Brands have a lot of work cut out for them – every marketing decision an attempt to position themselves in a certain way, contributing to their overall brand image. Although, there’s one day of the year where businesses produce shocking, humorous and sometimes annoying social media posts in light of ‘April Fools’ Day.
Although a primarily American celebration, the Digital Marketing of brands in the U.S. affects us whether we like it or not. It’s not so much the broadcasting that we see on American Television, but the publishing on social media, the viral traction some gain and the reporting on online tabloids.
Not everyone is giggling though, with Microsoft Chief of Marketing Chris Capossela conveying to employees that the company is against performing such public stunts, as “data tells us these stunts have limited positive impact and can actually result in unwanted news cycles”.
I’ve got to say, some of these jokes are lighthearted and funny, while others painfully mediocre. What do you think, is any publicity good publicity?
Some of yesterday’s April Fools jokes:
- Spotify converted it’s “Discover Weekly” page to “Discocover Weekly” – a playlist of disco covers.
- DJ Khaled announced himself as Social App Tik Tok’s new “Chief Motivational Officer”.
- Shutterstock (leading global provider of licensed images) faked plans to open a brick-and-mortar library containing stock images.
- Dating App Tinder pranked the introduction of a “Height Verification Badge” – with great backlash.
- Popular ice-cream Halo Top fake launched an edible ice-cream face mask.
Source: https://halotop.com/face-mask
Source: https://nissinfanstore.com/products/hyperx-cup-mix-in
What do you guys think? Is light-hearted humour valuable for brands? Would jokes like these attract you to a brand?
The Digital Dig 
I think the April fools trend is a fun way to for companies to interact with their consumers and sometimes can lead to interesting and amusing advertisement to make people more aware of the company. Great read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Justin! 🙂
LikeLike
Love this post! And the fact that I love this post probably tells you what I think of April fool’s. In my opinion we all need a bit of fun! It’s definitely possible to take jokes too far but as long as its not mean-spirited let’s find the time to have a laugh in our busy schedules.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m in your boat! They’re generally fun unless it’s so shocking that it puts you off. Thanks for reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think if the humour is light-hearted, its harmless. I personally enjoy seeing brands posting these jokes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed! Thanks for reading, Demi! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for the great read!! I think April Fools can definitely be a great opportunity for brands to interact more with their consumers and become more relevant and talked about. There’s definitely the problem with some taking it too far though, and with that all they achieve is distancing current or potential consumers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s definitely a balance in tasteful April Fools jokes! Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLike
I think the April Fools jokes can be fun but sometimes brands make jokes are more innovative than their actual products haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true! If you’re thinking what I’m thinking..
LikeLike
Love the april fools jokes and when brands use it can be good but can backfires some times
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for reading! 🙂
LikeLike
I also think that April Fools Jokes are a great way for companies to connect with their audience, however, they need to ensure that it stays within their brand and that it doesn’t create a backlash. (ie Justin Bieber- I know he isn’t a company but still has to build/ maintain positive online presence)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great point! Consistency in a brand is so important. Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLike
Very interesting post, April fools joke helps to really interact with their audience. love reading funny and quirky responses!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! Brands can gain some really effective interaction with customers if their April Fools joke is memorable / relevant! Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLike
Many brands leverage April Fool’s for publicity to revitalise their brands in a way, but I reckon companies need to think structure these jokes with care to prevent backlash that would cause detriment and negative responses from consumers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A really great point, Elaine! A structured and well though out campaign is definitely a recipe for success. Brands looking to simply shock seem to have backlash! Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLike
Loved this post! And I think that humour is a great way for brands to be relatable, top of mind and also create traffic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for taking the time to read, Sophie! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post. I think April Fool jokes are a great way for brands to have a but of fun and engage their consumers! I love a bit of April Fools Jokes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for taking the time to read, Sophie! 🙂
LikeLike
This was so entertaining to read through! I personally love it and think it’s a great way for a company to give itself a personality and connect with their customers. Too much professionalism can definitely be unprofessional!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great mantra! For brands to deeply connect with consumers, sometimes it’s appropriate to relax and dish out some humour! I can’t wait to see where brands take it next year 🙂
LikeLike