Are you on pins and needles waiting for satirists to create YouTube videos that mock your earnest marketing efforts? Probably not. But in a post at his blog, Seth Godin says there's actually a good reason to embrace jokes made at your expense: It means that people have not only noticed what you do, they've also taken the time to react.

To make his point, he highlights satirical videos that target campaigns from TOMS Shoes; in those campaigns, founder Blake Mycoskie refers to himself as the company's Chief Shoe Giver. (For every pair of shoes the company sells, it gives a free pair to a child in need.) "Which leads to parodies, of course, which [TOMS] loves," notes Godin. "Spread the word, share the story."

One video, for instance, extols the virtues of the fictional DATS, and opens with a written explanation of the company's purpose: "For every hat purchased, DATS gives one hat to TWO children in need. One for TWO." Inspirational piano music swells as we cut to images of a man carrying a young boy on his back; both wear ridiculous hats made from paper and string.

"People laughed at Trev when he came up with the idea to start a company that basically just gives away hats, after every hat that we sold," says a woman who sports a similarly absurd chapeau and a faux-serious expression. "People laughed. They're not laughing anymore."

The Po!nt: TOMS could take offense, but it doesn't—these videos are proof of its compelling story. "If it's worth telling," says Godin, "it's worth parodying. When will we be able to parody what you do?"

Source: Seth Godin's Blog. Click here for the full post.

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