What are some examples of memes used in marketing?
Levinson: One of the best is the Sprint pin dropping, which they’ve stayed with now for over a decade. Their team did market research that showed what people were most concerned about with a long distance carrier was clarity and communication. And, somebody pointed out that often people characterize a quiet environment as being so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Using that single thought, they created a graphic representation of a pin dropping for their marketing. When people see this meme, the pin drop, they know it means clear communication. One of the most successful memes in marketing history is the Marlboro cowboy, who became a symbol for rugged individualism and freedom. I was in England when we introduced the Marlboro Man in Europe, and it was amazing how many Europeans immediately understood its meaning because it represented so many things that they had seen only in movies before. Notice that the ads don’t say much, they usually just show the cowboy and a pack. Other memes that
Memes are becoming popular on blogs and other methods of delivering content. With lots of meme generators out there like Imgur it is very easy to make a meme for marketing. You just have to be absolutely sure you aren’t butchering the meme or you will get called out by the masses. A lot of successful Facebook pages are now using memes or inspirational quotes as well. Take a look at Watson + Nowlin they do internet marketing in Boulder, Colorado and use a lot of memes on both their Facebook and G+ accounts.
