Your business – adding humor to the marketing mix

PRIME – November 2014 By Mark G. Auerbach Special to PRIME People are drawn to humor. Good laughs make people feel good, and people can laugh, when it’s not directed specifically at them. A funny commercial is remembered for ages. A sad one or particularly poignant one can be quickly forgotten. So, should you use humor in your marketing efforts? Why humor works Good marketing involves first and foremost attracting people’s attention. Humor does that. Humor can keep people interested in your pitch, so they desire your product and take action. The right kind of humor, that is. Many of us have our favorite laugh-out-loud TV commercials, which instantly bring to mind the products they pitched. Some of my favorites have always included Alka Seltzer’s “Spicy Meatball” or “I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing.” Then there’s Ann Miller as a tap-dancing housewife in “The Great American Soup,” Betty White getting tackled for a Snickers bar, and Broadway’s “Grand Hotel” “man on the street interviews” (which still make me laugh). They all poke fun of a situation. They’re indelible. Taking humor to the edge Good humor vs. outrage walks a fine line. Spirit Airlines, a low-cost air carrier known for a slew of customer complaints about extra fees, created a lot of buzz with some commercials that took humor to the edge, mostly through very thinly-veiled sexual innuendo. When rising politician Anthony Weiner got caught sexting, Spirit Airlines launched “The Big Weiner Sale.” Hot dog, it captured the media’s and public’s attention. When the oil spill threatened the Gulf, they talked about their oil-filled beaches with young women oiling up with suntan oils. Attention-getting, yes ! Tasteful…hardly. But, Spirit got more attention for low fares, and their campaign seemed to work. Then, Urban Outfitters recently crossed the line with a bloodstained Kent State sweatshirt. Anyone around at the time of the tragic Kent State shootings was appalled. But, the merchant got plenty of buzz for bad taste. Will it backfire? Who knows? Humor and politics I asked Elaina Newport, co-founder of the immensely popular political musical satire ensemble, The Capitol Steps, about the role of humor. They’ve been specialists at making people laugh about politicians on both sides of the aisle and world politics on both sides of the pond for over 30 years. “The Capitol Steps,” said Newport, have poked fun at people and situation. “We get most of our material from politicians, who sometimes seem to be working for the comedians! Anyone who runs for office has put themselves out there and is fair game. On the other hand, we might stay away from Malia and Sasha, since they didn’t ask for the spotlight.” “A lot of stories in the news are really not funny on any level,” added Newport, “but even in the most serious situation there is often a politician messing it up. I remember this was the case with Hurricane Katrina. Not funny! But we went after FEMA and ‘Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job.’” As for the Urban Outfitters ads, Newport says, “Well, using outrage is not our style at all, because the Capitol Steps do lots of entertaining for corporate events, and corporate event planners want to be sure you’re not crossing that line. When we handle serious issues, it’s with a pun and a politician and a song. So, for example, Putin in the Ukraine is handled in a song called ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Crimea?’” Humor and your target market Newport knows The Capitol Steps market. Make sure you know yours, if you’re planning to inject humor into your marketing campaign. Some businesses such as funeral parlors, law firms, therapists, counselors and such might want to shy away. If humor is appropriate to your product, think cautiously as to how best to use it. Stay away from controversial subjects in your jokes line – individuals and religion should be taboo. Individuals in the public spotlight give up their right to be exempt from public ridicule; however their families should be exempt. Remember, if the joke flops, it reflects badly on your business … and you. How to add “funny” Some good resources for adding humor to your marketing mix. • “Why Funny TV Commercials Work,” From The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/10/why-funny-tv-commercials-work/247117/ • “Humor in Advertising” by Mark Levitt. for Experience.com http://www.experience.com/alumnus/article?channel_id=advertising_marketing_pr&source_page=editors_picks&article_id=article_1128619972620 A good analysis of the Urban Outfitters campaign. • The Washington Post recap of Urban Outfitters’ blood-stained Kent State sweatshirt. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/09/15/urban-outfitters-red-stained-vintage-kent-state-sweatshirt-is-not-a-smart-look-this-fall/ • Reviews of Spirit Airlines’ Marketing Campaign: Spirit Airlines’ “Weiner Sale.” http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/06/spirit-airlines-have-you-seen-our-weiner-/173449/1 • Business Insider on Spirit. http://www.businessinsider.com/spirit-airlines-ads-2011-6?op=1 • NPR’s “All Things Considered” story on Spirit Airlines ads. http://www.npr.org/2013/09/03/218625844/spirit-airlines-sees-business-take-off-with-raunchy-ads • Spirit’s Oil Spill Ad. http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/spirit-airlines-ad-mocks-bp-oil-spill/story?id=10984684 • The Capitol Steps brand of humor. http://www.capsteps.com/ Funny ads that worked Here are some examples of very funny commercials, available for viewing online: • The Grand Hotel commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wcf64hp_54 • Alka Seltzer “”Spicy Meatball”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQhwNtY3N2k • Alka Seltzer “I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFKifpMtlNs • Ann Miller: The Great American Soup. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFnqhefkQJw • Betty White Snickers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ya0-OZ58s Mark G. Auerbach is principal at Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, a Springfield, MA, based marketing, public relations, development and events consultancy. You can find more information about Mark at Facebook and LinkedIn.