Snarky Public Relations

Be funny. But not snarky. But maybe a little snarky. But not too funny.
Yesterday, I came across an online article, #SquadGoals: Brand snark and slang on social media doesn’t work by Tanya Dua at Digiday. The article stated that “A recent report by Sprout Social found that while more than 75 percent of consumers surveyed believe there’s value in brands exhibiting humor, only one-third of them appreciate the snark and sass in full.”
In addition, “It probably makes sense if you’re a Wendy’s or a Merriam-Webster. These brands have developed strong online personalities, and people know their voices and what they stand for.”
I recently wrote a blog post, Public Relations for Wendy’s Social Media Team, about Wendy’s empowering its social media team and the challenges that came with that. I do believe that Wendy’s social media team uses snark and humor, and not always in a good way, so I found it interesting that Dua called out Wendy’s specifically in her article.
However, I do agree with Dua that not every brand should try and be funny and snarky on social media. Just like the blog post I wrote last year, The Bandwagon PR of Pokémon Go, it is not always appropriate for brands to jump on a bandwagon. When it is appropriate for a brand and it fits with the overall marketing and digital communications strategy it can work. If it doesn’t fit into your organization’s overall strategy or brand identity, then being funny or snarky shouldn’t either.
What do you think about brands using snark and humor in social media?