It was a good week for the Victor Meldrews of this world. Florence’s Uffizi Gallery said a painting, a portrait of Tuscan prince Ferdinando de’ Medici painted by Anton Domenico Gabbiani in 1712, was damaged after a visitor fell backwards while attempting to “make a meme” in front of it by mimicking the prince’s pose.

Bloody millennials, eh? Cue eye-rolling meme.

That memes can be divisive misses the point. They’re not always meant for everyone. Part of the appeal is that they tap into a shared language, humour or experience. You either get it or you don’t.

Marketers have not been slow to adopt memes, though I’ve yet to see too many examples in advocacy marketing. Which is a surprise given the niche, shared language of advocates. Could a meme not quickly convey the current themes of, say, the tech industry: agility, security, scalability, for example?

To corrupt the old adage, a meme can land more effectively than 1,000 words. It can be relatable, funny and human. Which are not always qualities found in po-faced case studies. More, if done right* a meme can create its own momentum. Rather than the central marketing team creating content, advocates willingly create and share their own. Organic reach is better than paid-for.

Of course, this was advice given in the form of 250 words. You may prefer Tik Tok’s Giving Advice Meme.

*Done badly, memes can be misinterpreted and derivative. Brands can’t look like they’re trying too hard, they have to avoid copyright infringements, and they need to stand out. Plus, memes play to a short attention span. The need for fresh content is relentless.