Question 5: Critically discuss why internet memes are receiving growing attention in social media marketing, focusing on their features and the potential benefits and challenges of their inclusion in marketing campaigns. Make use of exempla to support your arguments.
Introduction
In recent years internet memes have taken over social media platforms due to their unique features that captivate online audiences. These satirical or humorous images, videos, or text are commonly shared across various digital channels (Teng et al., 2022). They are frequently embedded with cultural references that make them more relatable to viewers. Despite being created for entertainment purposes alone in most cases, internet memes have found relevance in contemporary marketing practices. This is mainly due to their potential effectiveness at using these memes as part of advertising campaigns can also present challenges since it requires marketers to strike a balance between humor and relevant messaging. Marketers must weigh the balancing act presented by using these types of content carefully before deciding they are right for any campaign.
Features of Internet Memes
Humorous images, videos, or text transmitted through social media platforms characterize Internet memes as cultural artifacts with rapid dissemination. According to Chuah et al. (2020), Internet memes constitute “units of cultural transmission” created by Internet users for sharing purposes. These memes generally conform to specific patterns or templates and rely heavily on online communities’ shared knowledge for interpretation. They obtain their hilarity from allusions to the prevailing culture, social tendencies, or shared experiences (Sorte, 2019). As an embodiment of their ingenious creators’ wittiness in expressing themselves digitally (Denisova, 2019), memes serve as a mode of communication for online communities.
Internet memes are notorious for their unmatched virality and shareability – able to rapidly increase across various social media platforms. Teng et al. (2022) note that this stems from their ability to elicit humor or relatability among users, consequently motivating them to share widely within their network. Memes function as cultural artifacts – encapsulating shared meanings and ideas within particular communities through their use of popular culture references, current events, or iconic imagery. Sometimes serving as commentary or satire (Sorte, 2019), they skilfully capture internet users’ collective sentiments, attitudes, and experiences, an astute reflection of the cultural climate at any given time.
Benefits of Including Internet Memes in Marketing Campaigns
Brands can reap multiple benefits by incorporating internet memes into their marketing campaigns. One of these benefits is the ability to boost brand visibility and extend reach. Chuah, Kahar, and Ch’ng (2020) suggest that memes are distinct in that they can effortlessly go viral across different platforms. Popular memes tend to get shared widely within communities, exposing more individuals to the brand’s message (Denisova, 2019). Given this viral aspect of meme culture, brands can grow their reach beyond their current followership and heighten awareness in the process (Johann & Bülow, 2019).
As the digital age continues to evolve, internet memes have emerged as an instrumental tool for boosting audience engagement on various platforms. Recent research has shown that these sharp and humorous images can draw viewers’ attention and spark emotions like no other medium can (Reddy et al., 2020). Tapping into everyday experiences through humor memes generates a sense of relatability th