Using memes to communicate the story in the data

Ray Poynter, 15 March 2024

Meme’s are a powerful medium of communication, the pass from person to person because they catch the attention, are memorable, and are easy to share. Since 2015 this Sean Bean meme has been converted into thousands of new memes.

Sean Bean

When you are communicating the story in the data, see if you can create or borrow a meme that conveys the essence of your message. The first benefit of doing this is that it forces you to strip away the excess words and charts and think about the core of what you want to say. The second benefit is that it is likely that your core message will travel further in the organization, be more clearly understood, and be remembered longer.

Using AI to help
One way to create memes that target your message is to ask AI to create them. In the example below, I asked ChatGPT to design a meme based on the famous ‘distracted boyfriend’ meme to highlight a shift of focus from humans to AI.

Distracted by AI

Want to know more about communicating the message in the data?
I regularly run courses on this topic and the next one is on Wednesday 20 May. Check it our by clicking here.

Ps, HT to Tom De Ruyck, Tom has been promoting this idea about memes for many years and I am happy to give him a shout out