Playing Nice While Making Fun: How Teasing Builds Brand Connection
When Wendy’s invited its social media followers to “get roasted” on #NationalRoastDay, the internet erupted with enthusiasm. Customers lined up to be playfully insulted by the brand, laughing along as the fast-food chain poked fun at them. At first glance, this kind of interaction seems risky—after all, teasing customers could easily be interpreted as rude or alienating. However, our research demonstrates that when done with warmth and humor, teasing can strengthen relationships between consumers and brands.
In our paper, we define teasing as jokes made at someone’s expense. We conducted a series of eleven studies to explore how brands teasing their consumers impacts the way these consumers perceive and connect with the brand. Our findings show that teasing can be broken down into two types: playful and mean. Both forms of teasing make the brand seem more human, but in different ways. Playful teasing makes the brand seem like a friend and can enhance consumers’ connection to the brand. Mean teasing makes the brand seem like a bully and harms connection.
The Power of Playful Teasing
In human relationships, playful teasing often signals trust and intimacy—it is something we do with friends, not strangers. We found that this same dynamic applies to consumer–brand relationships. When brands tease in a playful, prosocial way, consumers perceive the brand as warm, personable, and even friend-like. This perception, in turn, increases feelings of emotional connection and identification with the brand.
However, not all teasing is created equal. We differentiate between prosocial (i.e., playful) teasing, which is inclusive, gentle, and playful, and antisocial (i.e., mean) teasing, which is harsh, superior, or mocking. Prosocial teasing leads to positive relational outcomes, while antisocial teasing harms consumer-brand relationships. Across our studies, participants consistently reported higher levels of brand attachment after exposure to prosocial teasing communications compared to neutral or non-teasing humor. Antisocial teasing, on the other hand, triggered immediate disengagement and reduced brand attachment.
When Brands Act Human
Why does teasing work so well? The answer lies in anthropomorphism—the process by which people attribute human-like qualities to non-human entities. Playful teasing makes a brand seem like a real social actor, capable of warmth, wit, and personality. In analyzing social media content, we observed that brands using teasing often evoke stronger engagement metrics. For example, Wendy’s and RyanAir both employ playful teasing on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. Our linguistic analysis found that posts with teasing tones received significantly higher likes, comments, and shares than neutral or general humorous content—even when controlling for brand popularity.
Teasing humanizes a brand by making it feel spontaneous and socially confident. Consumers respond as they would to a friend—by laughing, replying, and continuing the interaction. But when teasing feels forced or cruel, this illusion of friendship collapses. The brand is no longer “funny;” it is “mean.”
Teasing with Care
For brands looking to harness the benefits of teasing, tone is everything. Successful teasing walks a fine line between humor and harm. Marketers should be playful but not personal, avoiding teasing about societally sensitive topics (e.g., weight, politics) and avoiding insulting the consumer on something that is genuinely important for transaction (e.g., income, credit rating). In all teasing, warmth must be evident through tone and language so that consumers recognize teasing as inclusive rather than exclusionary.
Teasing done right helps build strong lasting relationships. Done wrong, it alienates the very audiences that brands hope to attract. Our findings make clear that the success of teasing depends not just on humor, but on its humanity.
What It Means for Real Estate
Though our studies center on consumer brands, the implications extend directly to relationship-driven industries like real estate. Successful real estate professionals rely on connection and relatability—qualities that can be enhanced through playful communication. In marketing materials, social media posts, or client interactions, lighthearted teasing can foster warmth and familiarity. For instance, a realtor might post, “You said you wanted a ‘fixer-upper’—not a front-row seat to a demolition derby,” accompanied by a funny photo of a rundown home. Such humor shows personality, invites laughter, and positions the agent as approachable.
However, professionals should avoid humor that feels critical of clients or competitors. Jokes about “unrealistic buyers” or “cheap sellers” risk coming across as antisocial teasing, undermining professionalism and trust. When used thoughtfully, playful teasing reinforces authentic connection. In an industry built on relationships, that human touch can make all the difference.
Recommended Reading
Oba, Demi, Holly S. Howe, and Gavan J. Fitzsimons (2024), “Brand Teasing: How Brands Build Strong Relationships by Making Fun with Their Consumers,” Journal of Consumer Research, 51(3), 487-505. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae051
References
Keltner, Dacher, Laura Capps, Ann M. Kring, Randy C. Young, and Erin A. Heerey (2001), “Just Teasing: A Conceptual Analysis and Empirical Review,” Psychological Bulletin, 127(2), 229-248.
About the Authors
Demi Oba, PhD
Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Dr. Demi Oba (PhD – Duke University) studies communication in two key streams of work. The first examines the effects different communication mediums on what and how people communicate, while the second explores the effects of anthropomorphic brand voice on consumers’ perceptions of and relationships with brands. In his work, he leverages experiments, text analysis, and large language models to gain a deeper understanding of how communication shapes consumer behavior. Dr. Oba has published in Journal of Consumer Research and Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Holly S. Howe, PhD
Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of British Columbia (Canada)
Dr. Holly Howe (PhD – Duke University) studies communication in both interpersonal and consumer-brand contexts. Her main focus is on how communicaton can help build and maintain relationships. Dr. Howe has published in Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Psychological Science, among others. Dr. Howe is also a co-founder of an open-science online grocery store, which is a free-to-use space where researchers can study consumers habits while they shop.
Gavan J. Fitzsimons, PhD
Edward S. and Rose K. Donnell Professor of Marketing and Psychology, Duke University
Dr. Gavan J. Fitzsimons’ (PhD – Columbia University) research focuses on understanding the ways in which consumers may be influenced without their conscious knowledge or awareness by marketers and marketing research, often without any intent on the part of the marketer. His work has been published in numerous academic journals, such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Management Science, Organizational Behavior and Decision Processes, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Science. His ideas have also been featured in many popular press outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Oprah Magazine, and Time Magazine, among others.
