Humour as an advertising resource: memes at the service of brands

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the phenomenon of memes generated based on user-generated content (UGC) discourse about the Japanese electronic brand Casio. We collected 150 memes from various platforms and applied a quantitative content analysis methodology to determine the main characteristics of the memes. Additionally, we employed statistical techniques to identify patterns and relationships among the variables studied. The results revealed that user-generated content could be interpreted as an unintentional advertising strategy for the Casio brand. We observed significant similarities in the structure and themes of the memes, indicating a mutual influence among users. Furthermore, we found that mentioning the brand in one of Shakira’s songs significantly impacted the meme generation. These findings emphasise the importance of understanding and harnessing the unintentional advertising potential that arises from the interaction between popular culture and brands.