Meme Marketing in Social Media

Meme marketing has become a common media practice in the advertising industry. Many companies use memes on social media to generate attention for their brands, products, and services, as well as to signal that they are part of the digital media culture. However, the use of memes carries risks. If advertisers are not familiar with the media practices of meme-making, there is a danger that they will misuse memes and be ridiculed or excluded by their target audience. Subcultures on platforms like Reddit are meticulous about protecting their media culture from outsiders. Advertisers are often suspected of exploiting memes solely for profit. How does the anti-commercial production, circulation, and reception of memes on social media relate to the visual use of memes in advertising? Kevin Pauliks addresses this question in eight media practice samples that examine the difference between meme-making and meme marketing, illustrating how memes are used in advertising through various brands such as IKEA, Gucci, Siemens, and Sixt.