To Meme or Not to Meme? Examining Patterns and Effects of Memes Marketing among Gen Z in Malaysia

Ng, See Pei (2023) To Meme or Not to Meme? Examining Patterns and Effects of Memes Marketing among Gen Z in Malaysia. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

A catalyst for the adaptation of businesses to digital marketing which boosts the needs of digital marketing strategies is the COVID-19 pandemic. There are brands and companies in Malaysia that notice the benefits of internet memes and therefore implement meme marketing into their marketing strategy. The goal of this dissertation is to determine whether the use of internet memes by Malaysian brands leads to positive brand perception and affects purchase decisions among Generation Z. This study also identifies the patterns of internet memes that increase social media engagement. Responses were collected from respondents who watched memes on online platforms. According to the findings, the majority of respondents agreed that meme marketing resulted in positive perception change while consistency of implementation resulted in better performances. Meme marketing is more suitable for brands that seek to build connections with their customers as it effectively enhances interactions on social media. The survey also revealed that the majority prefers relatable and simple memes. For an in-depth understanding, respondents were selected for personal interviews. The interview respondents further reinforced the results gained from the survey and agreed that meme marketing helps in building strong relationships with them that subtly drive the brand to become their preference. The use of meme marketing creates positive perceptions toward brands when their memes are content-driven, relatable, and simple. Overall, brands could make use of meme marketing as part of their content marketing when they are aiming to build relationships with customers.