Hey — It’s Nico.

Welcome to Behind Tactics 🧠, the Failory newsletter where I share the strategies behind the best startups.

This issue takes 5 mins to read. If you only have one, here’s what you need to know:

• Meme marketing has grown into a powerful tool for connecting with audiences through humor and relevance.

• Brands like Wendy’s, Ryanair, and Duolingo succeeded by making memes fun, authentic, and entertaining.

• Startups can thrive with memes—they’re cheap, scalable, and perfect for quick brand building. Even B2B companies like Hootsuite use them effectively.

• Meme marketing is tricky; it can backfire if it feels forced, outdated, or too promotional. Authenticity is key.

Let’s get into it.

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The Strategy

This week, let’s talk about memes—not just for laughs, but as a serious growth tool for startups. Memes have become a language of their own on the internet, shaping how people connect, share, and engage.

But while many businesses have tried (and often failed) to use memes as part of their marketing, this strategy is still underrated when it comes to building authentic, relatable brands.

So today, I want to shine a light on meme marketing—why it’s more than just a trend and why it deserves a seat at the table with traditional marketing tactics. I’ll also break down how startups can use memes effectively without falling into the cringe zone of looking like a brand that’s trying way too hard.

Let’s dive in.

Meme Marketing Begins (The DON’Ts):

In the early days of meme culture, brands quickly recognized the potential to use this new language for marketing. However, many of their first attempts fell flat, resulting in awkward, cringy, and sometimes embarrassing outcomes.

Here are some key lessons on what not to do in meme marketing:

1. Do NOT try too hard to be relatable: Memes that feel inauthentic come across as cringy and alienate rather than engage. Here IHOP used a meme format that was already two years old, awkwardly trying to fit it into their content, which missed the mark entirely.

2. Do NOT ignore the meme context: Jumping on a trending hashtag without knowing its meaning is a recipe for disaster. Case in point: DiGiorno Pizza saw the #WhyIStayed hashtag trending and decided to chime in with, “#WhyIStayed You had pizza.” The problem? The hashtag was being used by survivors of domestic violence to share their deeply personal stories. 

3. Do NOT make it an obvious advertisement: One of the key mistakes in this Arby’s meme is that it feels more like an ad than a genuine attempt at humor. The comparison template is a great meme format, but the humor falls flat because the intent to promote their product is too blatant.

Getting the Hang of It (The DOs):

• Build a distinct personality that fits your brand: Wendy’s is one of the most successful companies at doing meme marketing. The reason for this success is simple: they created a unique voice that feels authentic. Their Twitter account feels less like a corporate entity and more like a friend who’s always ready with a roast. 

• Embrace humor, even if its self-deprecating: While Wendy’s dominates Twitter memes, Ryanair is considered the lord of TikTok meme marketing. They achieved this crown jewel status through relentless self-deprecating humor. Ryanair leaned into its reputation as a no-frills, budget airline by making fun of its baggage fees, chaotic boarding processes, and anything else travelers love to hate. The result? Viral videos that scream, “Yeah, we know—but we’re cheap!” And honestly, it works.

@ryanair

We’re gonna charge you extra now ❤️

• Tap into absurdity: Duolingo turned its mascot, the green owl, into a bizarre yet hilarious internet character that keeps people talking and sharing. The owl became less of a friendly reminder and more of an unhinged, obsessive stalker—showing up in memes as if to say, “Skip your Spanish lesson again, and you’ll regret it.” By leaning into absurdity, Duolingo turned what could have been a boring language-learning app into a cultural phenomenon that’s impossible to ignore.

Should I?

Why This Works

• It Leverages Social Proof Without Trying: When people share memes, they’re effectively endorsing the content. Unlike traditional ads that scream “Look at me!”, memes subtly integrate your brand into organic conversations. This creates a natural form of social proof that feels authentic and credible.

• It’s advertising with Incredible ROI: Creating a meme costs next to nothing compared to traditional advertising. A single well-executed meme can reach millions of people organically, delivering the kind of exposure that would cost a fortune through paid media. This makes meme marketing especially valuable for startups with limited budgets—it’s essentially free advertising when done right.

• It Humanizes Your Brand: A well-executed meme can make a brand feel less like a corporate entity and more like a human who “gets it.” This emotional connection builds trust and makes your audience more likely to engage with your product or service.

• It’s Exceptionally Agile: Memes allow brands to react quickly to trends, news, or cultural moments. This agility makes a brand appear nimble and adaptive, especially compared to slower, more traditional forms of advertising.

How to Apply It

• Understand Your Audience’s Humor: Before creating memes, take time to understand what your target audience finds funny. Different groups respond to different types of humor—what works for Gen Z may not land with Millennials or professionals in a niche B2B market. Research forums, social media groups, and communities where your audience hangs out to uncover their sense of humor.

• Keep it Low-Key Branded: The best memes don’t scream “advertisement.” Subtly incorporate your branding or messaging into the meme without making it feel forced.

• Ride the Trend Waves, But Be Quick: Timing is everything in meme culture. If a trend starts gaining traction, jump on it quickly before it peaks. A delayed meme is like showing up to a party after everyone’s left—it just feels awkward.

• Remix, Don’t Reinvent: Instead of creating an entirely new meme format, it’s often better to remix a meme template that’s already popular. Established templates come with built-in familiarity and cultural context, making them instantly recognizable and relatable. When you put your own spin on a trending meme, your audience is more likely to engage because they already understand the joke structure.

Yes, But

• It’s Really Hard to Get Right: We’ve already seen how bad meme marketing can get when brands miss the mark. In some industries—like healthcare, finance, or legal services—it’s even harder to strike the right balance between humor and professionalism. Trying to inject memes into serious or sensitive topics can come off as tone-deaf or inappropriate, doing more harm than good.

• It’s Easy to Overdo It: Posting too many memes can make your brand seem like it’s trying too hard, diluting its credibility. If everything becomes a joke, it’s harder to convey serious messages when needed.

• Memes Can Backfire Spectacularly: If a meme is poorly executed, misinterpreted, or perceived as tone-deaf, it can damage your brand. Social media is unforgiving, and a bad meme can turn into a PR disaster.

Keep Learning

Others Playing It

This strategy also works for B2B. Take a look at how Hootsuite, a social media management platform, pulls it off.

Their memes are crafted specifically for people working in businesses that might need their platform, like social media managers and marketing teams.

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That’s all for this edition.

Cheers,

Nico