How Brands Can Tap into Meme Culture品牌如何充分利用模因文化

It was when my second pair of limited-edition Crocs came in the mail that I realised something had changed. The strange part was that my purchase wasn’t made off the back of an ad campaign， there was no influencer flogging them， and there was no easy clickable link to find them. On the contrary， I scoured the internet and bought the shoes after laughing at them in a meme during one of my endless scrolling binges on Instagram.

收到邮寄来的第二双限量版卡骆驰洞洞鞋时，我才发现自己变了。说也奇怪，我买这双鞋的原因既不是看完广告的冲动，也不是网红的卖力推销，更没有快速购买链接让我去点。正相反，是我自己在没完没了刷“照片墙”的时候，刷到了模因里的这双鞋，笑着笑着就去网上搜索，然后下了单。

It turns out， I’m not alone. 30% of US users reported spending an additional 1–2 hours on social media every day. Though some of that time was spent by many of us connecting with our loved ones and scouring the news to alleviate some of our collective sense of anxious uncertainty， much of it was also taken up by forming new digital behaviours around our everyday shopping.

其实，不止我一个人这么做过。三成美国网民每天会多花一两个小时刷社交媒体。其间，虽然许多人会花点时间联络爱人朋友，还会了解时事新闻以缓解不确定性带来的集体焦虑，但是大部分时间都用于养成新的数字化日常购物习惯。

In a very Blade Runner-esque turn， DOOH （digital out-of-home advertising） is on the rise， making digital objects more real-life through new 3D technology and AR. The deal between shopping-mall magnate Brookfield Properties and Aria Network to offer digital AR experiences in physical shopping malls is a testament to this new， more integrated digital and IRL world， making the future of brand communication a whole lot more meme-ified than we could have imagined.

犹如《银翼杀手》里的情节变成了现实，数字户外广告方兴未艾，通过新的三维技术和增强现实技术，让数字对象变得更为真实。大型购物中心巨头博枫地产与阿里亚网络公司的合作就是真实世界与数字世界以新形式进一步结合的证明。此次强强联合为实体的百货商场带来增强现实的数字体验，让未来的品牌传播方式超乎想象地更加模因化。

As meme culture and IRL culture become even more entwined post-pandemic， it’s now a crucial part of truly understanding how to communicate with， make an impact upon， and build essential brand affinity with younger consumers. To that end， how can brands begin to innovate and adapt to changing consumer behaviour and communication？

在后疫情时代，模因文化和真实世界的文化联系更加紧密。如今，品牌若想真正理解如何与年轻消费群体沟通、如何对他们施加品牌影响力、如何建立至关重要的品牌好感度，就必须重视模因文化。为此，品牌应该如何创新、如何适应不断变化的消费行为与沟通方式？

Meme language is multi-sensory

模因语言具有多感官性

Firstly， meme culture is far broader than the culture of sharing coded images in replicable templates. Memes exist in all forms of communication， from visual （such as template formats like the “For The Better”1 meme）， to auditory （such as the “Oh No” song by Kreepa used millions of times on TikTok to show moments when things don’t go as expected）， to gestural （such as TikTok dances， challenges on Instagram， and other body and video-related content）.

首先，模因文化极其宽泛，远不止分享基于可复制模板的编码图片。模因存在于所有交流形式中，包括视觉形式（比如“为了变得更好”之类的图片模板）、听觉形式（比如说唱歌手克里帕的那首《噢，不》，在TikTok上已有数百万次的使用量，专用于事与愿违的场合），以及动作形式（比如TikTok的舞蹈、“照片墙”上发起的挑战，以及其他结合肢体动作的视频内容）。

Crucially， memes can even become part of material products themselves， spawning visual or gestural memes that only serve to continue their embedded jokes. Balenciaga is a prime example of this， adopting a meme-baiting strategy in their products for the last few years， embedding jokes， parodies， and satire to make their products relevant and infinitely meme-able. This is a model of “media richness2，” which offers several different ways for consumers to participate in the joke through either consuming， contributing， or creating in a virtuous cycle with the brand， increasing brand affinity. Indeed， a research published in 2021 suggests that media richness is a more influential factor in consumer engagement and behavioural intention than content trustworthiness.

重要的是，模因甚至可以成为物质产品的一部分，由此衍生出的图像或动作模因会延续蕴含其中的笑料。奢侈品牌巴黎世家就是利用模因文化的高手。近几年来，该品牌以模因为诱饵施展产品营销策略，通过埋设段子、滑稽模仿和讽刺等手段，让自家产品贴近大众并且可以无限模因化。这一营销策略是展现“媒介丰富度”的范例，它为消费者提供了多种方式参与模因文化，通过使用、讨论或者创造模因与品牌建立良性循环，提升对品牌的好感度。事实上，2021年发表的一项研究已证明，媒介丰富度已经超过内容可信度，成为影响消费者参与度及行为意向的重要指标。

In light of3 this， there is a clear opportunity for brands to take meme culture into account， not only as a form of communicating in a meme-ified market， but to take meme culture into consideration when innovating new products. After all， if Balenciaga can meme-ify Crocs into a desirable shoe， the sky is the limit for all categories.

正因媒介丰富度如此重要，品牌应抓住明摆在眼前的机遇，搭上模因文化的快车，不仅要将其视作模因化市场中的一种交流形式，还要在产品创新的过程中将其纳入考量。毕竟，巴黎世家能用模因带火洞洞鞋，那么对其他品类而言，创意同样无止境。

Humour is more important than authenticity

幽默胜过真实

When it comes to making a meme travel far， humour is the core ingredient. This is because memes themselves function as forms of “energy exchange，” where participating in and putting your own spin4 on a shared cultural artefact produces an emotional response and increases social bonds.

要想让模因广为流传，幽默是制胜关键。模因本身具有“交换能量”的功能，因此亲身参与创造模因这种可共享的文化产品，再加入自己独到的解读，就能收获情感回应，强化社交纽带。

To be authentically funny， brands need to be participants in the communities they’re advertising to. Wendy’s TikTok presence is a great example of participating in fast-moving meme humour without being too heavy or inauthentic， often relying on remixed existing meme formats that make them feel like an authentic participant in the humour of meme culture， much like a regular users. Younger consumers are particularly wise to marketing strategies， so embedding humour and participation is crucial to leveraging memes to build brand affinity.