10 Strategies for Brands to Master the Meme Marketing Landscape

  • Meme marketing is becoming increasingly popular. 
  • Marketers can use the following strategies to witness the full potential of meme marketing.

Meme marketing is the strategic use of online memes to promote brands, products, and services over the internet, targeting a younger demographic. Memes typically leverage humor, cultural relevance, shareability, and variability to resonate harmoniously with the target audience. 

Persuasion Nation says memes can reach ten times more people than traditional marketing visuals. Amra And Elma LLC suggests that over 60% of consumers are likely to buy from a company that effectively uses memes. Well-crafted memes can spread like wildfire, generating organic reach and brand awareness. 

For example, during the infamous 2013 Super Bowl blackout, Oreo capitalized with a witty tweet featuring their cookies in the dark with the caption, “You can still dunk in the dark.” This was a playful jab at the power cut, and the meme perfectly captured the moment and garnered massive attention. 

Learn How Meme Marketing Becomes Mainstream

The foundation of meme marketing was laid with the rise of multiple social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter (now X), Instagram, etc., in the mid-2000s. All these platforms provided a fertile ground for memes to spread quickly and easily through sharing and reposting. 

Social media offers several vital ingredients that make memes a marketing goldmine. People tend to be drawn to humor, and memes facilitate a way for brands to connect with audiences on a lighter level. Next, memes often refer to current events, pop culture, and shared experiences, which makes them relatable and fosters a sense of community. Lastly, the ease of shareability piques marketers’ interest. 

Brands like Snickers and Old Spice were among the first to experiment with meme marketing in the early 2010s. They generated massive engagement and brand awareness through meme marketing, thereby proving the concept’s potential. As meme culture flourished, marketers realized the power of user-generated content and encouraged fans to create and share content featuring the brand to leverage organic reach and authenticity. 

By the late 2010s, meme marketing had become a widely accepted marketing strategy, and platforms like Instagram started offering features like Stories and Reels, which were ideally suited for short-form meme-like content. In today’s saturated market, memes can grab attention and make lasting impressions. 

Plus, memes allow brands to showcase their human side and connect with the audience on a deeper and more personal level. By referring to what’s happening worldwide and showcasing current trends and cultural moments, brands can demonstrate that they are more about business and are in touch with their audience. 

Both social media and meme culture are evolving rapidly, and meme marketing must adapt and grow simultaneously. To capitalize on meme marketing’s prowess, brands must stay authentic, relevant, and creative. Here are a few strategies for maximizing the nuances of meme marketing. 

  1. Know Your Audience

Although virality might be perceived as the ultimate goal for meme marketing, knowing and understanding the audience is rule number one. Note that in this scenario, relevance is the king. A meme that resonates with the ideal customer is more likely to be shared, commented on, and remembered. 

Also, different demographics gravitate towards different meme formats and references. This fact emphasizes the importance of adhering to trends. For example, millennials might get a “Distracted Boyfriend” meme, and Gen Z would be more familiar with “Woman Yelling at a Cat.” So, ensure that your meme marketing campaign aligns with the trend. The induced humor must feel natural and align with the brand voice.  

According to a Social Sprout study, 76% of social media users have encountered a branded meme, and 53% found it memorable. Similarly, according to Mention, memes are processed faster than text because they intelligently combine visuals and humor, enhancing their effectiveness in grabbing attention. 

For example, Wendy’s, an FMCG brand, is famous for its sassy social media presence and clever use of memes in its marketing strategy. They playfully roast competitors, participate in trends, and work towards keeping the audience engaged with humor that aligns with the brand voice. 

  1. Stay Relevant

Despite being powerful marketing tools, memes have a short shelf life. To remain fresh and relevant, marketers need to stay current with current trends, events, and pop culture references. The quicker they react to a trending topic, the more likely the meme is to garner audience attention before becoming outdated. 

While trendy memes are a significant part of meme marketing, creators can focus on creating memes with a timeless quality to be practical and have a more substantial shelf life. To facilitate this, marketers should look for relatable situations or universal experiences that resonate with your audience over time. 

According to HubSpot, around 84% of millennials appreciate user-generated content (UGC), which includes memes to influence their purchase decisions. In another study by Know Your Meme, the average lifespan of a meme trend is around a month. Also, some trends might explode while some fade within a few days. 

