How can you use humor to build brand loyalty with Gen Z consumers?

In my experience, the best way is to create communication that has humour for Gen Z is that you need to tap into pop culture. Use references from movies they adore, shows they watch, online games they play and the trends they follow on social media.

I remember in one of the email campaigns we had tried to incite humour by using a popular Hindi phrase centred around "Sharma Ji ka Beta". The phrase is typically employed when parents or elders compare their own children's achievements to those of Mr. Sharma's son, emphasizing the need for the listener to excel academically, professionally, or in any other aspect of life. Needless to say, one of the users got offended and wrote back to us. Eventually, we had to send out an apology to the entire user base to whom this email was sent. Lessons learnt: 1. Do check that the humour doesn't come off as offensive to someone. 2. If your content comes off as offensive, it can also lead to bad PR. Such emails have a tendency to go viral.

One thing I have found working is using the humorous contents they enjoy and integrate it with the brand comms without force. It will create relatablity and they will engage with the content.

Know the type of humor you are getting into. Don't try to force your (boomer?) humor onto younger generations. Also, if you try to hard, you might get considered "cringe" by this audience.

Gen Z appreciates authenticity, wit, and cleverness, so leveraging humor that aligns with their preferences and values can help cultivate a strong and lasting bond with the brand.

One thing I found useful to resonate with Gen Z is to prioritize authenticity in your brand's humor. Embrace memes, pop culture references, and social issues relevant to them. Engage on platforms like TikTok and Instagram while fostering user-generated content. Build a brand narrative that aligns with their values, as Gen Z values authenticity, inclusivity, and sustainability. Remember to encourage brand interaction and feedback to create a sense of co-creation, fostering loyalty through genuine connection with them.

The best way to utilize humor with your Gen Z consumers is to encourage them to create humorous content with your brand. When they create the content, there's a high likelihood that it will land with other Gen Z consumers. Your brand can be "in on the joke" as opposed to carrying the pressure of writing the joke.

I think not only Gen Z can spot a fake or forced attempt at humor from a mile away. Everyone could note it. You need to be authentic and relevant all the way, despite to whom you are talking to. Authenticity is a key element in every marketing story, plan and strategy.

They appreciate humor that reflects their experiences and challenges, like student life, early career struggles, or societal issues.

As a gen-z consumer and early stage marketer, I admire brands that have fun with their marketing, aren't consantly serious about themselves and put out content that is actually funny. Makes me want to use their products more than any sales content does. Of course, a humourous tone won't work for a lot of brands but I think there's always a chance to get some inspiration to connect with audiences creatively be it a meme, a relateable gif, etc.

Be creative and original, yet don′t be afraid to stick to the "fundamentals". In our recent campaigns, we have mixed creativity with one element that everyone needs and loves (especially GenZ) - which is food. The results were there. The Maslow pyramide can be a good source of inspiration ;)

However, if you choose to jump in on a trend - I think it's great to lean into that uncertainty and publish earlier than later. On platforms like TikTok, sounds trend for a few days or weeks and then die. Brands that earn Gen Z's love like Duolingo etc, jump on these trends with lightheartedness and openness as early as possible. That will get you more goodwill and views than a polished video weeks later.

Use memes smartly. They should be relevant, witty, and timely. Create content that encourages interaction, like humorous polls, quizzes, or challenges. Tailor your humor to fit the platform – what works on TikTok might not resonate on Twitter.

Create content especially for your target audience is CRUTIAL! Get to know Gen Z, for real I mean. Follow them, listen to them, test your content directly with them if you can and iterate. You won′t know what best work for your brand/product and GenZ until your test, get feedback, improve, start again...