Using humor to connect with your audience and drive home your messaging is a great PR idea. We’ve previously shared how consumers are likelier to recall humorous ads and how 85% of American consumers agree that it’s time for the fun to return to brand marketing campaigns. The same tends to be true for PR content.
A well-timed joke can help give your brand a human face and send social engagement through the roof. But there are risks, too. If things go wrong, it may provoke a swift and often long-lasting wave of resentment.
In this guide, we break down the key dos and don’ts of using humor in PR campaigns. Let’s dive in!
Why Humor Can Work in PR
Your audience is already getting bombarded with messages from numerous sources, many of whom will be your direct competitors. You need to give them a reason to choose you when everyone is saying the same things.
One of the best ways to achieve this is simply by being relatable to your audience, and, as we’ve shared previously, humor is one of the top ways to be relatable.
“Humor works because it tends to soften messaging, break down resistance, and form emotional connections that make brands feel more human,” says Nicolas Breedlove, CEO at PlaygroundEquipment.com. “Think about Wendy’s iconic Twitter roasts or Old Spice’s exaggerated ad campaigns. Both used humor-driven content to build massive followings and redefine their brand voices.”
In the next section, we’ll discuss some of the dos of using humor in PR, and then we’ll talk about the don’ts. Here’s a quick hint: context matters, tone matters, and audience matters most of all.
The Dos of Using Humor in PR
Lacey Jarvis, COO at AAA State of Play, agrees that humor can work magic but adds an important caveat, saying, “While using humor, remember that PR isn’t entertainment, and certain forms of humor that might be excusable from an entertainer or in a less conventionally serious industry like fast food, may be less acceptable in more conservative industries like finance or healthcare.”
Here are a few simple rules to help you build a foolproof way to approach humor-based PR:
1. Do Know Your Audience
Echoing Jarvis’s thoughts, Peter Čuček, Owner at Tuuli, says, “Humor doesn’t come in one size that fits all. For example, content that makes Gen Z laugh might irritate Millennials and puzzle boomers, and dark humor might come off as lighthearted in tech but highly inappropriate in healthcare. The bottomline is to always tailor your humor to your audience’s age, values, cultural norms, and expectations.”
You can do this by doing some research using social listening tools, demographic data, and previous campaign results. This will allow you to create a formula for creating successful, humorous content.
As we’ve covered previously, Gen Z particularly prioritizes authentic engagement. If this is your target audience, leading with humor will typically be a safe choice. However, be careful to follow the other tips we’ll share.
2. Do Align with Your Brand Voice
Along with being tailored to your audience, your use of humor should also match your overall brand voice.
If your overall brand tone is serious, then you should use humor conservatively. But if your brand voice is quirky or whimsical, then you have more room to play with humorous content in your PR messaging.
3. Do Test Before Launch
Even the best ideas can backfire if untested. Use A/B testing to try out different humorous headlines, taglines, or visuals with small segments of your audience before going fully public with it.
Brandy Hastings, SEO Strategist at SmartSites, advises, “Because humor is so subjective, testing is essential. A/B testing allows you to experiment safely, learning what resonates before scaling. Pair that with sentiment analysis and SEO performance tools, and you’ll not only avoid missteps, but you’ll gain real data on how humor shapes perception, engagement, and discoverability.”
When you carry out A/B tests, be sure to use sentiment analysis to help you objectively assess emotional reactions to different types of content and humor. You can also use SEO platforms, such as a free rank checker, to measure how humor-driven content impacts visibility and performance.
4. Do Use Humor to Disarm Tension Strategically
Humor can be a great way to bridge gaps during crises. A clever response can turn complaints into positive brand experiences and even build loyalty.
KFC nailed this in what is now thought of as one of the prime examples of how to turn a negative PR situation into a positive one. During the UK chicken shortage, the company launched an ad with their logo scrambled to say “FCK” on an empty bucket.
But tread carefully. Humor in tense moments must be empathetic, not dismissive. We cover this in our guide to turning negative branding into positive PR.
The Don’ts of Using Humor in PR
Even a single tweet can undo years of reputation building. Here’s how to make sure you don’t blow up your own brand while trying to infuse your PR messaging with humor:
1. Don’t Be Offensive or Insensitive
This should be obvious, yet so many brands are still making inexcusable mistakes with offensive content. As a rule, avoid jokes about race, gender, tragedies, politics, or anything that could be perceived as punching down.
2. Don’t Overdo It
With humorous content, it is very easy for the core message to get pushed to the background. So you have to remember that your goal is to communicate, not entertain, and humor is simply a supporting act, not the lead. At all times, aim to connect, not just entertain.
3. Don’t Use Humor in Crisis Communications (Usually)
When something serious happens, like a data breach, safety issue, or scandal, humor is usually a bad idea. If your audience is upset, humorous content is only likely to infuriate or alienate them.
There are rare exceptions, typically for brands that are already known for their humor and only when the stakes are low. But even then, there’s very little margin for error, and humorous content would be best avoided in these situations.
In fact, if your brand is known for being humorous, taking a break from humor during a serious event may land much better.
4. Don’t Assume Humor Will Translate
Humor tends to be quite cultural. So, for global campaigns, don’t assume your humor will land the same everywhere.
Instead, work with local teams or cultural consultants to vet content. And remember: clarity beats cleverness when in doubt.
Conclusion: Laugh Smart, Not Loud
When humor works, it’s memorable and can help build brand loyalty. When it doesn’t, it may have the opposite effect.
Anna Zhang, Head of Marketing at U7BUY, says, “To use humor effectively, start with empathy. Know your audience, know your brand and know the context. Be sure to test everything, and in all cases, listen before you speak and make sure your audience is laughing with you!”
Humor can be an extremely powerful tool for your PR campaigns, but you have to make sure you approach it the right way. The tips we’ve shared we’ll help you get started on the right footing.
To learn more about modern PR, we recommend reading our guide to the evolution of public relations.
