The Art Of Unhinged Marketing

As a marketer, I absolutely love when brands become unhinged, it honestly makes me love marketing all over again, but… does it really work though and what is unhinged marketing?

Below are examples of what being ‘unhinged’ is.

What is unhinged marketing?

If you ever see a brand post about something so funny or out of pocket and you thought how is this even allowed? That is unhinged marketing.

Unhinged marketing is all about breaking away from cliche and normal marketing strategies and embracing humour, sarcasm, and even downright absurdity.

It's about grabbing attention by being unexpected and sometimes out of pocket.

Hilarious way to collect emails! ( DBRAND )

Where did this ‘unhinged’ marketing trend come from?

From my research, Wendy’s was one of the first to show a bit of unhinged. Wendy’s went viral on Twitter by being sassy in 2017/18 and honestly to me set the best marketing trend that will be around for the next upcoming decades.

I mean, most of Wendy’s post that has over 100k likes ( which is amazing .. to have 100k people interact with your tweet is next level engagement) has been all unhinged and funny tweets.

But honestly, brands are supposed to have personalities. That’s what attracts people, no one really wants to follow a brand that is plain old biscuit. It’s boring, and it’s harder to attract audiences that are younger.

Now the biggest question.

Why does it work so well?

I’m sure most people are tired seeing the same marketing strategic and tactics over and over again, but this applies to marketing and even business.

To stand out in the sea of sameness you have to be different.

Builds Human Connections

Traditional advertising and marketing can feel a bit… stiff and impersonal. Being authentic, mirroring how real people talk and interact through a brand creates a human connection and of course, deep down we need that human connection.

It Cuts Through All The BS

Unhinged marketing is like that weird wacky uncle at a family party, sure he might be a bit embarrassing but at least it’s memorable. Unhinged marketing throws a curveball and unexpectantly grabs your attention with really unexpected humour.

Effectiveness Metrics: Beyond Viral Engagement

Sure, the metrics might be off the charts with likes, shares, and comments signaling content virality and you get a good laugh from viewers, but do these actually translate to paying customers?

High engagement doesn't always mean improved sales, increased customer loyalty, or enhanced brand equity. You may have more brand awareness and if your business is trying to do that, this will be great but it’s also a risk. Do you want your business being associate with funny content when you guys are actually trying to sell products to make money?

It's crucial for businesses to link social media buzz to real business outcomes. A robust framework should be in place to measure how social interactions contribute to tangible goals. Metrics like conversion rates, click-through rates, and ROI paint a more accurate picture of a campaign’s effectiveness. Consider this: a campaign goes viral but doesn’t boost sales or lead conversion—can we still call it a success?

Most of these high-engagement posts cater to Gen Z and younger millennials, who often interact more for entertainment than purchase intent. If a post generates massive engagement but fails to drive sufficient revenue to justify the effort, one must question its value. After all, if your marketing doesn't clearly communicate what your business is about, you might end up famous but not prosperous. Is this what your business wants?

In Conclusion

Unhinged marketing can be a powerful tool when used appropriately of course.

It can help brands stand out by breaking the mold, creating memorable interactions, and fostering genuine human connections ( I mean you rather the audience like you than hate you right?)

However, it's crucial to balance this approach with strategic planning and robust metrics to ensure that the engagement translates into real business outcomes and that’s the hard part.

While going viral is exciting and can significantly boost brand awareness, the ultimate goal should always be to drive meaningful conversions and build lasting customer relationships ( depending on your business goals).

So, while being unhinged can be a great way to capture attention, make sure it aligns with your overall business objectives and brand identity!