by Adam Wakefield

Where does “meme” come from?

Richard Dawkins. Yes, Richard Dawkins.

The evolutionary biologist, ethnologist, and writer coined the term “meme” in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. Dawkins, in an interview with Wired.co.uk, said the word, and when he coined it, it was anything that went viral.

Andrew Pullen, a creative technologist at Kings James Group advertising agency, says memes are one of the quickest ways to display information in the digital space.
 
“Usually done through humour or wit, memes use instantly recognisable pieces of pop culture with clever copy, or new Internet memes that perfectly some up an emotion or feeling,” he says.

Fred Cilliers, creative director at Ogilvy & Mather, says storytelling and pop culture have always been important to us, with memes being an extension of that rather than a new phenomenon.

“The Internet gave birth to a host of new delivery mechanisms, memes being one of the most popular,” he says. “I think we love Internet memes because they are quick to process and easy to share. Within a split-second, you can find yourself in a sea of reappropriated thoughts that can be quite stimulating and entertaining. Another reason they are so popular is they are very easy to make and, as a result, have become ubiquitous.”

Is there money to be made?

Both Cilliers and Pullen feel there are possibilities for businesses to use memes, but they can take on a life of their own. This lack of control and predictability can both be exciting and volatile.

“The dangers are clearly the level of negative engagement that can stem from careless corporate appropriation of a meme,” Pullen says. “Corporate use, if done carelessly, can damage a reputation and make the brand seem lame in eyes of potential users, much like people getting fired over ill-informed social posts.” 

Cilliers says memes go viral organically, but their mutation can be deliberate.

“This has given rise to something called meme-jacking: the art of hijacking popular memes for marketing purposes. Brands aimed at internet-cultured audiences will surely gain some rapport, but regardless, they need to remember that it is just a cultural tool,” Cilliers cautions.“In this case relevant specifically to internet-minded peeps. It’s just a means to an end. You won’t become relevant and cool because you use memes, but rather because your memes are relevant and cool.”

“In this case, relevant specifically to internet-minded peeps. It’s just a means to an end. You won’t become relevant and cool because you use memes, but rather because your memes are relevant and cool.”

However, if a company’s brand ends up being “meme’ified”, it should be considered an honour that your company entered the conversation stream. 

“Ride the wave of publicity,” Cilliers suggests.

When a meme becomes a meme

How a piece of pop culture becomes a meme or at what point this happens is difficult to discern, although both Cilliers and Pullen agree that such a point exists, even if it’s very difficult to define or pinpoint. 
 
“If you look at the ‘Netflix and chill’ meme culture that has come to dominate the Internet meme for the last year, along with ‘thug life’, the meme itself has steered away from its origins, removed its duality, and now literally means ‘hook up’,” he says.

While Netflix had very little to do with the meme, it benefits from the brand exposure, but simultaneously gets unwanted exposure from people using the service for their own ends. 

Cilliers says no methodology exists when it comes to creating viral content.

“For that to happen, people need to simply share something more frequently than they forget about it. Most of pop culture doesn't reach the required threshold - for various reasons - and gets forgotten about very quickly,” he says. “For pop culture to enter the Internet hall of meme fame, it needs to be reappropriated in a very relevant, creative and funny or insightful way, at the right time, among the right niche of audience on the right platforms. Yes, there is a tipping point, but it’s a moving target.” 

Cilliers quotes author and graphic illustrator Mark Rude to illustrate his point: “Creativity is easy. Originality is difficult. Relevance is a b*tch.”

Has your business ever used memes in some form? Let us know in the comments below.