should stay as clued up as possible about the latest trends, memes, and internet slang terms to remain relevant in the rapidly changing internet culture. Considering the ethical implications before jumping on any meme or social media trend is always crucial. Jumping on sensitive or controversial topics can compromise a brand’s moral integrity and alienate a subsection of its audience.
The life cycle of trends, including memes, shortens by the day, especially with the 2020s emergence of microtrends. Brands must innovate and use memes in as novel a way as possible to avoid being left behind. Duolingo, for example, characterizes their owl mascot as an anxiously-attached, desperate character, poking fun at themselves and broader elements of dating culture and internet culture.
Trendjacking, or attempting to shoehorn a viral meme into marketing without understanding its context, can be ineffective. Brands can find success by tapping into timeless meme templates, untethered to any particular viral moment, as long as these aren’t overdone. The movie Morbius (2022) serves as a cautionary tale, with its poor marketing and box office bombing due to a lack of understanding of internet culture.
In 2020, the global meme industry was valued at $2.3 billion and is projected to almost triple by 2025. However, the use of children and babies in memes should be approached with care, as they and their families may not always be equipped to handle the fame they receive.
In summary, successful brands understand internet culture deeply, create authentic and relevant content, and align their meme use with their brand voice. Brands that fail to do so risk coming off as out of touch or intrusive. The future of meme marketing lies in innovation, cultural fluency, and a deep understanding of the internet culture landscape.
- Businesses that effectively integrate memes into their marketing strategies are 60% more likely to generate sales than those relying on traditional graphics, demonstrating the potential benefits of meme marketing in the rapidly evolving internet culture landscape.
- The key to success in meme marketing is authenticity, cultural fluency, and alignment with a brand's voice; for instance, Wendy's succeeded with sarcasm while luxury brands prefer subtle, clever memes.
- Staying informed about the latest internet culture trends, memes, and internet slang is crucial for brands to remain relevant and avoid being left behind; brands should also be mindful of the ethical implications of jumping on any meme or social media trend to maintain moral integrity.
- Trends, including memes, are constantly evolving, with the emergence of microtrends in the 2020s, making it essential for brands to innovate and use memes in novel ways.
- Brands must avoid trendjacking by attempting to shoehorn a viral meme into marketing without understanding its context, as failure to understand internet culture and its implications can alienate audiences or even compromise a brand's moral integrity.
