British humour in marketing campaigns: Your essential guide.

Engaging advertising: How to use British humour in marketing.

Using British humour in marketing to create engaging advertising campaigns requires a bit of practice. There can be a fine line when mastering its nuances and cultural ‘rules’ in a branded setting. For example, when used wrong, it could be seen as:

• Amateur
• Attention-seeking
• Offensive
• Jarring
• Disconnected.

Knowing where, as well as when, to use humour in marketing is equally as important. Each platform requires different levels of comedic nuance, and humour can have different effects depending on its purpose.

Humour in social media.

Brands can utilise a bit more freedom and personality when it comes to using humour in social media marketing. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook provide open channels of communication, meaning you can have witty interactions with your audience both through ad-hoc conversations, and planned marketing campaigns.

The key on social media is to keep humour relevant. Whether you’re creating a meme to keep up with cultural movements, or using video templates sparked by TikTok trends – it’s all about being as reactive as you can.

Engaging email marketing.

Email marketing relies on engagement – more importantly, hooking your reader with the subject line. You’ll know from personal experience how quickly you tend to skim and bin emails if they don’t appear relevant to you.

Using humour in an email subject line or intro paragraph can help keep people engaged. But it’s important not to alter or overpower the purpose of the email itself. Humour should be clear and purposeful, and match your brand message and voice.

Print marketing humour.

Print marketing can’t rely on two-way communications, eye-catching graphics or specific structures of humour that work well online. You’ve only got a certain amount of space, and only one shot at getting it right. If the audience don’t get the joke on your poster, then humour can cloud your sales message and make it redundant.

Because of this, humour is often used much less across print media in comparison to other forms of marketing. But, used right, it can be succinct and clever – and resonate with snappy British wit. When used intelligently in its limited space, a quick-witted pun or visual can be even more impactful and memorable than a meme with a social shelf life.

Entertaining influencer marketing.

Laughter is powerful, especially when shared with another person. This tool can be purposefully harnessed through influencer marketing. These online stars are the stepping stone between you and your audience. They are trusted to understand what they want – and what they find funny.

On its basic human level, laughter itself shows vulnerability. This can, in turn, heighten the trust and build stronger relationships between customer, influencer and brand.

Witty PR marketing.

PR marketing is one of the best ways to illustrate your brand voice, and set the tone. When used well, integrating subtle hints of British humour into your press releases can grab others’ attention, and disrupt the usual flow of traditional PR.

As a brand, you’ll be competing for attention across your industry. So, being that little bit different can help you solidify your image. The key is to be consistent with your humour, and to remain tasteful.

1. Retain your brand identity.

Your humour should be consistent with your brand’s identity. It shouldn’t feel inappropriate or out of place, so use it sparingly and carefully. It’s important to capture the right emotions that are in-line with your brand’s identity and formality.

2. Keep your audience in mind.

Styles of humour can vary wildly depending on the platform of your campaigns and your audience. Keep in mind that British humour has many nuances, but the umbrella of British humour itself also varies depending on your audience’s location. Do your research and make sure you fully understand who you’re targeting before jumping in.

3. Test and learn to see what works.

Similarly, you’re not expected to get it right on your first try. Perfecting the right levels of humour in your marketing efforts will take a bit of trial and error. The key is to listen to feedback from your customers. Analyse their behaviours and responses but, on a more personal level, communicate with them to find your balance.

4. Adapt to different platforms.

Audiences and behaviours will differ depending on the platform. Naturally, this means the humour required to resonate with people on each site will also differ. For example, TikTok has its own set of trends, social cues and in-jokes and is more influenced by Gen-Z culture, with the majority of users aged between 18 and 24. Meanwhile, almost of a quarter of users on Facebook are between the ages of 25 and 34.

5. Use humour sparingly and subtly.

British humour relies on subtlety. British audiences are less likely to engage with humour in marketing if it’s loud and brash. Too much distasteful humour can blur the lines a little and often nullify the brand sentiment you’re trying to get across. Just remember – learn from your audience’s responses, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.