AdWeek: So, the Internet Turned Your Brand Into a Meme – Now What?

December 15, 2021

Flicking past photos of friends and gratuitous celebrity selfies, you pause at the sight of a familiar stock photo model. Recognizing the account that shared the image, your brain immediately anticipates a laugh. But as you process the in-image text and scan below for the account’s caption, your stomach drops as it hits you — this meme is poking fun at your brand.

So, the Internet Turned Your Brand Into a Meme – Now What?

By Christopher Spong / Supervisor of Social Media + Communications

AdWeek / December 15, 2021

You’re sitting at your kitchen table, waiting for your morning coffee to cool so you can take your first sip of that deliciously bitter elixir to help jumpstart your brain. As the steam rises from the novelty mug, you open your corporate-issued laptop and patiently wait for it to boot up. Without even realizing it, you’ve reached for your phone and begin mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.

Flicking past photos of friends and gratuitous celebrity selfies, you pause at the sight of a familiar stock photo model. Recognizing the account that shared the image, your brain immediately anticipates a laugh. But as you process the in-image text and scan below for the account’s caption, your stomach drops as it hits you — this meme is poking fun at your brand.

For some communications pros, this scenario is all-too-familiar. One minute you’re scrolling through your feed. The next, you’re briefing leadership on how to properly pronounce the word “meme” and explaining who Rand and Nance are.

If you’re fortunate, the meme will merely call attention to a relatable aspect of your brand, in which case you can finish that cup of coffee before sharing it with your team. You may even begin thinking of ways to build off the core joke of the meme and incorporate it into this week’s social plan.

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