As an avid social media user who is constantly scrolling aimlessly on my Tiktok For You Page, my Twitter Feed, or my Instagram Explore page, one emerging trend I’ve noticed are brands and corporations using their official accounts to jump into trending memes or have casual (even borderline inappropriate sometimes) conversations with their followers in a way that suggests they’re just friends talking to each other. It’s a new phenomenon in mobile culture that I thought was intriguing: why are these brands posting memes and such that oftentimes have nothing to do with the products they’re selling? How does showing an interest in pop culture and trendy memes enhance brand image of these companies, many of whom are giant corporations that are often the shining examples of evil, unethical results of late-stage capitalism?
Using Canva, I decided to do a deep dive into analyzing humanization and relatability of brands on social media platforms, how and when it started, and what it means for us as consumers. As a first time Canva user, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use and how simple it was to build a mobile-friendly presentation, where the phone app to build your presentation works just as well as the desktop program. You can find the presentation in the link below:
Some questions to consider:
- Do you follow any brands on social media for the purpose of keeping up with their social media content rather than being up to date with their products?
- Do you think any sort of content posted by a company, no matter what it is, is inherently just used as marketing and for brand image sake? For example, a brand posts about a social issue or tragic event; is this because the company actually cares, or is posting about it simply just to enhance brand image?
- Younger audiences are especially vulnerable to being manipulated into wanting products and engaging in parasocial relationships online. What are some ways we can educate these audiences into distinguishing genuine interactions and ones that are just advertisements in disguise?
I believe most adults have the ability to control their thoughts and needs regarding advertisements that they see on their phones. I have never gone out for food just by seeing an advertisement, I may feel hungrier, but that won’t make me choose to eat from the unhealthy food choices that those companies offer. However, children are the target here, they are watching “junk food” ads all day either on their phones, on TV or even playing digital games created just for the purpose of advertising. They also use cartoon characters and cuddly creatures to make them memorable. It is really hard for kids to resist those sugary, delicious food when they see their favorite characters enjoying them. As adults, we need to educate children on the purpose of those ads and show them the real nature of those foods and drinks, we can also explain that the reason those characters enjoy is that they are getting paid and it is only a job to complete, nothing more. Some food companies are making an effort to be responsible in their marketing, packaging, and ingredients but it is still important to talk to our children about which of these efforts produce genuinely healthy results and which are simply trying to cash in on a trend.
Hi, I really like your second question. I haven’t really thought about marketing that way. I think sometimes brands post and share a tragic event is to enhance their brand image. It is used so the public won’t scrutinize them. Only those working within the brand will know if the corporate pillars actually align to what they posted. Or some brands avoid posting anything controversial, again to avoid any scrutiny. A brand that I follow is Chantecaille and the whole brand is built on animal conservation. All the posts that they share on Instagram is related to what is happening to animals in the wild and how they are helping the cause by buying their products. To me, I can see that they care about animal conservation, but not sure if they are using this to get the publics’ attention. Thanks for sharing! Now I can see advertisements and brand posts in a different light.
Thank you for your input, Sarah! I think there is a distinction between brands that are built on a certain cause—like Chantecaille—and brands that use causes to further their agenda as relatable and woke and likeable. We saw this a lot during the height of the 2020 BLM protests, where a lot of companies spoke out in solidarity for black lives but barely made any move to actually show how those values are incorporated into their company. I think companies are now realizing that relating to consumers through things they like and opinions they value is a much more effective marketing tactic to sell their product than actually advertising what they’re selling.
Hi,
This was a really interesting topic to cover and I found the content something that hadn’t been addressed before. The humanization of brands has indeed infiltrated our media space and is creating a very distinct space within digital marketing. The examples that you provided were on the surface incredibly relatable, fun and enjoyable to follow, for instance, feuds between rival fast food chains. It is entertaining and therefore memorable and this is the concept of marketing. However, I hadn’t considered the humanizing of massive corporations which then diminish the ability for the public to view it critically. This is a new kind of marketing which further deludes the audience and filters its image in different ways. With social media evolving within our online space and the way we communicate through this and interact in our daily lives, I feel that it is important to educate young audiences towards the tactics used. I do feel that there are corporations that do take an interest in content regardless of the marketing behind this, however, I don’t believe this will ever come before their brand image. This was a really interesting presentation, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the feedback, Miguel! I appreciate the kind words and your opinions on the matter. I think this form of marketing is especially dangerous for younger audiences because curating a specific brand identity that makes people see them as a friend makes it much easier to dissociate the company from any wrongdoings. It’s an attempt to humanize capitalism while simultaneously delegitimizing criticisms of it. I agree brand image comes first, and by making consumers think you’re their friend with a very carefully curated social media presence, it all feeds into serving a more positive brand image.