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August 15, 2012
How to ride a meme to create word of mouth
Ann Handley is not impressed.
Ann is the Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs and yesterday she starred in 10 photos posted to company's Facebook page. The photos were a takeoff on the "McKayla is not impressed" meme that parodied US Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney’s hilariously sour expression after settling for a silver medal in the women’s vault final. Already getting lots of likes, comments, shares and tweets, Ann's photos are creating buzz for MarketingProfs.
Riding a meme can be a great short-term buzz spreader. It shows that your organization is fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. It also gives your fans and evangelists one more thing to spread to their networks about you.
Another example is the "Sh*t [People] Say" meme which spawned business versions for HOW Magazine, Sanuk Footwear, and 325 Media Group.
One caution: Be fast. Memes have a short half-life so jump on them quickly.
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I would exercise caution about this one. If not done exactly right, it could make your brand look cheap and opportunistic. Better, I think, to spend your efforts creating good original content and -- with any luck -- starting your very own meme.
Jerry,
Thanks for your comment. I would agree with your caution. It's not for everyone. However, it's very hard to create a meme or anything that goes "viral." So being opportunistic and jumping on a trendy meme, if it makes sense for your type of business, can be effective.
Thanks for picking up on this, Jackie! We had a good time with it over here at 'Profs -- glad you enjoyed. :)
The Mckayla memes are hilarious. I especially like the ones at sporting events where she is in the background.
Memes are a very fragile thing...it's great if you can ride the crest of the wave but being late to the party makes you look horribly out-dated and try-hard...just remember that meme-marketing can back fire.
Agreed Tara. They are not without risk. However, if the right meme comes along and can apply to your business, why take a calculated risk to stand out?
I agree with what Tara said. It seems like memes are fantastic if you can jump on them right away, but publishing something even just a little too late can hurt your reputation.
Agreed! Why not apply the right meme to your business?
