Being Witty can make you more memorable, but what exactly is Witty and what are some examples?
“Witty” is the “W” in the “WISER” methodology outlined in my new book, The Experience Maker: How To Create Remarkable Experiences That Your Customers Can’t Wait To Share (with an incredible Foreword by Ann Handley!). WISER stands for Witty, Immersive, Shareable, Extraordinary, and Responsive, and it represents the core components of experiences that customers want to talk about.
Witty is not about being funny. Humor can be dangerous since it is received differently by different people. What one person finds funny, another person might find offensive, or vice versa. So it’s not about being a standup comedian with your brand. A very small number of brands—Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Old Spice, and Charmin come to mind—can get away with humor as a defining aspect of their image. More than likely, though, you don’t work for a brand like that.
Being Witty is a little bit different; it’s about being clever, using language to your advantage, and refusing to be boring.
Every time we communicate with customers, it’s an opportunity to create an experience, even if it’s just to put a smile on someone’s face. So much of corporate communication, whether it’s marketing, legal, digital, or something else, is bor-ing. It doesn’t have to be, though. It’s OK to have some fun with your customers and show some brand personality at the same time.
Related: What Makes An “Amazing” Customer Experience?
Some companies have started being Witty within their product offerings.
Being Witty in B2C: bubly™ Sparkling Water
For example, bubly™ Sparkling Water, a product of PepsiCo, added fun messages to its cans—a different one for each flavor. According to the press release at the product launch in 2018:
Each bubly flavor features bright, bold packaging, unique smiles for every flavor, and comes with its own Witty greeting on the tab (like “Hey u,” “hiii,” and “yo”) and personal messages on the can (such as “I feel like I can be open around u,” “hold cans with me,” and “love at first phssst”), for maximum enjoyment and smiles.
Consumers first notice the greeting on the tab, placed where their finger naturally goes to open the can. The fact that each flavor has a different message definitely elicits a smile. The beauty of the campaign? It succeeds in establishing a humanlike relationship between the consumer and . . . a can of sparkling water.
It’s also brilliant in its simplicity. After all, it’s just a few words atop or on the side of a can that already had other printing on it. It’s clever, memorable, and shows off the brand’s personality. A friend pointed out that the tab messages replaced the standard hole that apparently—though I had never heard of this—was meant for a straw. So that must have required a minor production change, but it was well worth the investment. In fact, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta told analysts in July 2019 that bubly “is going to be one of our next billion-dollar brands.”
Manwich® Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce
The back of Conagra’s Manwich® Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce cans include four simple instructions for preparation that are also Witty:
- Cook 1 lb. of meat (thoroughly)
- Add Manwich sauce!!!!
- Ask to be called Chef to anyone who addresses you
- Serve, dig in, & leave hunger behind
I laughed out loud when asked to be called ‘Chef’ and had my kids use it for the evening. The fun instructions made a huge difference compared to a typical recipe, with minimal cost or effort. You want to strive for these kind of experience changes in your business.
One last food example in case you are still hungry: My good friend Heath Schecter, who actually is a chef (and author of i’m a chef & my kids want buttered noodles: a collection of recipes), likes to play around with unexpected food pairings that show off his sense of humor. Coming from a Jewish background, he has a particular affinity for mixing typical Jewish food with atypical nonkosher ingredients. One favorite? Bacon-wrapped matzo balls. You can bet they always get a laugh from both the Jewish and non-Jewish crowds, and in case you are wondering, they are incredible.
Being Witty in B2B: Slack
Slack users see a Witty welcome message: ‘Please enjoy Slack responsibly,’ a clever nod to the ‘enjoy responsibly’ disclaimer in alcohol ads.
If it gets people to start their day with a smile, it’s a win for the product.
It also conveys that the Slack brand has a personality. It’s a fun company, one with which it is enjoyable to do business. Slack lets administrators add and rotate personalized welcome messages daily to inspire or inform employees.
None of these Witty examples is complicated or expensive. Being friendlier and quirkier than expected creates a truly remarkable customer experience.
Exclusive excerpt from Becoming The Experience Maker (2nd Edition): Turn Everyday Interactions into Remarkable Customer Experiences. The book is available on Amazon and at other fine retailers. BUBLY, the Bubly Designs and the Bubly Marks are trademarks. Used with permission in the book. Main image by Omar Medina Films from Pixabay. Links to books are affiliate links that generate a (very) small commission to this website but which do not affect your cost.
