Sour Patch Kids, Crocs and Nutter Butter all tap into the meme-driven humor that the cohort loves, according to Movers+Shakers' Evan Horowitz.
The following is a guest piece written by Evan Horowitz, co-founder and CEO at Movers+Shakers. Opinion's are the author's own.
As Gen Alpha develops a stronger consumer presence online, their unique -- and frankly bizarre -- style of humor is emerging as an effective way to engage with them. Born into a digital world, this generation is drawn to absurd and often unpredictable content, making them a fascinating yet challenging audience for marketers.
Some companies are nailing this by tapping into the chaotic, meme-driven humor that Gen Alpha loves. Let's take a look at three brands that get it right -- Sour Patch Kids, Nutter Butter, and Crocs -- and what your brand can learn from their success.
Sour Patch Kids has always had mischievous and playful marketing, but the brand has now translated its rebellious humor into socially-native content. Its TikTok presence leans into Gen Alpha's humor with content that purposefully makes no sense, like "sourp" and chaotic slideshows of memes.
Nutter Butter has made waves on social media with its inexplicably bizarre content, leaning heavily into absurdist humor that keeps Gen Alpha laughing.
Whether it's showing a Nutter Butter cookie on fire at a playground or horror-fueled visuals that look like a crime scene, Nutter Butter embraces the nonsensical in a way that speaks directly to Gen Alpha's unhinged humor (and maybe even scares other generations).
Crocs is a brand that has fully embraced its "weird" reputation over the years and turned it into a badge of honor. On social media, Crocs has managed to stay top-of-mind by leaning into trends and memes that are popular with Gen Zalpha, a hybrid of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and recently even tagged Nutter Butter in a video inspired by their style of content.
The success of Sour Patch Kids, Nutter Butter and Crocs reveals a few key lessons that any brand can adopt when trying to connect with Gen Alpha through humor:
As Gen Alpha continues to grow, brands that embrace their unique sense of humor -- filled with absurdity and authenticity -- will be the ones to win their loyalty. By taking a cue from these standout examples, brands have the opportunity to entertain and engage with the next big consumer generation in fresh and exciting ways.