For example, the “Distracted Boyfriend” meme originated in 2017. The format evolved to depict various scenarios that went beyond infidelity. Brands can leverage this format to create fresh memes and stay relevant to current events and topics. This scenario helps in a successful campaign riding on meme marketing. 

  1. Embrace Originality

The internet is currently filled to the brim with memes, and only a truly original creation can grab attention and leave a lasting impression. Moreover, a unique meme allows marketers to showcase the brand’s creativity and personality while fostering a stronger connection with the target audience. 

Original memes are more likely to be shared and discussed, boosting brand awareness and recall value. According to Socialbakers, content perceived as unique receives a 31% higher engagement rate than generic content. Unruly found in a study that content with strong emotional connections is 31% more likely to be shared. 

To embrace originality, marketers must brainstorm unique concepts and avoid reliance on popular meme templates. Creators and company designers can consider a popular meme format and give it a fresh twist. Marketers can encourage the audience to create memes using the brand product to foster community and provide valuable results. 

For example, Dollar Shave Club’s Our Blades are F*ing Great video. This 2012 video, presented as a rant about the high cost of razor blades, went viral for its bold humor and originality. Eventually, this meme marketing strategy positioned Dollar Shave Club as a disruptive brand and kicked off its marketing success. 

  1. Induce Humor With Care

To witness the full potential of meme marketing, marketers need to strike the right balance between funny and appropriate content. A meme could fall flat or offend the audience, damaging the brand’s reputation. Note that humor is subjective; what one person finds hilarious, others might find offensive. So, knowing audiences’ taste in humor is essential. 

Avoid forced attempts at humor, as they can backfire. Memes must feel natural and effortless and reflect the brand’s voice in a positive light. A Sprout Social study revealed that 72% of consumers say they’re more likely to connect with a brand that uses humor in its marketing. 

Conduct thorough research about the audience’s demographics and sense of humor, note what they find funny and list off-limits topics. Induced humor must align with the brand voice. A luxury brand might not align with the humor of a fast-food chain. However, don’t be afraid to test different approaches before launching a meme campaign. 

For example, M&M’s Twitter (now X.com) account is well known for its witty banter and clever use of memes. They skillfully leverage humor to promote their candy in such an intuitive way that it feels natural and lighthearted while still aligning with their colorful and positive brand personality.  

  1. Keep it Clean & Simple

To adhere to and comply with diminishing online attention spans, memes must be instantly understandable and grab viewers quickly. This fact emphasizes keeping it clean and simple. Note that more straightforward memes are easier to understand and share, plus people can remix them with their spin to boost their reach. 

Experts say that clear and relatable humor has the potential to transcend cultural boundaries and demographics, and a clear meme has a broader appeal. Creators can use popular meme templates and personalize them with a brand message. Use high-quality visuals, keep the captions short and clear, and induce relatable and inoffensive humor. 

According to the HubSpot blog on meme marketing sites, captions under ten words perform best. Memes with clear and recognizable visuals also get more attention and boost brand engagement. Writers must create simple copies, and designers must choose more straightforward and easy-to-understand visuals. 

For example, in the “Women Yelling at Cat” meme, a confused woman yells at a disinterested cat, representing a nonsensical situation. It’s clear format allowed people to insert their “confusing thing” for humor and relatability. The creators hit the bull’s eye by keeping it clear and straightforward, and the meme went viral across different platforms. 

  1. Pick the Right Platform

Picking the right platform is crucial to a successful meme marketing campaign. As different platforms attract different demographics, tailoring memes to the target audience’s age, interest, and humor preferences is critical. Also, each platform caters to specific content formats; for instance, short videos are good on Instagram but not for LinkedIn. 

Platforms also encourage different types of interactions, and creators must tailor the memes to promote your desired engagement, like Facebook comments, Instagram shares, etc. Work on understanding audience demographics online habits, research platform trends, experiment and analyze, and if possible, consider paid promotions. 

According to 2023 research by Pew Research Center, 72% of teens use Instagram, and only 13% use Pinterest, showcasing the platform you can opt for your meme campaign. Sprout Social’s 2024 Social Media Trends Report further highlights the rise of short-form video content on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. 

