Many marketing and advertising strategists avoid using laughter and gimmicks to promote a product because they are looking for the “hard sell.” The power push that will guarantee the customer follows through with a purchase or some type of commitment to buy. The fact is in today’s society, very few people appreciate being hit hard (or at least humorlessly) with a sales pitch.
No Laughter, No Color, No Joy
If a life without laughter is like a picture with no color…what can we say about marketing campaigns that do nothing to lift people’s spirits? Or at least catch their attention. People often rush through their lives trying to make sure they accomplish as much as they can during their day. With their focus on constantly moving forward, they often forget to notice the little things that used to bring them joy. Their lives become a blur of gray and black with small glints of white that used to hold the colors that made them smile.
If you are trying to attract attention to your company, why not create something that sparks the color back into a customer’s life? Start with a smile and then move on to laughter. For many, all it takes is one small tickle of laughter to break down the floodgates. The small fleeting glance that sparks a giggle will turn into full-fledged laughter (and sales!) with the right concepts and anecdotes. Check out Finding Your Voice: The Best Ways to Incorporate Humor into Your Content.
Learn to Laugh
The Honey Bunches of Oats campaign that shows the workers coming up with rhymes about their cereal while they are at work puts a face to the company. You don’t have to guess out how much fun they have at work. As they try new rhymes, some fail miserably, showing viewers that being able to laugh at yourself is half the fun. If you can poke fun at your company and get a customer to relate on an individual level, they begin to realize that fun and games can lead to serious solutions. Not that breakfast food qualifies as a “serious solution,” but you get the point.
Tap Into Joy
Take a step outside of your brand’s comfort zone. Don’t be shy! Balance the sacred with the irreverent and learn to share a good laugh. No one (or brand, for that matter) wants to go meekly into the sunset. Slide in, wheels blazing and shouting, “That was a blast!” Do whatever you can to splash color on the canvas of your brand and share your enthusiasm with others. When it comes to your business, make it one that others want to be a part of!
Your customers don’t have to live a life without laughter. If you want others to smile–and, eventually, engage more deeply and make a purchase–give them something to smile about! You want them to keep coming back? Give them something worthwhile that will keep them laughing and smiling every time they see or hear your brand name.
Wendy M writes on a variety of topics with health and environmental topics being her most common subjects. She has most recently been published on both eHow.com and Livestrong.com. Wendy specializes in health, fitness, diet and alternative therapy pieces.
