In today’s digital marketing world, “memes” were mainly used for jokes and entertainment, yet currently, they are recognized as a strategic tool for brands. Brands use memes to communicate in unconventional ways including, achieve high engagement rates, and build a stronger connection with their audience, especially young people who consume media content quickly.

The Definition of Memes

Memes express everyday events, emotions, or ideas that are continuously reshaped and shared across social media platforms. They appear as texts, images, and short videos. Over time: memes have proven to be highly effective in marketing context by:

• Increasing audience engagement.
• Enhancing brand awareness.
• Building a friendly relationship between brands and their audiences.
• Delivering marketing messages within seconds.

For these reasons, brands rely on memes as an indirect communication approach that feels less overtly commercial. This strategy adds a human and playful dimension to market content.

Memes on a Global Scale

Memes have become an essential part of marketing strategies for many global brands. These brands rely on memes to shape brand personality, stay on top of trends, and connect with the audience in a humorous way without compromising their professionalism. Brands are unsure: should we even use memes or not?  We know that memes are powerful, but how do we use them correctly? 

The international football club Liverpool has successfully used to share their Arabic content on X. They post memes in Arabic through news posts, reactions, and humorous images that resonate with their audience. Another example is Saudi player Saud Abdulhamid joining AS Roma. His arrival boosted fan engagement, and he quickly became part of meme culture. Roma’s Arabic account then focused more on Saudi fans, creating meme-based content related to him and his key moments on the field.

Those accounts are real examples on how memes can function as an indirect advertising tool. They become part of an ongoing dialogue that connects the audience with their favorite teams, especially when content is adapted into memes for another market.

Saudi Brands Using Memes in Marketing:

HungerStation

A Saudi food company that combines the digital experience with humor in its marketing content. It uses memes to announce new updates and delivery offers on Instagram. 

Key Campaigns: Social Feed Feature

• This feature allows users to send any food post they see on social media to HungerStation’s Instagram account. The system recognizes the dish, then connects it to nearby restaurants to turn it into an orderable meal. This approach sparked the creation of memes around “User’s Craving,” turning minimal engagement into a real experience.

STC

STC is a telecommunications company with its own content strategy. While it doesn’t always post ready-made memes, it incorporates memes into responses and social media posts that resonate with both young and older audiences. For example, it uses main characters from well-known Saudi comedy series, like Abdullah Al-Sadhan and Nasser Al-Qasabi from “Tash Ma Tash,” in its promotional content, making its approach closer to “marketing memes” in style and engagement.

Jahez

A delivery platform uses lighthearted and humorous content to reflect everyday delivery experiences. Each post includes visuals and text that capture the essence of memes, making interaction with the content feel natural and spontaneous.

Tamara

A Saudi-based financial technology company offering flexible payment solutions. It is one of the companies that broke the norms in the finance sector by employing memes in its content and videos, simplifying payment procedures and attracting more users.

For memes to succeed in marketing:

• Maintain a daily connection with your audience.
• Build content based on an understanding of the target culture.
• Choose the right timing to align with current trends.
• Ensure consistency with the brand’s identity.

Memes are likely to fail if they are used only to follow fleeting trends without a real connection to the brand or the audience.

Memes: A strategic tool, Not just humor:

Today, memes have become a strategic marketing tool, helping brands engage their audiences and increase visibility. Many national and international organizations have explored creative ways to use memes on their social media platforms. 

At Lhamim Creative Communications, we focus on adapting strategies and tools that fit our audience, ensuring that memes are used thoughtfully to create meaningful engagement and strengthen long-term connections between the brand and its audience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What do we mean by memes in marketing?
   Memes in marketing are visual or textual content that uses humor or relatable everyday situations to convey marketing messages in an indirect and easily understood way. They boost engagement and help bring the brand closer to its audience.

2. Why are memes effective in digital marketing?

Memes are easy to understand, highly shareable, and reflect the language and culture of the audience.

3. Are memes suitable for all brands?

Not necessarily. The use of memes depends on the brand’s nature and target audience. Memes are most effective for brands that target younger audiences or rely on social media communication, as long as they align with the brand’s identity and values.

4. What is the difference between random and strategic memes?

Random memes focus only on following trends without a clear purpose. Strategic memes, on the other hand, are connected to the brand’s messaging and serve marketing goals such as increasing awareness, engagement, or loyalty.

5. Can Saudi brands benefit from memes?

Yes. By understanding local culture and using a tone that resonates with the audience, brands can create engaging content. At the same time, it is important to preserve the brand’s identity across different sectors.