“Give the consumer quality. That’s the best advertising” – this phrase belongs to Milton Hershey, one of the oldest and largest chocolate manufacturers of the twentieth century. 21 Marketers of the century would offer a slightly modified version of this phrase and say: "Give the customer quality and emotion. That's the best advertising."
In a modern market saturated with numerous competitors, quality is already such a necessary given that distinguishing itself on this basis alone does not give companies a great advantage in the eyes of the consumer. Something else is needed that will win the hearts of the masses and will win more than once. Something that will remain in the conscious or subconscious memory for a long time. This is some kind of emotion. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the interest in the product. The more positive the emotion, the higher the probability of the consumer's addiction to the product, and the more pleasant the memories associated with this product, the greater the consumer's loyalty. Therefore, it is crucial to remember the consumer with a positive emotion. And nothing arouses and maintains positive emotions better than humor.
" Humor and funny words can often resolve big issues more easily than seriousness and severity ." - * Horace
Studies have shown that humor sells products best in communication. Humor attracts the attention of the consumer. It has the power of persuasion and helps to establish a good relationship with the consumer. It inspires sympathy and trust. Humor puts the buyer in a positive mood and leaves a positive emotion. Positive emotions and a feeling of joy are stored in the human memory for the longest time. What could be more desirable for a company than for the consumer to remember it and identify it with joy. However, at the same time, humor is such a creative and intelligent boundary that it is very difficult to cross, because communication at the level of relevant, contextual, and sophisticated humor is difficult to achieve.
The use of humor in sales is a sensitive topic. You always have to control what you say, to whom, when, and in what form. There is no recipe for this and it depends entirely on the seller's intuitive ability to feel the customer, his internal (character, mood, etc.) and external (mentality, cultural context, etc.) structures. We need to pay even more attention to irony and sarcasm. We must be sure that the subtext of irony will not be perceived painfully by the customer. It is precisely because of this caution that many avoid including humor in sales, but its positive impact on sales is undeniable.
We all remember the attitude of Zurab Shevardnadze, the founder of the now-branded " Gardenia Shevardnadze " , to humor. He is the best example of how humor can be used to promote personal branding and then adapt your own branded name to a business so that everyone recognizes it. If we meet individuals who, when mentioning the Orangery, "Gardenia Shevardnadze" does not come to mind. Also, if there are individuals who Mr. Shevardnadze did not remember himself precisely for his witty humor.
Even large companies do not deny the influence of humor in sales. We all remember the commercial " Call Back " shot by Neostudio in 2003, commissioned by Magti . This humorous genre of advertising had an even more positive effect on consumer goodwill towards this brand.
Mercedes did n’t have to think long about the genre of its next creative and very successful commercial. In 2012, the appearance of a chicken in a Mercedes advertising campaign could not leave any viewer indifferent and became one of the most memorable commercials of the company. JAGUAR ’s reaction to this Mercedes commercial, mixed with tasteful sarcasm, was also interesting and amusing. Both companies managed to make the consumer smile without offending them and left a positive emotion in their memory.
So use humor in sales, but keep in mind:
- Be spontaneous in your humor, but prepared.
- Be natural. Your humor should not be scripted and should sound believable.
- Be careful and measured. Remember, excessive familiarity will give the customer a frivolous and unprofessional impression of you.
Make your customer laugh and win their favor today, and their loyalty tomorrow.
Join us for our seminar " Branding, Sales and Consumer Psychology " Explore the role of emotion and other marketing practices in sales and make your product more attractive in the eyes of the consumer.
* Milton Hershey (1857–1945). Founder of The Hershey Company
* Horace (65 BC) Roman poet
