Want to Go Viral? Cats Might Be Your Answer

More often than not we come across a video or a gif of a cat caught in the act, or being cute, or just acting plain silly. We can’t seem to formulate into words as to why we love these videos or gifs so much. What is it about these felines, really?

Cats are an emotion.

And their ability to evoke emotion is precisely why they’re such a favoured tool for marketers. Cats have both a functional and emotional association to them that brands can effectively harness to get their customers to feel things, share their content, and buy. Be it culturally, historically, or socially, there are certain powerful symbols attached to cats that can be drawn upon to create catchy campaigns.

Cats: A Brief History

If we look back at the previous century, we already see cats dominating proceedings. Cats have had significant contributions across cultures, societies and cities. The concept of using cats as household pest control has had much relevance during the 30s. In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped and considered sacred primarily due to its role in keeping pharaohs safe from venomous snakes and rats. The ordinary, household cat was seen by Egyptian locals to be the living incarnation of Bastet, a legendary cat that protects homes.

Today, cats are our first line of defence against household lizards, rats and even cockroaches. However, there’s more to our furry feline friends than just being a four legged pest control specialist; cats have historically been used for economic and social purposes, often at specific roles, such as helping to grow crops and protect valuable items in the house.

So how did these cats move from household aids to prized marketing tools?

Precisely due to the many uses of cats - yes, cuddling included - humans have embarked on the journey of taking the use of cats to one level higher. Cats have been used as a marketing tool; companies have sought to tap into the values that are culturally associated with cats as well as their innate charisma to serve their brand.

You’ve seen multiple versions of that cat with its paw up, with a charm that seems to call us towards it. Called the Maneki-neko, it is a powerful example that shows the power of a cat cutting through cultures. When translated, Maneki-Neko literally means ‘beckoning cat’, believed across Southeast and East Asia to bring prosperity and good luck to the owner.

The ancient fable of Maneki-Neko outlines the story of a farmer who caught sight of a cat beckoning him from afar. Curiosity aroused, the farmer moved towards the cat. As soon as he moved closer to the cat, a bolt of lightning struck the ground where the farmer was previously standing. Since then, the Maneki-Neko has been considered symbolic of auspiciousness and good luck. These are values that brands can tap into and use for marketing campaigns.

Manekineko, on the other hand, is a popular karaoke brand, with 9 outlets alone in Singapore, and over 500 outlets in Japan. The prevalence of the Maneki-Neko cat proved to be crucial to the rise in business of the Manekineko brand in the region. From the use of brand values to cultural symbols, Manekineko successfully leveraged the power of the beckoning cat to expand its reach in Asia. Today, this karaoke brand has outlets in Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, and is constantly looking to expand its business in the region.

Cats can also be a valuable tool in brand positioning. In the case of Godaddy, an American based brand that does web hosting for small companies and start-ups, cats provided the essential brand repositioning opportunity the company direly needed. The initial ad by Godaddy played to the company’s name, and featured content that was peppered with innuendo that was in bad taste. The campaign went viral for all the wrong reasons; it spurred controversy and sparked debate about the credibility and intent of Godaddy.

In a bid to rescue their business from negative publicity, Godaddy scrambled to create another ad. This time, they chose to depict a scene of a woman selling hats for cats, using Godaddy as her choice of e-commerce platform.

Game, set, and match.

Godaddy rescued its brand, and the shrewd use of cats in the ad proved to be a masterstroke. Godaddy went public and increased their total valuation to $4.5 billion. This led to more than $1 billion in full year revenue. The ad by Godaddy became a hallmark for many more cat ads to come, and for good reason too.

While cats make for great viral content, can they actually impact a business’s bottom line? The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is an excellent case study of using cats intelligently in an advertising campaign. The STB wanted to highlight Singapore’s unique draws and sights beyond the typical tourist destinations – Marina Bay Sands, Chinatown, for example – that many visitors were fatigued by. People needed to know that there was a lot more to Singapore than just these destinations.

To raise awareness, the STB created a video to showcase the more obscure areas of Singapore, with close to a dozen cats as the stars of the cast. Those cats roamed the streets of lesser known spots in Singapore such as Tiong Bahru, Toa Payoh and Bras Basah, drawing attention to the unique heritage architecture and parks in these areas. The ad really tapped into feelings of nostalgia of growing up around lazy cats in our neighbourhoods.

This ad instantly went viral. People found it relevant, and a refreshing take on Singapore’s neighbourhoods. As a result, the STB saw more tourists recognising and visiting these lesser-known parts of Singapore. Job done.

Cats in Social Media

The draw of the cat as a symbol is two-fold: on the one hand, cats represent simplicity, but on the other hand, they represent irreverence and rebellion. As human beings, we want to break the rules sometimes and express ourselves freely, yet we find ourselves constrained by the circumstances we’re in. With the emergence of social media and viral content, memes are an easy way to communicate, express, and empathise with one another. As we’re able to connect with cats subconsciously, cat memes allow us to project our own feelings onto those of cats.

Think about Cheezeburger.com (a company that has recently raised capital), that exclusively publishes cat memes. We’ve all – some of us, covertly – shared a meme of a lazy cat that reads “death by meeting” at some point. Think about Friskies – a cat food brand – collaborating with the infamous Grumpy Cat for their ads. These are all ways that brands and companies are using cats to actually drive their bottom line.

When you mash cats and social media together, it’s a goldmine for content creators. With the right expression and a few words, you have the raw materials to evoke a range of emotions in people. When people feel things, they are prompted to share. Hence, viral content.

With all the hype surrounding cats, memes, viral videos, it is just sensible for one to wonder if the cat phenomenon will die out, just like any other short burst startup. Surely this is a fad that will end and the cat will be replaced by another animal?

There are other animals that are also cute, cool, or angry. The difference between other animals and cats is that while it is natural for other animals to earn your attention, love and affection, cats make you work for their attention. Cats have an arrogance. These are quite complex emotions, hence proving the point that cats can portray a wider range of human emotions and connect with us at an unprecedented level.

They are part of the culture - deeply entrenched in people’s experiences and beliefs. Of course, these beliefs change with the Zeitgeist of the time; every generation has its own expression of these beliefs. But there’s a certain universality to cats: be it superstitious, cool, or cute, the image of the cat has and will continue to stand the test of time. As a marketer, all you have to do is understand what emotions people are associating with cats. Once you have that, you can use cats to evoke that emotion with relation to your brand in a meaningful and fun way.

1. Do Your Research

Find out the cultural and historical significance of cats in your target audience. What are some of the values, emotions, and stories associated with cats that people resonate with? Write these down.

2. Find Overlaps

Now, write down a list of values or emotions your brand or marketing campaign is hoping to highlight. Compare this list with the previous list. Are there any points of intersection?

3. Make the Connection

Once you’ve found the link, put your brand’s unique flavour to a cat. Find a unique story or angle you want to pursue, that will connect your audience to the cat in your ad, and by association, to your brand.