Knowledge@ASB: What's Funny About That?

Cultural and gender differences affect what people find funny so staking a marketing budget on a humorous advertising campaign may carry high risks. New research shows some attempts to make ’em laugh have backfired spectacularly. But the pay-off when you hit an audience’s funny bone can be huge. In a culturally diverse nation such as Australia – and with ad campaigns being rolled out internationally – marketers face some serious considerations.