Meme-orable and Other Remarkable Marketing
You may know George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the TV series Star Trek. But these days the 77-year-old actor is better known for his Internet memes that often go viral. Through his memes, also known as image macros, Takei has launched a second career as an online personality. And, whether or not you like or are offended by his message, the viral nature of his memes is indisputable. And, he has become sort of a spokesperson for his cause, and mostly because of the viral nature and popularity of his memes.
If you feel like you’re lost in deep space, let me backtrack a bit. Memes are those static images you see in a Facebook post, or on Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media channels, with writing on top of them, commenting on, poking fun at, or reinforcing the image.
You probably know Grumpy Cat? Well, that started out as a meme on Reddit. And while initial reports that the sourpuss earned $100 million in two years has been discounted, the famous feline definitely made her owner some serious cash through viral branding.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines meme as “an idea, behavior, style or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.”
When it comes to memes, and memorable marketing, any business can learn a lot from Takei and Grumpy Cat. At corecubed we know how to leverage online creativity to help build brand awareness for your homecare and aging services business.
Today, March 31 from 3p.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Marissa Snook, Managing Director of corecubed, and I will be presenting a webinar “Reputations Are Built By Memorable Communications” for the Homecare Association of America. If you’re not already an HCAOA member, I urge you to join now to gain access to all its valuable services, including the webinar at a reduced rate of $50. Non-members pay $150. Either way, you can still register for the webinar today. And, if you are not already a member, use this promo code to get $50 off your membership. “2015HCAOAcorecubed”
This corecubed presentation will cover: the qualities of “memorable for the right reasons” messaging; the importance of brand identity and personality in connecting and resonating with potential clients; understanding your target audience(s) and what messages speak best to each; why you have just seconds to capture attention; and the fundamental importance of education in home care marketing.
According to a recent article on the do’s and don’ts of memes and marketing in Business News Daily, marketing professionals like memes for four main reasons: they’re already viral; they’re easy to make; they’re incredibly shareable; and they make campaigns more relatable. However, the article’s author cautions that using memes inappropriately can backfire.
I agree. I’ve seen some memes go viral, in a bad way.
Great memes or image macros are like the line in the old Faberge Organics shampoo commercial of the 1980s, “It was so good, I told two friends, then they told two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on.” When you use memes, or any other creative online marketing tools, you want people to have a positive experience with and memory of what they’ve seen and read, so that they’ll pass along your company’s name, and so on, and so on, and so on.
At corecubed, we provide the full range of marketing communications, including memes and other creative tools. We develop collateral content, such as marketing infographics and monthly newsletters, across marketing channels that gets your homecare business noticed. In a good way.
Boldly go where even cats have gone before, and you should too.
Tap into our creative juices today by contacting one of our award-winning marketing, design or PR professionals. You can also call corecubed at 800.370.6580 x1 or 844.corecubed and a member of our team will assist you. And be sure to check out, and pass along, some of our inspirational memes on Pinterest
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