- Have any questions?
- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
- Have any questions?
- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
Menu
For marketers and social media managers around the world, April 1 is a date when months of campaign planning come to fruition. With the potential to go ‘viral’, April Fool’s Day has become a major event in the marketing world.
Any campaign that relies on humour or hoax is risky, as it comes with the real possibility of offending or upsetting your audience. April Fools’ Day is no exception, requiring brands to navigate the delicate balancing act of shocking the audience just enough to make an impact, but not so much that they end up questioning the integrity of your brand.
To execute a great April Fools campaign, you need a thorough understanding of your audience. Not only should you consider what type of campaign would grab their attention, but how they will react to it in the short and long term.
The sweet spot is to engage your audience with light-hearted shock, confusion, or delight for a short period of time. The joke cannot overstay its welcome to the point where audiences become overly invested or reactive. When a joke is too believable, you risk embarrassing your audience or making them feel as though they can no longer trust your brand.
what are you playing on the Spotify train ? pic.twitter.com/dwm8J4Fx21
— avi 🐀🔆 (@ratbitebaby) April 1, 2023
This year, Spotify discovered first-hand how an April Fools’ Day prank can backfire if it’s too believable. After announcing that commuters could use Bluetooth on public trains to blast music or podcasts out loud over the train’s speaker, the streaming service quickly enraged anyone who cherishes a quiet train ride home after a long work day.
The joke wasn’t overly offensive, but it was far too believable. People quickly became invested thinking that their personal experience would be affected, resulting in thousands of angry comments flooding the post. Sure, the prank resulted in plenty of media coverage and engagement, but it also left a sour taste in the mouth of those who fell for it.
Akin to giving a child a treat only to take it away from them before the first bite, announcing something that is genuinely enticing can ultimately be infuriating or even appear tone-deaf when it doesn’t come to fruition.
This year, Britain’s Royal Mail came under fire after a local manager announced an 11-per cent pay rise for staff, exciting staff who were on strike at the time. Unsurprisingly, the ‘joke’ fell flat once staff realised it was a hoax, damaging employee relations and causing widespread criticism from the media and the public.
Coming across as insensitive or condescending isn’t the only way that an exciting announcement can backfire. In 2015, Elon Musk made headlines for an April Fools’ Day campaign announcing that Tesla was releasing a digital watch – the Model W – as well as an update to its self-driving vehicles that would help drivers evade speeding fines. Soon after the announcement, Tesla shares skyrocketed, with Reuters reporting that almost 400,000 shares were traded in a few minutes.
There are no prizes for guessing how investors reacted once they were let in on the joke. Not only were fans of Tesla and Musk disappointed that the innovative company wasn’t launching two very desirable products, but thousands of people were upset that Tesla seemed to directly profit from the fake announcement.
The lesson here is that while your campaign should get a laugh from your audience, it’s important that they don’t feel like you’re laughing at them. There’s a fine line between injecting humour into your branding and making people feel embarrassed or taken advantage of.
A poorly executed April Fool’s Day campaign can undo years spent nurturing customer relationships. So while it might be tempting to get in on the joke, it’s important not to let it come at the expense of your reputation.
