In today’s web, memes often rise and fall at an astonishing rate. One meme might go viral for a week or two, only to become ancient history a month later. Predicting which memes will burn bright, or which ones will have a longer shelf life, can be difficult. For companies hoping to incorporate memes into their online marketing strategy, there’s an allure of having a viral meme. But this is not without risk.
If a meme doesn’t take off, it could be a wasted investment. Even worse, it could become a source of ridicule. There’s even a meme for failed corporate attempts at being “cool”.
But a successful meme marketing campaign is possible. If harnessed properly, memes can produce some of the most lucrative marketing strategies of all. For a recent example of a successful meme marketing strategy, we can turn our attention to the omnipresent, gibberish-speaking Minions.
Digital Marketing Strategies and Minions
The yellow, overall-clad creatures known as Minions were introduced in the 2010 film Despicable Me. The animated movie was a hit, and the Minions quickly became the most recognizable piece of intellectual property from it. This has spawned an entire franchise of films, with the Minions eventually taking center stage over Steve Carrell’s Gru.
The most recent installment of the franchise was 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru. And if you thought the internet suddenly became a lot more yellow during the first half of 2022, you’re not wrong. The Rise of Gru represents one of the most successful viral marketing strategies today. Some of that success was based on luck, but it was far from an accident.
The first key to the Minions marketing strategy was its appeal to nostalgia. The original Despicable Me film was a fun animated family film. Its target audience has since grown up, and are now teenagers and young adults. The Minions marketing team targeted this demographic, relying primarily on TikTok for visibility.
The social media marketing strategy was also focused on “reclaiming” Minions for the generation that grew up with them. In the years between 2010 and 2022, Minions bounced between “cool” and “uncool” several times in internet subcultures. But the 2022 film release and subsequent marketing gave the characters a chance to be embraced again by Gen Z.
The digital marketing strategy was an unquestioned success, with The Rise of Gru taking in over $900 million at the box office. But not all marketing strategies that try to go viral are successful. So what sets the Minions apart?
Behind The Success of the Minions’ Digital Marketing Strategy
As mentioned, nostalgia was the first step in securing a successful marketing campaign for the Minions team. But this in itself does not account for all of the success. With the recent string of Hollywood reboots and sequels, it is clear that nostalgia has marketing value. But, it is not the only necessary ingredient. Minions had a couple of other things working in its favor in addition to nostalgia: easily identifiable intellectual property and organic traction.
As characters, the Minions are figures that everyone who grew up in the 2010s will recognize and identify with. They are an effective mascot because the character design is simplistic, while the characters themselves can exist in seemingly any scenario. This gives Minions plenty of space in which to exist when Gen Z enthusiasts are crafting memes.
But when it comes to having a replicable marketing strategy, the area to focus on most with Minions is organic momentum. The marketing team behind Minions guided the growth and success of their memes. They did so by actively engaging with their audience and promoting the film on the right social media platforms. But they also allowed their audience to take the reins so that the memes could spread organically.
Young people have become very adept at spotting when a product or advertisement is being forced on them. The Minions team was able to find success by taking a more facilitative approach to their digital marketing strategy. Instead of creating and pushing “forced” memes, they provided a space for their audience to create their own viral trend. And thus, Gentleminions were born.
Social Media Marketing Strategy: Know Your Audience
If there is one lesson everybody can take from this, it’s the importance of understanding your audience on social media. Social media allows companies to engage with their customers in ways that have never before been possible. Hollywood film studios are not the only ones taking advantage of this. Everyone from Ben & Jerry’s, to local small businesses can capitalize on audience engagement on social media. All it takes is the right social media marketing strategy. Contact Web Content Development to learn more.