Living in the moment: Milwaukee businesses tap internet memes, pop culture in marketing
As internet memes increasingly enter the popular culture lexicon, more businesses are trying to live in the moment by incorporating popular trends into their products and marketing.
Donuts decorated to look like Tide Pods laundry detergent are available at a Wauwatosa cafe, Cranky Al’s, at 6901 W North Ave., The inspiration came from an internet meme.
Cranky Al’s co-owner Joey Carioti said he thought it would be a fun way to engage with his customers.
The meme was inspired by the Tide Pod Challenge, where people attempt to eat Tide detergent packs. The meme is an ironic twist on the challenge, allowing those who know better to turn it into a joke.
But Carioti is not the only local business owner to jump on the meme bandwagon.
Eleni Castaneda sells handmade gifts made by local artists out of her Greendale storefront, KitschēCoo, 5668 Broad St. Many of the items are inspired by internet trends.
She sells magnets and paintings depicting characters from the television shows "Bob's Burgers," "Adventure Time" and "Game of Thrones," among others, as well as magnets that depict emojis.
Castaneda also sells coffee mugs, apparel and various other items that have been decorated with popular slang or celebrity faces, including fabric pouches with characters from "Parks and Recreation" and dish towels printed with song lyrics.
She said one reason for the thematic nature of her products was personal preference.
“We sell the things we like,” Castaneda said.
Sometimes, the connection to internet culture is as subtle as a chalkboard sign outside the business. Walker's Point ice cream shop Purple Door, 205 S 2nd St., often changes its signage to display popular memes or jokes. Recently, staff played off of the trend of using the same font as the Drake album "If You're Reading This it's Too Late" to write their own message.
Another Milwaukee business living in the moment is 42 Lounge, 326 E Mason St., a bar that incorporates popular franchises such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and Marvel into its business model. Self-proclaimed geek and 42 Lounge owner Lynn Richter said her business relies on the internet.
“Internet culture has been a driving force in making geek culture more accessible,” Richter said. “And I think it helps people embrace the things that make them happy.”
Colleen Glendinning, director of public relations and social media for Watertown-based Toppers Pizza, said the pizza chain has been deploying internet-inspired merchandise such as fidget spinners, a children’s toy that developed a cult following.
She said the company tries to stay current, in part because Toppers has a lot of locations on college campuses.
Glendinning said there are trade-offs when marketing to specific demographics, however.
“You can’t be everything for everyone,” Glendinning said. “But I think it’s about knowing who you are as a brand.”
While this kind of targeted marketing is common, it’s not always effective. An online forum dedicated to meme marketing features advertisements that tried to get in on the jokes but missed the mark. The forum is called Fellow Kids, the namesake of which — go-figure — is itself a meme.
Even national brands are incorporating memes into their marketing. Tide has responded to the Tide Pod Challege with several ads urging users not to consume the detergent, one of which featured football player Rob Gronkowski.
Cuties, the clementine brand, has a Snapchat account. Reese’s Puffs cereal uses almost exclusively internet slang in its advertising on Instagram.
Glendinning said brands are simply trying to differentiate themselves from competitors.