The effect of digital humor on consumers: The relationship between meme marketing, consumer engagement, and purchase intention

With the widespread use of digital platforms, the nature of communication between brands and consumers has undergone a significant transformation. One of the most prominent aspects of this transformation is the increasing use of humorous "meme" content as a marketing tool, which attracts considerable attention from social media users. These visually and textually layered digital expressions are not only used for entertainment purposes but also for enhancing consumer interaction, building emotional bonds with brands, and influencing purchase behavior. The primary aim of this study is to examine the impact of meme content on consumer engagement and purchase intention, as well as to explore whether these effects differ across generations. The research was conducted using a quantitative method and data were collected from 402 participants. Analyses included construct validity, reliability testing, regression, correlation, and ANOVA. Findings indicate that meme content has a significant and positive effect on both consumer engagement and purchase intention. Moreover, consumer engagement was found to play a partial mediating role in this relationship. While generational differences in the perception and engagement levels with memes were observed, these differences were limited. The study provides theoretical contributions to the digital marketing literature and offers practical insights for brands aiming to implement humor-based content strategies.