Did you know that the weekly Let’s Talk Business segment each week on KRCU was just named the “Best Business Broadcast in America” in America by NPR? Obviously that’s a little April Fool’s Day humor for you, but it makes me think what is a good way for businesses to effectively engage humor on this day?
April Fool’s Day is the one day per year that businesses and brands can have a little fun and engage their customers in a fun and joking way. With a well thought out joke and gag businesses can get instant recognition and positive engagement, but it’s important to think through your plan fully to avoid any pitfalls.
A 2019 article April Fools Marketing Ideas: 13 Ideas for Your Business to Use This April from AppInstitute.com offers some advice for businesses that want to take advantage of the day as a fun way to engage with their audience. A few of the recommendations that most resonated with me included.
“Think about your audience - Any joke will fall flat if it doesn’t resonate with the audience. Before you brainstorm prank ideas, consider who you’re aiming the joke at.”
“Make it a surprise- While you want your prank to tie into your brand, you don’t want to make the gag too obvious. Think about jokes that relate to your business and target audience but are a little unusual.”
And certainly – “Don’t take it too far - The best jokes know when to stop. April Fools’ Day is about having fun and good-natured humor. Taking a joke too far and offending people will ultimately damage your brand and undo any work you’ve done to build customer loyalty.”
Happy April Fool’s Day, hopefully you can find a way to have fun and grow your business at the some time!
