Humour in Marketing: Why Use Humour in your Content Marketing

If I ask you to name a brand, what’s the first that comes to mind? Now, think of the last advert or piece of content you saw from them. There’s a good chance it incorporated some kind of humour. 

The use of humour in marketing is nothing new, but it’s growing in popularity. Brand Vision reported that 55% of executives said humour gets attention better than no humour, and 72% said it attracts buyers to new products. 

So does that mean you should be embracing humour into your content marketing? 

If statistics are anything to go by, the answer is probably yes. But only if:

1. Humour will work as a form of communication with your audience
2. You’re actually funny, or you have something funny to say

The impact of comedic content

A good laugh releases endorphins, the body’s ‘happy’ chemical, and reduces cortisol, the stress hormone. 

Humour seemingly influences memory and perception, which are crucial in purchasing decisions. You don’t need to get a belly laugh out of your consumer, but making them feel happy – or even encouraging a slight shoulder shrug, scoff, snort, or snigger – is enough to engage them.

A survey by Oracle and The Happiness Project, involving 12,000 individuals, revealed interesting findings about the use of humour in marketing:

• 90% of consumers are more likely to remember an advert if it is humorous 
• 80% are more likely to make repeat purchases from a funny brand
• 72% will choose to buy from a humorous brand over a non-humorous one

As if feedback from thousands of consumers wasn’t insightful enough, science-y folk have been busy with their own investigations – and studies also find that humour positively influences buyers’ attitudes and purchase probability. 

Brands using humour to achieve their goals

We know that humour is an impactful marketing tool. But which brands have successfully incorporated humour without playing the fool? 

Innocent Drinks

Let’s start with Innocent Drinks. They hold a 21% share of the European chilled juice market and boast 84% brand awareness. Pretty impressive, no? Taste aside, much of their appeal is likely tied to marketing. 

From website to packaging, their winsome and engaging content is liberally sprinkled with good humour. Their bottle labels are written to feel like you’re being chatted to by an old friend, while even their end-of-year impact reports – typically a boring read for finance bros – are packed with wit. 

Innocent by name but ingenious by nature, these guys definitely know what they’re doing. 

Oatly

There must be something in the water over in the drinks industry, as Oatly have also hitched themselves to the humour bandwagon – and they’ve gone all in. 

Sure, they adopt wit to describe their product offering and use a playful meta description to attract clicks. But it’s the smaller, unexpected elements that have the biggest impact and draw smiles. 

There’s a self-deprecating banner scroll along the bottom of their site, and a randomly inserted paragraph from their tired web designer ‘Martin’, lamenting the fact he’s still awaiting copy. 

I’ve gotta say I’m somewhat charmed (as are millions of others, with the brand nabbing a 36% share of the alternative milks market).

Surreal

For those desiring their humour with a bit of bite, the recently launched cereal brand Surreal offers just that. Forget the days of boxes with spot the difference printed on the back. The team over at this new company are on a mission to spur grins while you slurp those milk leftovers.

The reverse of their cocoa hoops box is packed with product details in the form of ‘quotes’ from ‘cerealologist’ Dr Jessica Realname and the very important Ministry of Eating Stuff. There’s even a ‘Have you seen this cat’ box, where consumers can submit pictures of their own puurfect felines to feature. 

In a world where we’re overwhelmed with information, presenting facts in a spirited, light-hearted fashion is a way to cut through the jargon and capture weary eyeballs. 

When brands successfully climb the social ladder

Social media may have its (ahem) many pitfalls, but good things have come out of it for marketeers: including an opportunity to be cheekier and more irreverent. 

In the age of reels and likes, humour is now a crucial tactic in gaining vital recognition – and some brands have seized their chance and run with it. 

Aldi and Ryanair

Aldi and Ryanair for instance, are renowned for their social banter. Their mocking of companies’ activities and products – including their own – regularly goes viral, often to the dismay of competitors. But it’s a strategy that works. Ryanair has 2.8 million followers on Instagram and X combined, and Aldi 1.5 million. 

Hever Castle

Even brands that usually engage in more ‘traditional’ marketing are jumping on the humour train. For instance, Hever Castle’s ‘When Gen Z write the marketing script’ reel earned 500k likes – a stark contrast to their usual average of 1.5 likes. 

Their punt highlighted the impact of a comedic stance and earned them a level of attention that one-time regular visitor Henry VIII would have revelled in. 

It’s what consumers want. In Oracle’s survey, 91% of respondents said they prefer brands to be funny, while a further 78% said brands could be doing more to make their customers happy. 

What to know before unleashing your inner comic

Before you start peppering your content with puns, take a moment. Tickling consumers’ funny bones comes with some caveats.

• You gotta have purpose

Not all mirth is created equal, especially in dictating positive outcomes. Don’t just throw a joke in for the sake of it: researchers have found humour is more memorable when strong and directly related to brand messaging. 

Customers are intelligent, and amusing content must also be well thought out to be positively received and encourage recall.

• Humour alone might not be enough

Want to ignite a fire within consumers for your brand? Get ready to make things cosy, because research shows high levels of warmth alongside moderate levels of humour provide the most positive brand effects. 

• Find the right kind of funny

We’re all aware of the importance of marketing to an age-appropriate audience, but it’s also essential to be mindful of how different types of marketing impact various age groups. 

The good news is that similar numbers (55%) of Gen Zs and Boomers say humour positively influences their purchasing decisions. 

Unfortunately, to make things a bit trickier, humour preferences vary between generations. 

An IPA survey found 40% of consumers aged 18-34 prefer sarcasm and irony in humorous advertising, while those over 35 find situational humour more appealing.

• Be brand-aware

Finally, humour simply isn’t suited to all brands – even if you might wish otherwise. A big marketing no-no is messaging that feels forced or misaligned. 

Plus, attempting to put a light-hearted spin on a serious topic can quickly backfire. In the IPA survey, consumers deemed it inappropriate for alcohol, gambling, and healthcare companies to incorporate humour into their marketing.

For the snack makers among us, you’re in luck. A large study analysis revealed that ‘treat’ products – aka crisps, soft drinks, and sweets – are best suited to funny marketing content. Humorously marketing these products can positively impact brand awareness and comprehension (something Walkers cottoned onto years ago).

However, the researchers discovered that luxury items – jewellery, sports cars, and designer clothing – are less suited to humour, with witty ads for these products negatively impacting brand recall. 

Striking the right balance

With everything in life, balance is key – and it’s the same with humour in content. If used correctly, humour can be a pivotal tool in engaging consumers and helping drive business growth. 

Nobody expects your brand’s messaging or copy to rival that of a comedian. You can have too much of a good thing, and even the biggest names in comedy sometimes fall flat on their face. 

Know your audience, recognise what’s appropriate, and be objective. Just because you find something amusing, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s suitable to splash across your website! Above all else, remain genuine: 90% of consumers state authenticity is crucial to brand support.

Maybe you need a new set of eyes (and brains) to find the funny in your industry

We have a team of marketers in our arsenal with a sense of humour and flair for creative content. We’re big thinkers with a passion for finding a new angle.

We can work with you to come up with concepts and content that embrace humour.

To find out how our team of expert copywriters can help you, drop us a message below.