For example, Wholesome Memes on Facebook, where consumers saw heartwarming and inspirational memes performing well, and such memes can also touch a more family-oriented user base. Marketers must create memes that resonate with the target audience and pick the platform that they frequent. 

  1. Learn to Engage & Respond

This is a powerful strategy in meme marketing that focuses on fostering a two-way conversation with the audience. Responding to comments and questions showcases that the brand cares about the audience and creates a sense of community around the brand. 

Promote memes that spark conversations, as they are more likely to be shared and resurfaced, to increase brand visibility organically. When a brand engages with comments, it allows it to better understand the audience’s preferences and tailor future memes accordingly. 

A Socialbakers study found that brands with high social media engagement rates witness 22% higher customer conversion rates. Another survey by Sprout Social showed that 78% of consumers expect brands to respond to their social media messages in 24 hours. 

For example, Oreo’s Daily Dose, the well-known cookie brand, is famous for its witty responses to trending topics and user content. This approach kept users and the audience engaged and amplified the meme’s reach. 

  1. Actively Track & Analyze

Active tracking and analysis of meme marketing campaigns are crucial for understanding what works and what might not. Through proper analysis, brands can refine their strategy for maximum impact. Marketers must track key metrics like reach, engagement and audience sentiments to gauge the effectiveness of memes. 

Data can further be analyzed to understand what formats, topics, and platforms resonate with the target audience. Based on the results, marketers can adjust their meme strategy and create compelling and engaging content. Most platforms offer built-in analytics or integrate third-party tools for better analysis. 

According to a Buffer study, social media posts with images witness 65% higher engagement rates than text-only posts. Also, trackable links with Urchin Tracking Module (UTM), five variants of URL parameters used by marketers to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns, can be used intelligently. 

For example, Cheetah Brand’s meme mishap, where their attempt at a relatable meme backfired due to negative sentiment analysis. After the debacle, they quickly pulled the ad and adjusted their strategy based on the audience’s feedback. They could do this because they actively tracked and analyzed their campaign performance. 

  1. Embrace User Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content is emerging as a powerful strategy for effective meme marketing campaigns. This approach leverages the creativity and enthusiasm of the target audience to expand the reach and build brand awareness and loyalty simultaneously. 

People trust the content created by other users more than traditional advertising, and hence, UGC feels genuine and relatable. Users creating memes around your brand inadvertently expand the reach organically and boost overall engagement. 

According to a report by Stackla, user-generated content generates 35% more sales as compared to brand-created content. In another study by Socialbakers, UCG witnessed up to 30% higher engagement rates than brand-generated content. Such statistics emphasize the importance of UGC. 

For example, GoPro’s User-submitted Challenge, where GoPro runs contests where users submit videos showcasing their adventures using GoPro cameras. This approach helped generate a massive amount of user-generated content, which further helped increase brand awareness and loyalty. 

  1. Be Patient & Persistent

Being patient and persistent is the bedrock of a successful and lasting meme marketing strategy. Note that building a successful meme presence in today’s competitive market takes time, consistent efforts, and the ability to learn from both wins and losses. There’s no guaranteed formula for a meme to go viral, and persistence in creating and experimenting is the key. 

Growing a loyal following that engages with memes requires consistency in content creation and audience interaction. Marketers must deeply analyze what works and what doesn’t, be patient with the learning curve, and adapt the strategy accordingly. They should also regularly create and share memes to stay relevant in the fast-paced world of online trends. 

A study by Unmetric found that only 1.6% of social media content goes viral, which emphasizes the importance of consistency in content creation for virality. Another report by Socialbakers found that the average brand posts on social media at least once a day. Note that consistency is the key to staying relevant with the audience. 

For example, the Bad Luck Brian meme took several years to gain mainstream stage and popularity; the creators who posted the meme about this awkward teenage photo persisted in online sharing until the meme eventually exploded. This example sheds light on the importance of being patient and consistent. 

In conclusion, meme marketing is becoming a significant part of digital marketing, and brands actively incorporate this strategy into their campaigns. However, to experience its effectiveness, brands can understand and incorporate strategies discussed above.