Why brands can't leave memes out of their marketing mix during IPL season

The IPL craze in India is not new. With a viewership of over 400 million users, it certainly brings the subcontinent together, both socially and culturally. However, from a marketer’s perspective, it is nothing less than an enthralling carnival, wherewith every ball, there is a chance to communicate with your consumers. Brands are relentlessly investing time, research, and other resources to understand their buyers better and design marketing strategies that hit the bull’s eye using multiple formats across platforms to reach out to their audience.

In the bouquet of marketing endeavours, a new element called meme marketing has been capturing the spotlight. As the name suggests, it is a witty technique to use memes as a tool to spread the brand message and leave the audience with a grin on their faces. With the number of social media users expected to hit 448 million by 2023 and most millennials not being enticed by the idea of conventional techniques, meme marketing seems like the go-to strategy. 

If you are still wondering why meme marketing, especially during the IPL season, then here are some reasons that will throw light on its importance:

What’s trending? Memes

It does not take more than a few seconds for a meme to go viral. A trending meme has seamless outreach, meaning that you are connecting with a much wider audience base. Apart from initiating a trend, brands can even participate in existing ones. For instance – the ‘Vibe Alag Hai’ campaign talks about the different styles of each team. Brands can capitalise on this and create memes about how their vibe is ‘alag’ or different from the competitors or how they feel the vibe of a particular team coincides with the message the company is trying to spread.

Effortless awareness 

The main aim of any marketing activity is to inform consumers about the product. However, the modern-day consumer knows exactly what he/she wants. Legacy techniques such as product-oriented posts, video ads, or emails are viewed as hard-selling options and are often skipped. This can be derived from a recent study that says traditional practices such as cold calling and direct emailing show a success rate of 1.7%. 

A meme, on the other hand, is effortless and the success rate of social media techniques stands tall at 14.6%. By using a few words and focusing on your customer’s interests, your brand can create a special place for itself. Memes are not a form of ‘on-the-face’ marketing. It is a subtle way to generate awareness. 

Helps develop a community 

By indulging in content that focuses on IPL, brands can become a part of a community of cricket enthusiasts. Consumers tend to see the company from a broader perspective that transcends beyond the product/service that it offers. The light-hearted language plays a crucial role in engaging the younger audience. When they see a company communicate via memes, it highlights the community feeling and separates the brand from solely being an entity trying to sell its goods. 

Taps into the new-age audience base

A regular social media campaign does reach consumers; however, it is typically restricted to those following the brand. When it comes to print or video ads, they are often left unseen. Memes, on the other hand, allow brand access to a plethora of social media users. For instance, an IPL-themed meme will allow you access not just to your existing buyers who tend to be cricket fans but also to the extensive IPL viewer base. With memes having a much higher sharing rate and IPL having a borderless fan base, you can reach out to the international market as well. 

Encourages conversations

Marketing is a way to effectively communicate with the audience. The best part about memes is that it allows innumerable opportunities to do so. For instance, an iconic match moment can be captured, and users can be asked to caption it. Such interactive posts witness a downpour of engagement. With IPL keeping its viewers excited, several individuals turn to social media to express their thoughts about a match. By engaging in such communications and creating memes that resonate with their feelings, brands can connect with the audience on a personal level. 

IPL season comes every year, allowing brands to connect with their audience on a whole new level. This season, start using memes to talk about the iconic sixes and the heart-breaking outs!