Memes are images, videos, texts, or other forms of media that are humorous, catchy, and viral. It is often created and shared by internet users to express their opinions, emotions, or experiences on various topics, such as politics, culture, entertainment, or sports.
Marketing memes are used for marketing purposes, such as promoting a brand, product, or service, creating brand awareness and recognition, generating leads and conversions, or engaging and retaining customers. It can help businesses reach and communicate with their target audience, create a positive and memorable brand image, and increase customer loyalty and advocacy.
Marketing memes also come with some challenges and considerations, such as choosing the right meme format and style, aligning the meme with the brand identity and message, avoiding offensive or controversial content, and measuring and optimizing the meme performance and impact.
In this article, we will explore the benefits and challenges of marketing memes, the best practices and examples of marketing , and the future and trends of it.
The Power of Humor in Marketing
Humor is a universal language that brings people together. It lightens the mood, makes us feel good, and most importantly, it makes us remember. In the world of marketing, these qualities are gold dust.
In an era where consumers are constantly bombarded with advertisements, standing out from the crowd is crucial. That’s where humor comes in. A well-placed joke or a funny ad can catch a consumer’s attention and make your brand memorable. But it’s not just about getting laughs. Humor can humanize your brand, making it more relatable and trustworthy to consumers.
Humor is a tool that should be used wisely. What’s funny to one person might not be funny to another, and worse, it could even offend. Therefore, understanding your audience is key. It’s also important to keep the humor relevant to your message. A joke that’s unrelated to what you’re selling might get a laugh, but it won’t sell your product.
Why do memes work?
The meme marketing sector has seen significant growth in recent years. In 2020, the global meme industry was valued at approximately $2.3 billion . It is projected to grow to $6.1 billion by 2025 . This represents a compound annual growth rate of 21.6%. These figures highlight the increasing importance of memes in marketing strategies and their potential for future growth.
But what makes memes so effective and popular in marketing? Here are some of the reasons why it works:
Relatability: It is relatable, as they often reflect and express the common opinions, emotions, or experiences of the audience. It can help the audience feel understood, validated, and entertained, and they can create a connection and rapport with the brand. It can also help the brand show its human and humorous side and increase its brand personality and voice.
Shareability: It is shareable, as they are easy and quick to create and consume and can be distributed and spread across various platforms and channels, such as social media, websites, blogs, and email. It can help the brand reach and communicate with a large and diverse audience and increase its brand awareness and recognition. It can also leverage the power of word-of-mouth and social proof, as the audience can like, comment, share, and recommend the memes to their friends and followers.
Virality: It is viral, as they are catchy, witty, and amusing and can capture and retain the attention and interest of the audience. It can help the brand stand out, differentiate itself from its competitors, and create a positive and memorable brand image. It can also influence and persuade the audience, as they can make the brand, product, or service more appealing, convincing, and actionable.
It is powerful and effective marketing tools that can help businesses connect with and influence their target audience, create brand awareness and loyalty, and increase sales and revenue. By using it, businesses can create and deliver content and experiences that are relatable, shareable, and viral.
TOP MEME STATISTICS IN 2025
- According to a study by NYU, memes have about ten times more organic reach and 60% more organic engagement than regular marketing graphics.
- According to Forbes, the click-through rate (CTR) of a meme campaign is 14% higher than email marketing.
- According to WebTribunal, the CTRs in an average marketing campaign are approximately . 6%, whereas in meme marketing, they are roughly 19%.
- According to Edison Research and Triton Digital, the average millennial looks at 20–30 memes every day.
- According to Know Your Meme, the most voted memes of 2023 on their site were “OceanGate Titanic Submarine Incident”, “I Am A Surgeon, Dr. Han!”, “2023 Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild Strike”, “Bing Chat/HHi Sydney GPT (AI)”, and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023 Film)”.
- According to Forbes India, the most searched memes in 2023 in India were “Moye Moye,” “Elvish Bhai,” “Bullet Train,” “Would You Watch This?” and “Shrek Is an Omnipotent Deity.”.
- According to Amra and Elma LLC, over 60% of people say they would be more likely to buy from a company that uses memes in their marketing.
- According to WebTribunal, 75% of young people aged 13–36 share memes.
- According to Know Your Meme, the most profitable meme on NFT to date is “Disaster Girl,” which brought in more than $573,000 at auction.
Incorporating Memes into Marketing Strategies
It can also be used for marketing purposes, as they can help businesses reach and communicate with their target audience, create brand awareness and recognition, generate leads and conversions, and engage and retain customers.
One of the ways to incorporate memes into marketing strategies is to use them in social media campaigns. Social media campaigns are marketing campaigns that use social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, to display and promote ads to users. Social media campaigns can help businesses reach and communicate with a large and diverse audience, target and segment the audience based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics, create and share engaging and interactive content, and measure and optimize the ad performance and results.
Memes can enhance social media campaigns by making them more relatable, shareable, and viral. By using memes, businesses can:
- Attract and engage the audience with memes that are relevant and interesting to them, such as it can be related to their niche, genre, or topic of interest, or it can be used popular culture references, such as movies, shows, celebrities, or events.
- Influence and persuade the audience with memes that are appealing and convincing to them, such as it can be highlighted the features and benefits of the product or service or it can use testimonials, reviews, or social proof.
- Satisfy and delight the audience with memes that are loyal and rewarding to them, such as memes that offer discounts, coupons, or free trials, or memes that encourage feedback, referrals, or loyalty programs.
