TIME dotcom on why audience research is key in pushing content boundaries

The majority of consumers in Asia Pacific and Japan (89%) are more likely to remember ads that are funny, yet Asia Pacific and Japan (JAPAC) business leaders said only 17% of their brands' offline ads and 14% of their online ads actively use humour.

This is according to the Happiness Report from Oracle and Gretchen Rubin which surveyed 12,183 consumers and full-time business leaders 21 years of age and older globally including Singapore, China, India, Japan, and Australia.

Don't miss: Crystal Jade's char siew promotion draws flak: How to use humour in marketing effectively

This comes as 76% of respondents in JAPAC believe brands can do more to deliver happiness to their customers, and 91% said they preferred brands to be funny. This number increased among Gen Z (95%) and Millennials (95%). 

Furthermore, 56% of people in JAPAC don't believe they have a relationship with a brand unless it makes them smile or laugh and 49% would walk away from a brand if it didn’t make them laugh or smile regularly. 

Also, if a brand uses humour, people are more likely to buy from the brand again (82%), recommend the brand to family and friends (81%), choose the brand over the competition (76%), and spend more with a brand (67%).

So why does humour work so well in ads? According to Lau Mun Yee, head of branded content and social at Time dotcom, using humor and fear can trigger different emotional responses from the audience and elevate engagement through emotional connections. 

"When people laugh, they let their guard down, they feel good and associate these feelings with your brand or product which can be very powerful for recall," said Lau, adding that fear can also be used to capture attention quickly, making the audience more receptive to the content being shared.

Using humour and fear in marketing can also help with memory retention, she said, adding that people are searching for happiness and are generally willing to pay for it through time and money.

It also creates increased shareability. "Humorous content is highly shareable, and more so compared to tearjerker or fear-based content. The barrier to want to send it to their friends and followers is a lot lower here," said Lau. 

However, getting it right is a challenge in itself and this is why it is important to make sure you do audience research as a brand before you put anything out, according to Lau.

Who are you creating the content for?

Audience research is a great way to start - look at your current followers, what do they care about and why are they reacting to your content in a certain way, said Lau.

"I also highly encourage talking to customers face to face to really understand pain points and challenges," she added. 

"There is no one size fit all content, and we should avoid the practice of putting every content across all different platforms," she explained, adding:

You have to do whatever it takes to deliver the value that your audience want in the way that they want it. 

Lau also noted that it's important for a brand to always go back to the question of who they are creating content for. 

"What are the social, cultural and racial context that we should be careful of," she said, noting that another important question to ask was how the content is genuinely helpful to consumers. 

What to do when things go wrong

Of course, there is no way to ensure that a humourous post lands with all. For example, recently, in Singapore, Crystal Jade faced backlash over a Mother and Father's Day char siew promotion that called for parents to recite a Cantonese phrase, "saang gau caa siu hou gwo saang nei" (It’s better to give birth to a piece of char siew than to give birth to you), to their child in front of a staff member of the restaurant. 

Parents who did so would receive a free plate of roasted honey barbecue pork.

In a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, it said that its intention was to bring a touch of lightheartedness to the Mother’s and Father’s Day weekends with a campaign that references a common Cantonese saying parents use to express exasperation over their children.

"A post was put up on our socials on 29 April to share about this campaign and also to illustrate the use of this phrase. We intended this to be a way for us to connect with our Cantonese-speaking audience in a relatable and humorous manner," a spokesperson said, adding:

However, we understand that humour can be subjective, and regret that this particular reference missed the mark and has caused unhappiness among some customers."

When dealing with backlash from an emotive post, Lau's advice it to be humble and human about the mistakes that one might inevitably make. 

"This could be in the form of an apology, removing and more importantly, revising the content strategy to prioritise respect, inclusivity and integrity," said Lau. 

"It is truly a humbling job, because what you know and think you know is challenged on a daily basis. But as long as you are staying true to your brand mission and create with your audience in mind, it will be enough," added Lau. 

Join us on 12 June 2024 for an exciting experience as Content360 makes its debut in Malaysia! Brace yourself to join the crème de la crème of the content marketing industry hailing from across the region. Immerse yourself in a dynamic atmosphere, and uncover the latest trends with thought leaders and solution providers from the realm of content.

Related articles:
Report: Local nuance and trust needed for influencer marketing in SEA
ZUS Coffee apologises twice as brand sentiments drop following adidas event
Bumble's brand sentiments plummet following outrage over anti-celibacy ads