MEMES
With the recent rise in the use of social media, various types of social media trends are prevalent in generation Y and Z. Memes are one of the social media trends that have taken the virtual world by storm.
A meme, according to Merriem-Webster, is an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another in a culture; an amusing or interesting picture, video, etc., that is spread widely through the Internet. This infectious trend has been the highlight of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Millions of people share photos or videos of memes everyday and people just can’t get enough. Here are a few examples of memes to give an idea of what they are (and they are also a few of my favorites).
Memes are often humorous, but people don’t see that they can be used as an effective communication tool for communications professionals. Many PR agencies use memes to convey their intended message through humor. We all remember things we find funny distinctly. In the social media-centered world, making use of social media trends such as memes are potentially beneficial to advertising and marketing of a certain product or service.
Don Equis, a brand of beer, became known for its advertising campaign putting forth its famous “The Most Interesting Man in the World” memes. The beer brand generated millions of media activity within weeks. The advertisements appeared in the United States in 2006 and have since become a popular Internet meme.
Below is a link to some of the “Most Interesting Man in the World” memes
However, being sensible and humorous at the same time is very important when it comes to incorporating memes into advertising and marketing. There are good and bad meme marketing and advertising. Forbes wrote an article on “Three Tips For Marketing Better With Memes”.
But, for now, memes are still an ongoing trend and it will be some time before it dies down. We all enjoy memes once in a while on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feed and memes have huge potential to a successful PR, advertising or marketing campaigns.
