RT Posts entry on 04.24.09
“What we really need is a textual meme.”
Crystal Merritt, Account Planning Director
I was in a meeting recently, sipping on a latte, doodling and working on a haiku inspired by the discussion when one of my favorite clients said: “What we really need is a textual meme.”
That kind of talk wakes strategists up. I put down my pen and stopped counting the syllables in my haiku. “Did you just say meme?” We shared a knowing look of geeky understanding. He was serious about wanting a meme and I think every client should be challenging us for memes.
So what the hell’s a meme?
The word meme (rhymes with theme) originated with Richard Dawkins’ 1976 book "The Selfish Gene" in which he argued that evolution depends only on the existence of a self-replicating unit of transmission. A gene is to biological evolution what a meme is to cultural evolution.
A meme is a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation – an idea, symbol, practice, etc. – transmitted from one mind to another through speech, gestures, rituals, etc. Examples include melodies, catch-phrases, beliefs and fashion.
Memes spread by the behaviors that they inspire. If you recently said or sang “Gimme back that fillet-o-fish. Give me that fish,” then you transmitted a meme. And isn’t McDonald’s happy about that? If you joined Facebook and filled out the “25 Things About You” quiz and sent it on to friends you transmitted a meme. If you’ve ever made or forwarded a LOL cat poster, you are a meme transmitter of the first order. If you are thinking about preppy clothes, you might have encountered a meme. If you make sweet potato pie from memory the same way your mother did except you use Horizon organic butter, then the recipe is an evolved meme ready for transmission.
OK. So what?
A brand is an idea in a consumer’s mind, shaped by experience, information, imagery and cultural context. Brands need elements that are successful memes in order to proliferate. Strong brands have lots of memes even if they don’t know what a meme is. These elements are infectious, contagious, sharable and evolving. And they are reinforced by symbols, beliefs, rituals and language. Brands face a strong evolutionary force with the sharing culture of the Internet; a strong meme can be a game changer as we seek to influence socially connected swarms of consumers.
The client who requested a textual meme wasn’t just being geeky or trendy. He wanted a textual meme because he was trying to increase natural search on Google. But it seems to me that you can influence all kinds of behavior with a meme or meme-inspired thinking. So, yes, what we really need is a meme.
Crystal has been uncovering brand opportunities and nurturing advertising ideas for 15 years. She’s worked on The Hartford, AT&T, Dr Pepper, Maritz, and Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Guiding principle: “An insight requires a creative leap. Without creativity, it’s just a fact.” Her Twitter handle is @CrystalMerritt.
