The Art of Humour in PR

In this fast-paced world of promoting various products or ideas, a certain truth prevails the importance of establishing a memorable connection with consumers. Many strategies have been developed by PR professionals, and humour remains a particularly effective tool for fostering relationships, creating positive sentiments, and enhancing brand images. Let’s dive into the significance of humour in PR and its role in effectively conveying messages.

When jokes are used appropriately in PR campaigns, they can help people feel more connected to the content, especially in a world full of ads and messages. Whether it’s a witty social media post, a clever ad, or a light-hearted press release, jokes can help make brands seem more friendly and easy to relate to. By adding some jokes, PR professionals can make campaigns feel like hanging out with a friend, which makes people want to stick around and sometimes join in. 

A cool thing about using humour in PR is that it can evoke happy feelings. And let’s be honest, isn’t that what the world needs? More laughing and more connection. Everyone loves to laugh, no matter where they’re from or what language they speak. When people link good feelings with a brand or product, they’re more likely to think of good things and want to support them. So, humour helps make a connection between brands and people’s feelings!

Additionally, humour can help people remember things better and learn more about a brand or product. I’ve often heard people remember things better when they’re said funnily. So, when brands add jokes to their messages, it’s more likely that people will remember them and think about them later. They might even share about it with family and friends. Considering we live in a world of social media, it’s fair to assume that funnier content usually gets shared around, so more people will see it and learn about the brand if said actions were to take place. 

Make sure to keep in mind that humour in PR needs to be done carefully. What one person thinks is funny, another person might not like or even feel hurt by it. PR folks need to be aware of appropriate jokes. Think about who your audience is. A good joke can make a brand look great, but a bad one can upset consumers and hurt the brand’s reputation. Finding the right balance between being funny and respectful is important to ensure people like what they hear.

An excellent example of using jokes in PR is Magnum’s Melting Icon campaign. On July 18, 2022, news outlets around the world announced that the following day would be the hottest in UK history. In less than 24 hours, Magnum launched “Melting Icon,” a campaign that showed for the first time their iconic ice creams melting. Rather than simply acknowledging the hot weather, Magnum used humour to playfully address the situation playfully, turning a potential negative (melting ice cream) into a humorous and attention-grabbing campaign.

Jokes are a super helpful tool for PR professionals. They help make brands seem more friendly, bring out happy feelings, help people remember brands better, and help make connections with folks. Please remember that it’s important to be cautious and educate yourself on the topics you’re joking about. Think about what’s okay to use humour for and who’s listening to what you’re saying. If you do that, practicing humour in campaigns should go smoothly!