How do you know if you have a brand, and not just a product name?
You can tell a joke about a brand, and have a stranger laugh at it. You can’t do that with a product name.
Jokes, like brands, trade on common understanding, not just awareness. That means common to an external target audience, out there, in the wild.
For years now, I’ve taken notice whenever a stand-up comedian uses a brand as the premise for a joke.
I’m starting a new series today, one I hope you’ll find to be more fun and different than the usual brand-speak from consultants like me.
In order for the joke to work, a comedian has to believe that a roomful of strangers will have not only heard of the brand, but have a common understanding of what that brand means. That meaning provides the premise, the “take” the comedian will play with in hopes of getting a laugh.
A commonly held, consistent meaning, not a description of features and benefits.
My first installment is from comedian Pete Holmes, sharing his love for Lululemon:
Regardless of how funny you consider the jokes to be, think about why the jokes work. What elements of that brand were so instantly understood that the joke got laughs? Would the joke still work if you substituted a direct competitor of that brand, one not as well-known or understood, regardless of its market share?
I’ll be following up with more examples soon…hope you enjoy it!