Simon Erskine Locke, Founder & CEO of CommunicationsMatchTM

OK. You need to be of a certain generation to connect the communications and musical dots. If you are struggling, read on and I’ll connect them for you at the end.

There are two Mirriam-Webster definitions for memes:

1. an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another in a culture 

2. an amusing or interesting picture, video, etc., that is spread widely through the Internet

While they may seem like harmless fun, I want to be clear from the start… we are in a meme world and it’s not a good place to be. 

Viral videos are just one expression of fundamental changes we are seeing across culture, technology, markets, and politics, driven by social media.  

I’m not going to tilt at windmills here. Like King Canute I have no control over the tide coming in. But I do believe that it is important for us as communicators to have a healthy perspective on meme-driven behavior and its potential consequences.  

Some of these are obvious. For example, meme investing has become a thing, with trading in GameStop shares the exemplar. But like pyramid and “pump and dump” penny stock trading schemes, there are winners who ride the wave on the way up and losers when it crashes. There was an excellent WSJ story on this. Meme currencies are another example. Paul Krugman’s recent comparison of Bitcoin to subprime mortgages in the New York Times highlights what’s at stake.           

More than a few will, potentially, see communicators’ role as creating and driving memes for clients. But as many have learned the hard way, you don’t control a meme narrative. As a former boss of mine always used to say – if you bring a tiger into your house, you should not be surprised if it eats you. 

The advice to clients may well be to find ways to capture the zeitgeist of the moment by tapping into cultural themes, but to always have a long-term sustainable plan. No company should bet the ranch on the fickleness of memes. Building a resilient reputation requires a firm foundation. 

This provides a valuable segue into another aspect of a meme-driven world – the powerful urge to move with the wind of social sentiment. As communicators, and the CEOs they work with, are increasingly aware: After the rush to follow the crowd, the chill wind of accountability follows. Make a stand. But make sure you have something to stand on.              

As communicators, we do not have to blindly resist getting caught up in memes, but to be mindful and aware of the forces that are at work, so we can help clients navigate a long-term course, both internally and externally, rather than being whipsawed into action we may regret. 

In many respects the meme world we are living in is more explicit than ever. Meme investing, meme currencies, cancel culture, political reactivism, and the media’s focus on memes, reflect a focus not on substance, but sentiment. But that does not make the consequences any less real – ask Peloton.  

A meme world is a mad world. There will be more tears, if we do not have fears about where we are heading. 

“Mad World” by Tears for Fears was the third single from their album The Hurting.   

About the Author:

Simon Erskine Locke is founder & CEO of communications agency and professional search and services platform,

CommunicationsMatch

™, which powers PRSA’s Find a Firm agency search tools. CommunicationsMatch developed Agency Select™, the industry’s first integrated agency search and RFP tools, in partnership with 

RFP Associates

.

 CommunicationsMatch is also a partner of communications research firm 

Researchscape

.