By Hannah Robbins
Let’s be honest, most brands say they want to sound human, but very few actually do. We still see plenty of buzzwords, jargon, polished purpose statements and messages that sound like they were written by a committee (or maybe AI) instead of a person. Meanwhile, the brands people actually like – the ones we talk about, root for, and forgive – tend to have something in common: they act like humans. And sometimes, that means they’re willing to laugh.
When a brand uses humor well, it’s really saying, “we get you.” That’s a powerful message in any context, but especially when the stakes are high. Even in media interviews, the leaders who can show genuine warmth or self-awareness typically earn better headlines than those who stick to talking points with no personalization.
The same rule applies to brand storytelling. Humor is one of the purest ways to show humanity – it can make a complex idea feel accessible or a tense moment feel lighter. For example, Dollar Shave Club’s launch video featuring its CEO doing his best not to crack a smile, or the rare moment when an organization strikes the exact right tone after a public misstep. Those moments tend to work because they sound like a person talking, not a brand performing. And that’s the difference between communication that connects and communication that exists.
At Peppercomm, we’ve spent years studying humor – not just as a creative tactic, but as a leadership skill. Our founder Steve Cody literally wrote a book, The ROI of LOL, on it. We constantly find ourselves driving home the point that humor is not about telling jokes – it’s actually about understanding people. It builds trust because it’s deeply intertwined with empathy.
And humor is contagious! When leaders use humor authentically, employees feel permission to show up as themselves. That energy – human, warm, and slightly imperfect – becomes the brand’s tone, too. It’s the same reason we like to root for the underdogs. We see ourselves in the imperfections and resilience of our favorite troubled sports franchise, or the Dancing With the Stars contestant who can’t quite seem to find the beat. It’s okay for brands not to be perfect.
With that said, forced humor or humor that excludes people is an easy way to lose credibility. As mentioned earlier, the goal isn’t to be funny; it’s to be human first. The brands that pull this off typically start internally, creating cultures where people feel seen and supported. Because if your own employees don’t feel comfortable being human, your audience will definitely notice. We’ve all seen the LinkedIn wave – five people, same company, same “I’m so excited” caption. It’s what happens when being human is turned into a template.
The takeaway is simple: humor and humanity aren’t soft skills – they’re business strategies. They build loyalty in a world where we all have skepticism as our default setting. And in a time when brands are fighting to be heard, trying to be the loudest isn’t the most effective strategy. Start by making your audience smile and remind them there are real people behind the brand.
