The Business Benefits of Being Goofy | Part 3: How to Build a Goofy Brand

If you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, you know the main benefits of having a goofy brand, and have had a look at some brands who’ve joked their way to success. But how the heck are you supposed to make your brand goofy?

For one, you could check out this great resource, which comes in handy for most big questions in life.

Or, you could read the following list of tips:

1. Take advantage of the holidays. Take a page out of Google’s book and rebrand your logo for New Years, Halloween, the first day of summer, Fridays—or any other day that you declare significant. Or, if you don’t have the appropriate rebranding resources, simply take a picture of everyone at the office in their ugliest (read: most awesome) Christmas sweaters, and post it on your blog.

2. Create a character for your brand. People like having a face (or a snout) to put with a brand–shout out to the last post’s commenters for suggesting Geico! Whether this character is a cartoon, an animal, or your affable CEO, having a living vehicle for your brand’s personality can help customers connect.

3. Don’t forget the little things. From the “About the Author” section on your corporate blog, to your alt tags on images, you should always be thinking about how you can make people laugh in the process of getting your message out.

4. Video (killed the radio star). Have a YouTube channel, and let your employees’ Hollywood dreams run rampant. You can even combine video goofiness with holiday goofiness—check out this spot from Blue Sky Factory, a Baltimore based email marketing service. And always remember, the most mundane office scene can be made hilarious with the right soundtrack.

5. Get nerdy. Use allusions and obscure references to your heart’s desire. Sure, not everyone will get it, but those who do will always love you.

While these tips are a good starting point, maintaining an open mind and keeping plenty of beer in the office will help your brand get goofier and goofier.

Any tips I missed? Think my tips are downright silly? Comment, and let me know.

About Right Source:

The Marketing Trenches blog provides thought leadership from actual marketing practitioners, not from professional thought leaders. Designed to help business leaders make more educated marketing decisions, our insights come directly from our experience in the trenches. You can find more from Right Source on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.