In the ancient Greek poem “The Odyssey,” the story’s hero, Odysseus, tells the Cyclops that his name is “Nobody.” When Odysseus instructs his men to drive a fiery iron spit into the monster’s single eye, the Cyclops yells out in vain, “Friends, Nobody is killing me now,” so no one comes to help.
This action-adventure humor, dating to around 800 B.C., is one of the first recorded jokes, according to the classics scholar Owen Ewald, who recently presented his findings on “Humor in the Ancient World” at Seattle Pacific University. So much for the history lesson.
But, seriously, does humor belong in your advertisements? On your website? In your brochures? In your sales pitch? In your blog? My answer is MAYBE and, even then, proceed with caution! The decision depends in large part on your audience.
B2B markets are made up of business people who are a serious lot —just ask them. No time for jokes or funny business. When I was naming my book “First, Best, or Different”, I tested my prospective titles with business book readers. All of my funny titles bombed. My prospective readers were offended by funny titles such as “When Pigs Fly”; I was told with indignation that their businesses were not pigs. I think it was Bob Dole (1996 Republican nominee and World War II veteran) who said, “You don’t want to get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.”
While I agree humor can increase the effectiveness of many marketing activities, there are pitfalls or areas of risk when adding humor to your marketing effort. For example, how many times have you laughed at the Super Bowl commercials, but can’t remember what they were advertising? The joke gets attention but does not necessarily communicate the value proposition.
Also, what is funny to you can be offensive to others. While ethnic jokes are understood to be potentially offensive to some, people can get offended seemingly by the most benign things. Even jokes about hair color can prove offensive. For example, “Why do blond nurses bring red magic markers to work—-in case, they have to draw blood”. Now that is funny or is it?
Humor is also regional and cultural. What works in New York may not work in Kentucky. For example, “Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names” may be offensive to Kentuckians. My apologies to the state of Kentucky and the fifteen families who live there. Funny? Not to my relatives.
I find humor to be particularly misplaced in email communication because it is a two dimensional medium and can be easily misconstrued. Simple sarcasm can be interpreted as mean spirited. Have ever had someone react angrily to an email you wrote when you truly meant no ill will? I know I have. Because of this I have all my blogs read by a professional proofreader and morals expert (my wife Janet who has blond hair this week).
When in doubt, be discriminating about your use of humor in your marketing. If you feel your funny idea might be offensive, it probably is. Keep the jokes for the country club or dinner table—it is just safer that way.
Did you hear the one about the blogger who …..
John Bradley Jackson
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