In today’s digital landscape, brands are increasingly swapping formal tones for casual humor on social media. From playful puns to witty memes, this shift isn’t just about staying relevant - it’s about forming genuine connections with audiences. Casual humor has become a tool for building rapport, humanizing brands, and fostering a sense of community. In a world with short attention spans, a good laugh might just be the secret sauce that helps brands stand out in the crowded online space. 

Humor In Marketing 

Laughter is a universal language, with 66% of social media experts agreeing that humor tops the digital charts. The most important thing to remember when implementing humor into your marketing strategies is your brand voice. Comedy and witty sarcasm are organic. We’ve all met someone who thinks they’re a bit funnier than they actually are… Don’t let this be your brand! To avoid missing the punchline, get to know your audience first. Find out what makes them LOL and start incorporating humor in an authentic way. 

Humor can be used across all marketing channels only if done correctly. Social media is a great place to be spontaneous and quirky while participating in online trends. You can even tell a quick joke in your email content to stand out in a boring, overflowing inbox. A website that leverages humor will be more captivating and keep your audience coming back for more. As long as your brand voice remains consistent across the different platforms, you can use humor anywhere. 

Brands That Make Us Laugh

We want to highlight a few brands that are embracing the power of humor on their social platforms. These brands keep their audiences laughing with witty puns, trend participation, and memeification. 

• Wendy’s: Wendy’s, one of the many popular fast-food burger joints, is known for its quick one-liners and engagement with online social users. Over the past few years, the business has created a strong brand identity on its socials: definitely well-timed and a little sassy.
  
  
• Duolingo: Even if you’ve never tried the Duolingo app to learn or practice a new language, you’ve likely heard of the brand. Or at least you have seen the green owl, Duo, on your feed. This is because of their incredibly cohesive brand identity across multiple platforms. Duo has his own unique personality and loves interacting with individuals and brands online. 
  
  
• Old Spice: We’ve all heard of Old Spice; you can recognize that red packaging anywhere! The brand is also known for its ridiculous comedic bits on its social media pages and, of course, its TV advertisements. Initially targeting male users, Old Spice's humor has also drawn many women to the brand because of its ironic take on excessive masculinity.
  
  
• Taco Bell: Taco Bell is one of the biggest social media comedians, especially on X (previously Twitter). The brand is quick to engage with trends and flawlessly markets its products while delivering snappy remarks. It’s created a brand voice that has all 1.9 million of its followers letting out a laugh.

What’s The Strategy? 

Hopefully, you’re beginning to see some similarities between these brand’s online personas. Obviously, the humor aspect, but also how they choose to go about it. These brands, like many others, love a little one-liner. They also actively participate in online trends their target audience will likely recognize and engage with. Although these great practices work for these brands, they aren’t the end-all for humor in marketing. Your brand’s personality may not be the type to “@” its competitor or roast a celebrity in a post. So, what’s the best way to incorporate casual humor into your marketing strategies? 

WordPlay Humor 

It’s all in the name, but wordplay uses words with multiple meanings or similar sounds to create a packaged delivery of humor. If you’re a Spotify user, you’re familiar with playful word puns given yearly in your Spotify Wrapped. Even if you don’t use this streaming service, it’s hard to avoid its impact on the internet during its annual recurrence. Spotify uses its users' listening behavior to create an engaging and interactive message recapping the user’s history from the past year. Filled with subtle and ferociously obvious wordplay, the brand uses this humor type to foster a sense of community, reliability, and personalization. It’s all about the experience, and boy, does this humor type create an anxiously anticipated experience for Spotify users. 

Inside Jokes

Inside jokes are an excellent method of humor for smaller businesses hoping to create a sense of community for their audience. This is a great way to show your viewers the personality or people behind your brand. After all, we’re all friends here, right? This method can feel a bit awkward, and it’s best when it’s created organically. If your brand is rooted in authenticity, then it won’t be long until your audience is invested in who you are beyond your product or service offerings. Inside jokes also emphasize the element of surprise. Keep your audience on their toes and create a relationship rooted in shared interests and humor, just like a friendship. 

Observational Humor 

This type of humor relies on casually making fun of everyday life. It offers an unexpected and ironic perspective on the typical annoyances of plain living. Mondays, am I right? This is arguably the epitome of observational humor. Brands who engage in observational humor are likely to connect with their audience in a relatable way. By finding and pointing out your viewers’ pain points in a humorous way, you can remind them that you’re human, too. Also, many companies find success when they use observational humor and then follow up with a solution to the “everyday problem” through the brand’s products or services. Not only are you bonding with your audience, but you’re also reminding them of your offerings in an organic way. 

Topical Humor 

Topical humor is all the rage right now, using humor to refer to current events in the news and media. The most important thing to remember is to stay current on cultural and industry-specific trends and events. This humor strategy can fall flat if your brand is wrongly educated or not educated enough. Topical humor can be difficult to grasp, mainly because it requires constant monitoring of the rotating news cycle. If you’re behind on the trend or your audience doesn’t understand the joke’s context, you probably won’t receive many laughs. This humor type is excellent for social media because of its fluidity. Avoid including topical humor in your website or blog posts - the shelf life is far too long. 

Although these are not the only humor types out there, they represent a vast selection with multiple avenues to explore. Brands everywhere already see success in digital marketing by leveraging different types of humor online. Don’t forget: never use a humor type or tell a joke that doesn’t match your brand identity or target audience.

And Why Is It Working? 

Casual humor works because, at the end of the day, people like having fun! In most cases, no matter the industry or primary functions of your business, some level of humor in your marketing tactics can go a long way. Per "The Happiness Report,” 90% of people are more likely to remember advertisements that are funny, and 72% of people would choose a humorous brand over a less funny competitor. Consumers want to feel heard by their favorite brands, and including humor in your strategies is a great way to turn audience feedback into relevant and engaging content that benefits both parties. The brands embracing casual humor online are successful for a reason. Yes, they provide a solid product, but they also prioritize the more important element: their customer.  

Determining If Humor Is Right For Your Brand 

In a world where every brand competes for attention, humor offers a unique way to break through the noise. By embracing casual, authentic humor, brands are not just selling their products but connecting with their audience. Consumers gravitate toward brands that make them smile, laugh, and feel understood. So, while the digital space may feel crowded, a well-timed punchline could be your brand’s key to success. After all, laughter is the foundation of the best friendships.