There are losing bets, and then there are looooosing bets
Here’s a pro tip for using humor in business successfully: tragedy is never, ever, ever funny. Sounds like a simple rule, right? Well, not for the [expletives deleted] at DraftKings who thought it would be clever to offer a “Never Forget” bet on September 11. The wager offered gamblers a chance to bet on three New York teams (Yankees, Mets and Jets) all winning on 9/11. Full marks if you can guess what happened next. That’s right – social media backlash was fierce. DraftKings apologized and nixed the offer. But wanna know the worst part? All DraftKings needed to do was Google to find numerous sad examples of brands that fell in this hole in the past. Remember the Walmart that built the Twin Towers out of Coke boxes? How bout the mattress store that…well…you have to see it to believe it. Smdh
Death is easy. Comedy is hard. (Actually, it’s not that hard.)
Because we work in PR, we love us some acronyms. KPIs? Yes, please. AVE? Mm hm. UVP? Bring it! So, we were psyched to read a new one in Forbes recently. If you can ignore Forbes’ annoying pop-ups, check out Adrian Dearnell vibing on SOCO. We have to admit we’ve been so distracted binging “The Bear” that we somehow missed that SOCO is single overriding communications objective. Natch, that’s what you want to get across to your audience in any presentation. And what’s one of the best ways to get your audience to LOL with your SOCO? That’s correct: Inject some humor. But do it right! Adrian has some killer tips for how to rise to the top without going over the top.
Entrepreneurs, we get you
As peeps who work at a place that was once a tiny startup and a gleam in our founder’s eye, we can totally relate to entrepreneurs everywhere. You know who you are, you kings and queens, chasing your business dream. That’s why Heidi Mitchell at the WSJ is living rent free in our heads today with her latest article on using humor in the startup world. Heidi cites new research out of Texas Christian University showing that startups that use humor can help their employees be more chill and ultimately boost the bottom line. So, if you’re a true ‘trep’ take it to heart. The next time your team drops the ball (and it will happen), try sharing a funny story about a time when you swung and missed. Guaranteed it will relieve the tension and keep your people smiling.
Photo courtesy of FX.
