Is laughter the best marketing? Why this is the wrong question

Area of Science:

• Marketing
• Consumer Psychology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Humor is widely perceived as beneficial in marketing.
• However, its actual impact on sales, clicks, and reviews is inconsistent.
• Existing research lacks a unified understanding of humor's varied effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reasons behind the inconsistent effects of humor in marketing.
• To propose a framework for understanding when and why humor is effective.
• To guide future research on humor in marketing strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of humor in marketing studies.
• Analysis of different humor constructs and their impact on various marketing outcomes.
• Examination of situational and individual differences in humor reception.

Main Results:

• Humor's effects vary due to its treatment as diverse constructs.
• Marketing outcomes are influenced differently by humor stimuli across situations and people.
• A nuanced understanding requires acknowledging these variations.

Conclusions:

• A unified theory of humor in marketing is needed.
• Recognizing humor's complexity is crucial for marketers.
• Future research should focus on context-specific humor effects.