When you’re marketing with humor, you have two options: Be funny or die. Consumers will appreciate a good heartfelt ad, but no one will forgive you for trying to be funny and failing miserably. That is why before trying to incorporate humor into a marketing plan, take a second to determine whether or not it’s a good idea. 
To Be or Not to Be Funny?
A little laughter can go a long way in the world of marketing. If you’ve been marketing the same materials using repetitive strategies for a long time, it might be time to switch it up with humor. After all, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is supposedly the definition of insanity (unless of course you’re playing a game of Angry Birds). Several studies have shown that humor is linked to arousal, and arousal is linked to memory. Nobody likes advertisements asking them to spend money all the time, but with a good joke, they might find themselves actually chuckling as they reach for their wallets.
So what happens when you try to be funny and you fail? Your ad dies, and you die with it. People will not only not laugh at your ad, but they might wind up strongly disliking your product because of a joke gone bad. Sometimes you need to look at some really bad marketing efforts to know how to do it right. Here are a few tips on why your ad just isn’t funny.
1. Your Offensive Humor Isn’t Funny
Don’t be the GoDaddy of the marketing world, where you sell sex so well in your advertisement that people can’t figure out if your website is about creating web domains or online dating in the fast lane. Being tasteful when using humor in your advertising can spare you a lifetime of the guilt and regret that comes with having to publicly apologize under the cold, disapproving stare of Arianna Huffington.
2. The Right People Don’t Think You’re Funny
Audience is of course a major factor of whether or not an ad is successful in being humorous. The Reebok marketing team simply ignored half of demographic when deploying the ad, “Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout.” Clever, but not to any girlfriend who wants to buy running shoes. However, every woman is going to see the humor in an ad put out by a lingerie store that reads, “This fitting event will lift more than your spirit!” Witty and effective, without causing any Twitter hashtag outrage from the excluded parties.
3. Your Timing Isn’t Funny
Timing is key, especially when marketing through social media where everything is in real time. One minute you might be quoting Robin Thicke in your campaign to clear up the “blurred lines” of online marketing, the next minute Miley Cyrus is twerking all over the place, overshadowing any humor your ad once had. When your team has a good idea, roll with it before it’s too late. And pay attention to trending posts and hashtags to avoid making a colossal error in your timing.
4. Your Puns Aren’t Funny
A little pun never hurt anyone, but heed the word “little,” because too much pun is actually quite painful. However, when a PetCo ad tells the consumer to buy pet food ”Right Meow,” it is considered a punny success.
5. Your Execution Ruins Your Ability to Be Funny
Nothing is worse than a funny advertisement ruined by its execution. When New Yorkers look into the funhouse mirror advertisement of EZ Pawn Shop asking “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest pawn shop of them all?” they get confused. Why? Because the mirror is showing their reflection back at them and they’re standing there saying, “Me. I’m the fairest pawn shop of them all?” When it comes to good marketing, planning is everything. One slight error can turn your funny advertisement into the joke itself, leaving no one laughing.
Humor is tricky, but if you’re in marketing, then everything is tricky. When in doubt, go for a smile if you don’t think you can pull off a knee-slapper. The sooner you learn why your advertisements aren’t funny, the easier it will be to really have your consumers chuckling as they go to buy your product.
*Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