Another way to incorporate memes into marketing strategies is to use them in email marketing. Email marketing is the use of email to send and deliver marketing messages to potential and existing customers. Email marketing can help businesses reach and communicate with a specific and loyal audience, create brand awareness and loyalty, generate leads and conversions, and engage and retain customers.
It can enhance email marketing by making them more enjoyable, entertaining, and memorable. By using memes, businesses can:
- Capture and retain the attention and interest of the customers with memes that are catchy, witty, and amusing, such as it can be used puns, jokes, or sarcasm, or memes that use animations, sounds, or effects.
- Communicate and deliver the message and value proposition of the business with memes that are clear, concise, and compelling, such as memes that use headlines, captions, or call-to-action buttons, or memes that use images, videos, or text.
- Build and maintain the relationship and connection with the customers with memes that are personal, friendly, and human, such as memes that use the customer’s name, location, or language, or memes that use the brand’s personality, voice, or tone.
A third way to incorporate memes into marketing strategies is to use them in content marketing. Content marketing is the creation and distribution of valuable and relevant content to attract and engage a clearly defined audience and drive profitable customer action. Content marketing can help businesses reach and communicate with a niche and passionate audience, create brand awareness and trust, generate leads and conversions, and engage and retain customers.
It can enhance content marketing by making them more informative, educational, and helpful. By using it, businesses can:
- Provide and share useful and relevant information and knowledge with the audience with memes that are informative and educational, such as memes that answer questions, solve problems, or provide tips; or memes that use facts, data, or statistics.
- Showcase and demonstrate the expertise and authority of the business with memes that are credible and reliable, such as memes that use sources, references, or citations, or memes that use experts, influencers, or testimonials.
- Inspire and motivate the audience to take action and achieve their goals with memes that are inspirational and motivational, such as memes that use quotes, stories, or examples, or memes that use challenges, rewards, or incentives.
By incorporating memes into marketing strategies, businesses can enhance their social media campaigns, email marketing, and content marketing and improve their marketing performance and results.
Examples of Successful Marketing Memes
Memes: More Than Just Laughs.
Memes are like cosmic comets—bright, fleeting, and impossible to ignore. But did you know that behind those chuckles lies a serious business? Let’s dive into the top meme statistics of 2023:
- Kai Collective
Kai Collective hopped on the meme train with a twist. They took the popular “Black wojak” meme and made it their own. The concept? Two Black girls bonding over something and becoming friends. But instead of just adding text, Kai Collective customized it with their print top. It’s a brilliant blend of humor and brand promotion.
- The Living Potion Perfume
Drake’s album cover for “Certified Lover Boy”? Instant meme material! The public went meme-crazy, creating their versions. The Living Potion perfume brand didn’t miss the memo. They cleverly labeled each bottle, tying fun to their product. Lesson learned: memes can be both hilarious and brand-relevant.
- Netflix’s Strong Black Lead
Netflix’s social media team is meme-savvy. They create their own gems, like the “Strong Black Lead” series. These memes celebrate Black excellence and resonate with their audience. It’s a masterclass in using humor to connect and build community.
- Diamond Express Travels
Diamond Express Travels nailed it with this meme. They playfully highlight the stress of travel planning. Who hasn’t felt like this cat at some point? It’s relatable, memorable, and showcases their brand.
- Dominos Pizza
Dominos knows the power of memes. They turned a classic “Distracted Boyfriend” meme into a pizza love triangle. It’s witty, eye-catching, and screams, “Order pizza now!” Memes + pizza = marketing magic.
Tips for Creating Effective Marketing Memes
Creating effective marketing memes is not as easy as it seems. You need to consider various factors, such as:
- Know your audience: You need to understand who your target audience is, what they like, what they dislike, what they find funny, and what they relate to. You also need to know where they hang out online, what platforms they use, and what formats they prefer. This will help you create memes that are relevant, appealing, and appropriate for your audience.
- Stay relevant: You need to keep up with the latest trends, news, events, and pop culture references that are popular and relevant to your niche, industry, or audience. You also need to be timely and responsive and create memes that are fresh and current. This will help you create memes that are interesting, engaging, and viral.
- Keep it lighthearted. You need to keep your tone and message lighthearted, positive, and humorous. You also need to avoid being offensive, controversial, or insensitive and respect your audience’s values and opinions. This will help you create memes that are entertaining, memorable, and shareable.
Challenges of Using Memes in Marketing
However, using memes in marketing also comes with some challenges that marketers should be aware of. Here are two of them:
- Risk of misinterpretation: Memes are often based on cultural references, slang, or irony, which can be easily misunderstood by different audiences. For example, a meme that is funny and relevant in one country or region may be offensive or irrelevant in another. Moreover, it can have multiple meanings or interpretations, depending on the context and the viewer’s perspective. This can lead to confusion, backlash, or negative associations with the brand. Therefore, marketers should be careful and respectful when choosing and creating memes, and they should avoid using it that are controversial, insensitive, or inappropriate for their target market.
- Oversaturation: Memes are very popular and widely used online, which means that they can also become overused and boring. It has a short lifespan, as they quickly lose their novelty and appeal. Moreover, It is often copied and modified by other users, which can dilute their originality and impact. Therefore, marketers should be creative and original when using it and avoid using memes that are outdated, clichéd, or irrelevant for their brand. They should also monitor the performance and feedback of their memes and adjust their strategy accordingly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, marketing memes offer brands a fun and engaging way to connect with their audience and drive brand awareness. By leveraging the power of humor and staying attuned to the preferences of their target demographic, brands can create memorable and impactful meme-driven campaigns.