Opinion: How meme marketing helps in building brand and creative outlet

The digital realm has witnessed a colossal shift in the way we consume content. A few years ago, it was all about text and images. Now, the landscape is dominated by a medium that has seamlessly stitched its way into the very fabric of our culture – memes. 

From social media platforms to classrooms, from casual conversations among friends to corporate boardrooms, memes have become an omnipresent force.

Indian smartphone users at present are spending an average of 30 minutes a day consuming memes. This astronomical rise in meme consumption, with 80% of users reporting an increase in the past year, signifies the vast influence these bite-sized representations of the zeitgeist exert on our daily lives. What fascinates me about this growth is the universality of its appeal. Despite India's dazzling diversity and tapestry of languages, memes break down these walls, uniting us in laughter, introspection, and sometimes, sheer absurdity.

Memes are a testament to the fact that emotions are universal. Irrespective of the language you speak or the region you hail from, a meme can evoke a chuckle, a thought, or a memory. This universal connection forms the crux of their power in marketing.

In the ever-evolving digital era, where brands are anthropomorphized with human-like personalities and humans incessantly seek to become 'brand-like' in their online presence, memes have emerged as a unifying bridge. They have empowered content strategies by turning brands into relatable entities, bridging the gap between corporations and their audiences. At the intersection of brand personality and human connection lies the potency of meme marketing.

An evolved offspring of meme marketing is "moment marketing". Brands are not merely leveraging memes, they're harnessing moments - current events, pop culture references & trending topics - and 'memeifying' them to craft compelling narratives. This is not just about creating a buzz, it's about engaging audiences in real-time, making brands a part of the larger conversation.

But what does this mean for ROI?

Memes and returns on investment, in the grand scheme of marketing, are a match made in heaven. Within the sales funnel – encompassing conversation, consideration and conversion – memes generate a whole gamut of interactions. Their ubiquity ensures continual conversations, and given the sheer volume of content, they naturally elicit a segue into the consideration phase. With a meticulously crafted distribution strategy fortified by performance marketing, brands can propel these considerations into tangible conversions. It's an orchestra of content creation and strategy, playing the symphony of success.

However, one piece of the puzzle seems amiss. With the unprecedented influence of memes, one might wonder why tech giants like Meta or Google aren't diving headfirst into building up or empowering meme communities and individual creators. The potential is immense – not just in terms of business but in creating communities, fostering creativity, and genuinely making the digital space more inclusive and diverse.

As I reflect on the journey of memes from mere humorous images to powerful marketing tools, I am reminded of their transformative power. They're not just content; they're a language, a movement, and most importantly, a reflection of our collective consciousness. In a nation as diverse as India, memes are the thread that weaves us together, transcending linguistic and cultural barriers. As we march forward, it's essential to recognize, respect, and leverage this force. After all, in memes, we find a mirror to our society, a chuckle amidst chaos, and a brand's ticket to relevance.

This authored piece on meme marketing is penned by Arihant Jain - Founder & CEO of WLDD.