The Meme-ification of Marketing

I’ll be honest: every time I bring up meme marketing to a client, I can practically see the thought bubble over their head. “So…you want me to build my brand with cat photos?”

And I get it. Memes feel a little too fun, a little too internet-y, and a little un-serious. But here’s the cultural plot twist: they actually work harder than half the “serious” ads out there.

And if you don’t believe me, well, I did a little statistical digging:

• Memes pull 25–30% higher engagement than standard ads. Think about it, that’s a significant jump in eyeballs and interaction.

• Recall goes up by about 30%. People don’t just laugh, they remember. Which means your brand is still in their head long after the scroll.

• My favorite example, (yes, it’s an oldie but a goodie) Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World.” Basically the OG meme campaign. While other beers were tanking 4% in sales during a recession, Dos Equis shot up 22%. One clever meme-able character turned into real big time tangible revenue.

So when clients side-eye me for suggesting memes, I have to laugh. Because I’ve seen what happens when a brand embraces them: engagement spikes, communities wake up, and sales suddenly get a nice caffeine boost.

On the flip side? The brands that cling to “professional only” content watch their competitors get all the attention; thus, revenue dollars. Remember: attention and laughs convert to customers a lot faster than another overly-polished stock photo ever will.

Here’s the truth: memes aren’t fluff. You need to throw that archaic mindset out the window because they’re the cultural language of the internet. And if your brand isn’t speaking the language, you’re not just missing the joke, you’re missing the money.

So the next time you’re apprehensive to go for it, embrace KR Squared’s new mantra, “Memes aren’t just funny, they’re money, baby!”