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The Humor Dilemma: Should Your Brand Roast or Toast?

Humor is a powerful tool on social media, but brands often avoid it out of fear of backlash. However, new research from Haile College of Business professors Anh Dang and Jose Saavedra Torres shows that playful roasting, lightly making fun of another—when done right—can lead to higher engagement and positive brand sentiment compared to traditional brand praise (toasting).

But the key to success? Context and execution.

✔ Roasting works—but only when it’s framed correctly.
✔ Toasting (compliments) can feel inauthentic if not done right.
✔ “Message neutralization” is the secret ingredient that makes humor effective.

In this post, we'll share highlights of their research and provide you with actionable insights you can use in your own business.

Roasting Can Work—If You Neutralize It

The study found that roasting increases engagement and brand perception—but only when it’s neutralized with context (e.g., National Roast Day) or off-record markers like emojis or playful hashtags.

💡 Example: Wendy’s viral roasting works because audiences expect it. Without context, the same humor could feel too aggressive.

How you can apply this to your marketing:

Brand Familiarity Matters—Big Brands Can Roast, Small Brands Should Toast

The research says that the familiar and bigger brands can afford to roast because consumers trust them. For new or lesser-known brands they should focus on toasting to build goodwill first before doing more roasting.

Why? If consumers don’t recognize a brand, they don’t know if snarky humor is playful or just mean. Established brands can take more risks, while newer brands should use toasting to build credibility.
 

Toasting Works Best When It Feels Genuine

Toasting (complimenting competitors) seems like the “safer” option, but research shows forced positivity can actually reduce engagement.

We've found that spontaneous, natural compliments work best while forced positivity can feel inauthentic and disengaging.

Example: Instead of “Shoutout to our friends at [Brand X]!”, try:
“Hey [Brand X], your coffee is the only reason we survive Monday meetings!”

How to Measure Success

✅ Engagement Rates – Are people liking, commenting, sharing?
✅ Brand Mentions – Are more people talking about your brand?
✅ Sentiment Analysis – Are responses positive?

Pro Tip: Marketers can and should run A/B tests with roasting and toasting posts and then see which performs best.

Is Humor Right for Your Brand?

• 🎯 If your brand is well-known → Experiment with roasting, but always neutralize it.
• 🎯 If your brand is new → Start with toasting to build credibility.
• 🎯 If your brand is more professional → Use humor sparingly and strategically.

💡 Final Thought: The best social media brands show personality and connect with their audience authentically.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

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