Still, that escalated quickly is also used outside the context of memes and GIFs.

This macro is usually placed next to an outrageous text chain or a ridiculous set of images that feature a situation escalating suddenly. The typical usage deviates from the original quote in that it’s “Well, that escalated quickly” instead of “Boy, that escalated quickly.” The most popular version of the meme is a picture of Ron Burgundy from the scene the quote is taken from, with the not-so-faithful quote overlaid on top. Such reward.The phrase often appears in memes and GIFs. But those that don’t mind, and want to be sure that people see the human face behind the corporate façade, could reap significant rewards. A brand that doesn’t want to see itself shared and mocked in the darkest corners of the internet may want to look elsewhere. Just remember – memes are, by their very nature, out of control and messy. A traditional financial services brand terrified of risk probably won’t take this approach, but an internet-based start-up in the same sector might be willing to try. Any brand that wants to reach its audience – and have them reach back – can potentially take advantage. Memes aren’t just a way for FMCG and fast-food brands to target younger consumers, however. Where fast food chains like KFC and Wendy’s in the US are meme-heavy, it’s hard to see McDonald’s trying the same approach successfully. In many cases, it’s the ‘upstart’ brand that is more willing to take risks, go for quick wins and be less corporate in its approach. It’s also possible that memes are the territory of challenger brands. Cinema ads aren’t the right fit for every brand, for example, so those brands just don’t advertise that way. It’s worth thinking of memes as any other media channel. But a number of brands are using memes effectively, whether creating their own or adapting existing ones: M&M’s riffing on Game of Thrones, KFC of course and Netflix. Slipping a single sassy meme into a Twitter stream that’s otherwise full of corporate messaging seems disingenuous, unless the marketing team is prepared to back it up with more of the same.Īnd yes, it’s a risky strategy given no-one wants to be accused of bandwagon jumping, or – horror of horrors – to become the butt of the joke. They also have to understand that this isn’t really a one-shot deal. The most ambitious crossover event in historyīrands need a solid foundation before you can start dropping memes into their social conversations. Right off the bat, that means a lot of brands need to realise memes are not right for them, no matter what their 27-year-old social media manager (or worse, their fifty-something CEO who’s desperate to seem ‘with it’) says. You have to be willing to be self-deprecating and can’t use them for anything ‘serious’. This is an example of the good and the bad in a single exchange and it highlights that you can’t use memes to control a message the way most corporate brands want to. KFC tweeted the reclining Jacob Rees-Mogg meme, the Conservatives tried to respond with a Jeremy Corbyn attack and KFC (among others) clapped back hard. You have to earn the right, and if you haven’t it can backfire. For a youth audience that values authenticity so highly, they offer a way for brands to tap in to specific social – and sharable – moments.īut there is a fine line between what’s genuine and off-the-cuff and looking like you’re trying too hard to crowbar yourself into a conversation. Memes are a way for brands to keep up with the cultural conversation and look human, not like faceless corporate monoliths. That could be brands’ foot in the door, but only if marketers learn this new, messy and very different language. Advertising on those sites is not always easy, or possible, but meme-sharing is ubiquitous there. That means meme-driven sites such as Buzzfeed as well as platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. So instead, young people have looked to online media to find their place. The latest UK by UM study revealed that just a fifth feel they are represented authentically by TV and less than a tenth by newspapers. Younger people have a strained, at best, relationship with the traditional media. UM London’s Luke Randall considers the meme. They require relinquishing control and not taking the brand too seriously, to be self-deprecating. Memes are one of the internet’s common languages but remain an area in which brands struggle.

Meme that escalated quickly