Nothing brings people together like a good meme. A pixelated image, a short line of grammatically questionable text and somehow, we all get it. Because memes are more than just jokes, they are powerful cultural conduits, and though they are the language of the internet now, memes predate online culture. They are inherent to our human instinct to express, copy and belong.

So why is it that every time a brand jumps on a meme, it dies a little? Cue in the collective wince when a brand tries to jump on a meme. Like when I try to fit all the Gen Alpha slang I know in a sentence and my niece does a full body shudder.

Surely, it’s not that brands are uncool. That’s too easy an answer. If we rewind a bit, one could argue that brand ads used to be the closest thing we had to memes. Think about it: “Go Compare” guy, The Meerkats, “Should’ve gone to Specsavers”, “You’re not you when you’re hungry””. They weren’t just ads, these lines wormed their way into everyday language and we all repeated, referenced, parodied them. So what happened?

Well here is the thing. Brands didn’t lose their cool, they lost the plot.

The rules of the game changed, big spend no longer guaranteed attention. On social everyone gets to speak, culturally reactive content performs better than pre-planned ones, and yes great creative still matters, but it now has to compete with people who are faster, funnier, and more in tune with the moment. Then there is the matter of brands’ self-obsession. Those who win are not shouting “me me me”, they’re serving. They show up to entertain, teach, connect. They do it for the crowd, not the KPI.

And therein lies the biggest tension. Brands are an antithesis to everything the meme culture is about.

Driven by ROI and sales metrics, brands need to sell to survive. So even when they try to blend in, Steve Buscemi’s meme style, it doesn’t take too long before a product message wedged into a two-month old meme, used in the wrong context and edited in brand colours gives them away. And just like that, they become the joke.

Hint hint social is not a place for flogging products. We all know that one influencer that got us embracing our inner baker only to start going on about how the flour brand, the same one they are sponsored by, is the secret to their inner confidence or some other far-fetched claim. Quick unfollow.

People don’t want to be sold to. They want to be served.

If that is the case, why then does #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt boast over 4.1 billion views and 72% of users say they make purchase decisions based on content they see on Instagram?

Ding ding ding!!

Social is a powerful tool for sales, but not a place to sell. Conundrum, eh? Not really.

Think about it, when you entertain, teach or share a perspective, you foster connection. And when people feel something, they stick around because they like you.

Pulling this off starts with knowing who you are. You don’t have to be Duolingo or Ryanair or speak like the “chronically online best friend” – something every brand currently sounds like, but that is a discussion for another day. But you do have to be something and you have to put personality at the heart of your content. Brands that know themselves know which jokes to make, which memes to remix, and which ones to leave be.

Since you’re on social, be social. Join the conversation with no ulterior motives, chances are you will be loved and remembered. Whatever you sell, if useful will be bought. Entertain first, sell later. Give first, take later. That’s the game. It’s like that meme: “If you chase something, it runs away. But if you ignore it, it comes to you.” So people joke about ignoring 10 million pounds. Well, brands need to start ignoring the urge to sell, and focus on serving the crowd. Only then will the sales come, along with the brand love.

by Fola Enifeni

Fola is a Senior Strategist at Social Element. She blends cultural fluency with a curiosity for what makes people tick, and believes the best brand moments happen when businesses stop broadcasting and start behaving like they belong. Outside of work, you’ll find her on a hike or trying to increase her personal best on a lift.