How can we learn from comedy and humour and apply those lessons and insights to our content strategy? Is it possible for even the most serious of organisations to adopt comedy and humour as an engagement tool? In this deck, originally designed as a workshop for Confab Intensive, Tracy shares advice, guidance and framework for using comedy in our content strategy.

1. Are you having a laugh?
Tracy Playle, CEO & CCS
Pickle Jar Communications Ltd
@tracyplayle
#ConfabInt
The serious business of comedy in content strategy

2. bit.ly/confabhaha17

3. Who are you?
Why are you here?
Your favourite comedian, and why?

4. Why
Comedy
& Humor?

5. Why do we laugh?
How does comedy work?
How can we plan comedic content?
How can we make it happen?

6. Language of
Comedy
in Content
Strategy

7. Vocabulary of Humor
Comic Comedic Funny
Image used under CC license, courtesy of Matteo Staltari: https://www.flickr.com/photos/matteostaltari/
Is perceived
to be
funny
Has the
intent of
being funny or
amusing
Potential
reaction to
comedic
content

8. Shifting Your Language
“We need to create funny content”
“Let’s work on creating comedic content”
Signals outcome, not intent
Unachievable (“funny” is too subjective)
Signals intent, not outcome
Achievable (accepts that “funny” is subjective)

9. Is it all about laughter?
Grr Meh Hmm Heh Ha Haha ROFL CAN.
NOT.
BREATHE.

10. Theories of
Humor

11. What causes us to laugh?
What does humor do?
Construction
Purpose or Impact

12. Theories
Construction

13. Inelasticity
Image used under CC license, courtesy of SocialIsBetter https://www.flickr.com/photos/27620885@N02/

14. Surprise
Image used under CC license, courtesy of David DeHetre https://www.flickr.com/photos/davedehetre/

15. Incongruity

16. Truth

18. “Humor is tragedy plus time.”
Mark Twain

22. Humor is a lens through
which we can reflect and
comment on the
ridiculousness of
humanity

23. The Comic Equation
“Comedy is about an ordinary guy or gal
struggling against insurmountable odds
without many of the required skills and tools
with which to win yet never giving up hope.”
Steve Kaplan, The Hidden Tools of Comedy (2013)

24. Benign-Violation Theory
The Humor Code. Peter McGraw and Joel Warner. 2011
Benign ViolationLOLZ

27. Theories
Impact

28. Image used under CC license, courtesy of Future Street https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurestreet/
“Ensoulment” - Aristotle

29. Superiority Theory
Image used under CC license, courtesy of Michael https://www.flickr.com/photos/helloturkeytoe/
Peasants

32. Image used under CC license, courtesy of Damian Gadal https://www.flickr.com/photos/23024164@N06/
Release

33. Image used under CC license, courtesy of Damian Gadal https://www.flickr.com/photos/23024164@N06/
Release
It’s okay. I’m
cool with this.

34. Social
Image used under CC license, courtesy of The US Army https://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/

35. The Hurley Model
Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind. Matthew M. Hurley, Daniel C. Dennett, and Reginald B. Adams Jr. 2011
Evolutionary role of laughter - intellectual development

36. Laughter
is an intellectual
orgasm

38. “One of the voguish terms, which is so
repellant to me, “thinking outside the box.” To
settle for that kind of language is embarrassing.
But that’s a very useful picture. I try to come in
through the side door, the side window, to
come in from a direction they’re not expecting,
to see something in a different way.”
George Carlin

39. “To me, the comic is the guy who says
‘wait a minute’ as the consensus forms.
He’s the antithesis of mob mentality.”
Bill Hicks

40. Planning your
Approach

41. Planning Components
© Tracy Playle 2016
Brand
Perception
Audience
Tolerance+
Comedic Strategy
(aligned to content strategy)

42. Alignment with Perception of You
© Tracy Playle 2016
How “serious” do they
see you as being?
Super
Serious
Freakin’
Hilarious
How far can
you go with
your comedic
approach?
“Meh”
PMSL

43. Planning your
Research

44. Approaches to
Humor

45. Establish
Reinforce
Surprise
Oliver Double. Getting the Joke (2005)

46. Set-up
Anticipation
Punchline
Mark Shatz with Mel Helitzer. Comedy Writing Secrets (2016)

47. My dog used to chase
people on a bike a lot. It
got so bad, finally I had to
take his bike away.

48. My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot.
It got so bad,
finally I had to take his bike away.
Establish
Reinforce
Surprise

49. © Tracy Playle 2016
Type Tactic Medium
Brand
Perception
Audience
Tolerance+
Comedic Strategy
(aligned to content strategy)
++

50. Type
Parody
Wit
Sarcasm
Exaggeration
Truth
Gallows
Toilet
Deadpan
Self-deprecating
Ridicule
Farce
Offbeat
Surreal
Irony

51. Anecdote
Situational
Character
Caricature
Pun
Word play
Surprise
Interruption
Topical
In-joke
Wisecrack
Commentary
Tactic

52. Infographics
Moving image
Still image
Sound
Written word
Comic strip
Performance
Conversation
Physical
Medium

53. Take a
Break

54. Image used under CC license, courtesy of Marcela McGreal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcelamcgreal/
Word Play
+
Wit
+
Written Word

56. Parody
+
Topical
+
Moving Image

57. Offbeat
+
Interruption
+
Still Image

60. Surreal
+
Situational/
Character
+
Moving Image/
Physical

62. Truth
+
Surprise
+
Infographic

63. Self-deprecating
+
In-Joke
+
Still Image

64. Where might we use humor?

65. Where might we use humor?

66. Where might we use humor?

68. Over to you… list
touchpoints where
humor could work
Where might we use humor?
When would it
be totally
inappropriate?

69. Developing your
Ideas

71. Q. How do you
know the gender
of a chromosome?
A. You pull down
its genes.

72. Task 1:
Pick a well-known
phrase or cliché.
Adapt or add to it
to create a comedic
statement for your
scenario

73. Keep your eye on the ball
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Without a care in the world
All is fair in love and war
Every cloud has a silver lining
What goes around comes around
Laughter is the best medicine
All for one, and one for all
In experience comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes experience
At the end of the day
Elephant in the room
Only time will tell
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Happily ever after

74. Task 2:
Use the cards on
your table to sort
through and work
out a type, tactic
and medium for
your scenario.
Develop that idea.

75. Overcoming
Barriers

76. But what if it doesn’t work?
“I’ll have an idea in my head, and think
‘well, that might be a funny punchline,’
and I’ll just try it out. And if it works sort
of 50 per cent, then I’ll just keep trying it
and refining it until it does, really.”
Jo Brand

77. But what if it doesn’t work?
• Note books with ideas (lots of them!)
• Filter those ideas and develop some further
• Trial and test with a small sample
• Refine, test some more
• Accept that everyone’s view of “funny” is different
• “Roll-over” technique - old material re-used (curate too)
• Do more of what does work

78. Over to you … other barriers?

79. @tracyplayle
tracy@picklejarcommunications.com
Thank You