Utilizing memes and the latest trends can be a powerful marketing tool for your brand; however, using the wrong one can be a PR disaster. Every brand wants to be relatable, trendy, and relevant, but misusing a trend can make your brand look inauthentic and disingenuous at best and be a PR disaster at worst. Knowing when a meme is right or wrong for your brand can be the difference between a viral post and a full-blown PR crisis. In this blog, we will share some best practices about memes, trends, and marketing.
Is It Right For My Brand?
As a brand, you have a consistent tone of voice used to communicate with your audience. This is how a brand’s personality is conveyed, and is usually at the front and center of your business. When a brand uses consistent messaging, its audience is very familiar with the brand’s voice. That being said, when a brand attempts to utilize a meme that doesn’t align with their brand’s messaging, it comes across as out-of-touch or, worse. Before deciding whether or not your brand should use a trend, ask yourself this question: Does this align with my brand’s tone of voice, values, and personality? If the answer to this question is no, the post may come off as inauthentic, jarring, or out of place, which will ultimately create a bad look for your brand image. It is always helpful to reference the social media of a brand with a similar tone of voice.
Does It Resonate With My Audience?
When recreating a viral meme or trend, you must take into consideration the parties that will see the post and the audience that you are trying to reach by making the post. If the age group associated with the trend is misaligned with your audience, the post will come off as inauthentic and fall flat. This is because there may be a disconnect between your audience and the audience the trend resonates with. To avoid this, always consider whether your consumer base has seen this trend, whether they will understand it, and whether they will find it funny.
You must also consider who you are trying to reach, or your target audience, when posting on social media. Posting a dated meme or trend can be just as risky as posting something relevant. Mishaps such as these can make your organization seem passé and irrelevant.
Is It Actually Funny?
As previously mentioned, most brands want to come off as humorous and relatable. As tempting as it may be to scroll through TikTok and hop on the latest trend, you must always consider whether or not this is the right fit for your brand. You must think about the repercussions from a PR standpoint. While a trend may seem funny at the time, understanding that it may not be a good fit for your brand is more effective than a viral social media video. You must also consider where the trend started. If it is rooted in making fun of one or more parties, it is best to avoid it altogether. Making a joke at someone else’s expense, especially if your tone of voice is not edgy or provocative, will ultimately reflect poorly on your brand.
Is It Evergreen?
While some memes have an everlasting format, other memes have the shelf-life of a day. It is always better to avoid memes that will be irrelevant after a short period of time and opt for the memes that will still be relevant a year from now.
In Conclusion
While it is tempting to hop on the latest trend, always consider whether or not it is consistent with your brand’s messaging. It is always best to consult with a PR professional before posting something on your social media. Memes should be utilized as a language, as they work best when trying to communicate something. If your brand is using a meme for the purpose of staying relevant, it will come off as disingenuous, tacky, and impersonal. They should not be seen as a shortcut to virality or reaching a specific audience. It is best to use memes and trends to communicate something about your brand, ensuring that it is consistent with brand messaging. By staying intentional and aligned with your brand’s identity, memes and trends can be used as a helpful tool for authentic engagement.
Don't miss our free monthly PR, Marketing, and Social Media Insights!
