Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

Or, in the case of social media, parody is the sincerest form of flattery. The most buzz-worthy companies and products are all on the receiving end of parodies via the internet. It could be an audio clip, video clip or fake website. Some companies try to stop this practice, but I say encourage it!

You heard me right. Companies should make their content social media, parody-friendly. A great example of this (whether intended or not) is the Apple v. PC ads. Just take a look at the search results on YouTube to see what I mean. Out of the first 20 results, 15 are parodies. Some are pro-Mac, some are anti-Mac. Some are promoting religion, gaming or online dating. Everybody is talking though and everybody knows it started with Apple.

Here is one of the many Apple parody videos:


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CK pointed out this quote in her piece about pardody by Jeff Hicks, CEO of Crispin Porter + Bogusky in an issue of Business2.0:

"The brands that are adopted, blogged about, and parodied the most are the ones that are going to win because they're involved in the evolution of pop culture." (Think subservient chicken, one of CP+B's campaigns.)

What makes the commercials so good from a parody perspective is they are simply done. You can recreate it in your basement. It's shot on a white background using music that is easily reproducible. The characters are so ingrained in our minds through the Apple ads that you know who you should root for by the side of the screen they're standing on. You also know which one is cool and which is not. Everything in the ad is easy to copy and apply to other products or services.

I am not saying you have to make your ad low-end or that you should copy Apple. What I am saying is that you should make it very easy for people to parody you. You could provide your creative in downloadable MPG files and let people create their own. You could give them a link to the audio track and the font you use. What could you do to let people jump start the buzz? Encouraging people to do this can be a very powerful way to get their creativity going while increasing awareness of your brand.

Here is another example. Microsoft Surface is a cool new way of interacting with physical content. The creator of this clip used Microsoft's video with their own sarcastic dialog. MS could take this as offensive, but why? People are talking. The people who will buy this device will still buy it and others will be exposed to the product.

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If you are saying to yourself "That's absurd, I don't want people copying me" then you are missing the point/boat. People talk about you anyway. They chat around the proverbial water cooler (do we really do this anymore or is it the coffee machine?). They email their friends and say the same thing. Why not let them do it and have some brand recognition and fun in the process? If you're aware of what is happening and engage with people, you can find out why your detractors don't like and possibly improve your product/experience and you can ignite the passions of the people that do love you.

Anybody who creates content around your brand is clearly passionate. More to the point, people are going to do it anyway. Why not help them out? The old PR saying goes "there is no such thing as bad publicity" and the same is true on the Internet. There is no such thing as bad user generated content.

What could you do today to let your customers get closer to you to create content (sites, video, audio) that endorses you or shows their passion for you (either way)? Are you strong enough to listen to them? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Technorati Tags:
marketing, advertising, innovation, interactive marketing, user generated content, trends, Apple, Microsoft, viral, CK, buzz, Conversations, PR, Techno//Marketer, Matt Dickman, parody, Christina Kerley

Comments

[CK]

Many times a parody is the way people love you/your brand. If a consumer is going to go to the time and trouble to create a parody, I think companies should absolutely embrace them. Feature them somewhere on their site (I know, it's risky for companies) and appreciate the free advertising they're doing for you.

While this is what I suggest it's gonna be a tough one to sell to most companies due to legal exposure. It's likely going to be impossible in the near-term (near term being the next 5 years).

But you are right in that co's can make it a lot easier for consumers to mock their content. I hadn't thought of that strategy--then again, like we learned in the book Made To Stick, the authors advocate a simple message. The Mac ads are pretty simple (just 2 guys) but the copy is so brilliant. And the ads have stuck and been easy to parody.

[Matt Dickman]

CK -- Thank you for the comment. You outline some key points that are important. There are legal exposure risks involved here. Companies need to make a decision about doing this and it needs to be strategically aligned with what their business objectives.

Parody is, however, going to happen no matter what. I can grab any video in any format from any site on the internet. I can mix it in iMovie, add my own audio, syndicate it through my blog and get it out there in the mix *well* before any company will find it. So they tell me to take it down and they're spending legal dollars to do that. By that time fifteen other people have copied my file and circulated it in email and on their blogs. It's on people's phones and iPods and there is nothing anybody can do about it.

Parody is not always mocking. A lot of the Apple ads are very pro-Apple. Others are not and that's part of the game.

If you're in a company that does any of the following you should NOT engage in this tactic:

> Have a website that is updated less than monthly
> Don't have a "contact us" form
> Are doing something evil in the world
> Don't care what anybody says, much less your customers
> Don't let your employees use Flash player ;)

If that's you, you can probably just pass on by and forget what I said. But, if you have passionate customers who love what you do, why not let them promote you?

[CK]

"Parody is, however, going to happen no matter what."

Yup. This is the strongest point--and it's been happening for decades anyway...just not "in public". The thing is, as you point out, it's an opportunity. That's how co's need to start seeing it, IMO.

To sell it to companies? I would argue it gives them more control and gets them in the convo. Co's are going to need to learn that they're role is to "listen" not "lead" (gonna be difficult)but when there is a parody it should be seen as an open invite to join the convo. Again, a very tough one but hey, welcome to this new world.

While we marketing bloggers haven't been parodied per se (and I can't believe more people haven't mocked me between telling everyone to share and stuff - ha!) we deal with debating and, at times, disagreements. It only leads to us being better. Yeah, I think a KEY benchmark of how "in the now" companies are is to see how they react to parodies.