Part of my goal with this blog is to build a strong case for the use of humor in PR. Last week I read a great post by Brian Cross, a Managing Partner at Elasticity, titled: Does Humor Belong in PR? Brian is one of the geniuses behind the fake/real American Mustache Institute – one of the best and most successful examples of humor PR that I’ve come across.

Brian Cross, Elasticity

What I liked about this post was that it dismantled some of the common myths surrounding the use of humor in PR by tying it to the changing media landscape.

Myth: The news media by nature are not funny (and therefore PR can’t be funny)

Historically this may have been the case but, as Brian points out, this is rapidly changing as the media get more and more desperate for eyeballs:

If you haven’t seen the piece on Chatroulette, you must go now and watch it. (I’ll wait). Did you count the media personalities in that piece?  At least 5.  All 3 major new network anchorpersons (ABC,CBS, NBC) as well as some cable news for good measure– MSNBC and Fox Business.  And they weren’t just mocking the video roulette site.  They were poking fun of themselves.  They were poking fun of their industry.  And they were doing it on The Daily Show’s terms. They showed that the news doesn’t have to always take itself so seriously. Why? Well, for one, to get viewers. But it’s more than that. It’s an attempt to show that they are human. They are endearing themselves to their audience, or better yet, a new potential one. And they did it through humor and self-deprecation.

Myth: You cannot convey factual information in a humorous way

Really? Then please explain the popularity of such shows as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Brian cited two studies:

An IU study found The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to be as substantive as network news.  A Rasmussen Report showed 32% of adults ages 30-39 believe that The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are capable of replacing traditional new outlets.  And nearly one-third of younger Americans see Colbert and Stewart as true alternatives to traditional news outlets.

What I’ve found time and time again with humorous news reporting (e.g., Onion, The Daily Show, etc.) is that it actually motivates a person to find out the real facts. In other words, unless you know what’s real you won’t get the joke!

Myth: You can’t achieve serious PR results with humor

This one drives me crazy. PR people too often equate funny with failure. Again, Brian provides a current example to dispel that notion:

Ole’ Miss is replacing their beloved Col. Reb with a new mascot.  The story is that Admiral Ackbar is a leading contender.  We all heard this story and it took off like wildfire. Do you think you would have heard about this story had they been thinking about replacing their mascot with a bear, or an eagle?

A final word on this subject. Brian and I are not suggesting that humor will work in every situation. Only that it be considered a serious PR strategy.

As always, if you have a humor PR myth that needs busting or have personal story to share of how humor worked (or didn’t work) in PR, please use the comment section below.