Behind the Numbers: GIFs Are Ads, and How People Interact With Them with Giphy

Episode Release Date: May 30, 2025

In this episode of EMARKETER’s Behind the Numbers podcast, host Marcus engages in an insightful conversation with Alix McAlpine, Vice President of Client Solutions at Giphy, alongside EMARKETER’s analysts Emmy Liederman and Jeremy Goldman. The discussion delves deep into the evolving role of GIFs in digital advertising, exploring how brands can effectively utilize GIFs to connect with audiences and enhance engagement.

Guests Introduction

• Emmy Liederman: An EMARKETER analyst based in New York.
• Jeremy Goldman: Senior Director of Briefings at EMARKETER, also located in New York.
• Alix McAlpine: VP of Client Solutions for Giphy, based in Los Angeles.

Notable Moment:

Jeremy Goldman [01:08]: "Happy National Creativity Day. That's a real thing."

Exploring Personal Interests: Art and Creativity

The conversation begins with a light-hearted segment where guests share their favorite pieces of art, revealing diverse perspectives on creativity and personal preferences.

• Alix McAlpine [02:22]: Discusses her admiration for contemporary artists like Matthew Palladino and Paul Wacker, emphasizing her love for painting and the creative process behind GIFs.

• Emmy Liederman [03:19]: Expresses difficulty in naming a favorite piece of art but shares affection for Kusama and her nephew’s school artwork, highlighting the personal connections to art.

• Jeremy Goldman [04:05]: Mentions his brother-in-law, an art historian and cartographer, underscoring the influence of personal relationships on his appreciation for art.

Humorous Exchange:

Marcus [03:36]: "I was looking up the most expensive painting ever sold at auction. Do we know this?"

Alix McAlpine [04:12]: "Damien Hurst."

This segment not only humanizes the guests but also sets a creative tone for the episode, bridging the gap between traditional art and digital expressions like GIFs.

The Evolution of GIFs and Giphy’s Role

The core discussion transitions to the history and functionality of GIFs, setting the stage for understanding their significance in modern digital communication and advertising.

• Marcus [05:00]: Provides a brief history of GIFs, crediting Steve Wilhite for their invention in 1987 and tracing their evolution from still images to looped videos.

• Alix McAlpine [06:18]: Explains Giphy’s role as a leading search engine for GIFs, facilitating the discovery and integration of GIFs across various platforms and applications.

Key Insight:

Alix McAlpine [06:58]: "Chances are if you see a GIF button somewhere where you're able to search and all these thousands of apps, chances are it's fired by Giphy."

This highlights Giphy’s pervasive presence in digital communications, making it a vital tool for brands aiming to leverage GIFs for engagement.

Understanding User Behavior and Trends in GIF Usage

Alix delves into the nuanced ways users interact with GIFs, emphasizing their role in self-expression and real-time engagement with cultural moments.

• Alix McAlpine [07:16]: Describes GIF usage as a form of self-expression, encompassing reactions, emotions, quick phrases, and workplace communications via platforms like Slack and Teams.

• Cultural Alignment: Alix points out that GIF trends are closely tied to current cultural events and evolving language, such as the surge in searches related to the New York Knicks or emerging slang terms like "crashing out" and "aura."

Notable Observation:

Alix McAlpine [10:29]: "If you see language change or new pieces of slang kind of surface in other places online or in conversations, chances are people are also going to be looking to express that phrase or that word, that sentence in GIF form."

This underscores the dynamic nature of GIF usage, where trends are both a reflection and a driver of cultural and linguistic shifts.

Data-Driven Insights and Search Behavior

The discussion highlights how Giphy monitors and analyzes GIF search trends to stay ahead of cultural movements and anticipate user needs.

• Alix McAlpine [10:29]: Explains the dual approach of proactive search input and trending dashboards to identify and respond to emerging trends and spikes in GIF searches.

Impact of Trends:

Alix McAlpine [09:25]: "We can also see kind of what people care about in pop culture, what's popular... We saw a lot of searches for that or those kinds of things."

• Jeremy Goldman [09:05]: Reflects on the power of understanding search data to gain contextual insights into user sentiments and experiences.

This data-centric approach allows Giphy to curate relevant and timely GIFs, ensuring that users have access to expressions that resonate with current societal sentiments.

Maximizing Engagement: Best Practices for Brands

Alix shares valuable strategies for brands looking to harness the power of GIFs in their advertising campaigns, emphasizing authenticity and relevance.

• Creative Services: Giphy offers creative support to advertisers, helping them design GIFs that align with real-time cultural moments and brand messaging.

Best Practices Highlighted:

Alix McAlpine [15:17]: "Making sure that seasonality is correct, making sure that the expression is really clear... If it's not, we always advise to add text so that people... can share it."

• Human Touch and Emotion: Emphasizes the importance of human expressions in GIFs to convey genuine emotions, making interactions feel authentic and relatable.

Successful Campaign Examples:

Alix McAlpine [17:33]: Discusses campaigns with AMC’s Fear Fest and Pepsi’s Mug brand, illustrating how tailored GIFs can drive engagement and even lead to measurable sales lifts.

These examples demonstrate the versatility of GIFs in capturing audience attention and fostering meaningful interactions, proving their efficacy as a digital advertising medium.

Pitfalls to Avoid and Ensuring Authenticity

Alix advises brands on common mistakes to steer clear of, ensuring that their GIF-based campaigns remain effective and true to brand identity.

• Avoiding Forced Messaging: Brands should ensure that the GIF’s visual expression aligns seamlessly with the intended message, avoiding disjointed or mismatched content.

Example of Success and Caution:

Alix McAlpine [20:12]: Shares the REI Act Outside campaign, highlighting how a GIF depicting trash effectively conveyed the recycling message without forced elements.

• Simplicity in Messaging: Recommends maintaining clear and concise messages within GIFs, especially when repurposing existing footage, to ensure that each GIF conveys a single, understandable message.

Alix McAlpine [20:12]:* "It really needs to be like one message at a time because you have to think if people are searching to say one thing at a time."

By adhering to these guidelines, brands can create compelling and authentic GIFs that resonate with audiences without overwhelming or confusing them.

The Intersection of AI and Human Creativity in GIFs

The conversation touches upon the role of artificial intelligence in GIF creation, with a focus on maintaining human authenticity.

• Alix McAlpine [16:08]: Expresses skepticism about AI-generated GIFs, emphasizing that the most impactful GIFs are those created with human emotion and intention.

Key Quote:

Alix McAlpine [16:08]: "We really believe that GIFs are a way for humans to connect. And I think it needs to feel like a human being made it and to really understand emotion, human emotion."

This perspective underscores the importance of human creativity in maintaining the genuine and relatable nature of GIFs, which is crucial for their effectiveness in advertising and personal communication.

Future Directions and Global Expansion

Alix concludes by outlining Giphy’s future plans, highlighting efforts to enhance measurement capabilities and expand advertising offerings globally.

• Measurement Enhancements: Giphy is investing in new measurement studies and functionalities, such as geotargeting, to provide more precise analytics for advertisers.

• International Expansion: Plans to introduce advertising in Mexico and Brazil, with further expansions into Canada and the UK on the horizon, reflect Giphy’s commitment to reaching a global audience.

Forward-Looking Statement:

Alix McAlpine [23:00]: "We're working a lot right now to make sure that we're working with our clients to meet their needs with kind of the new measurement stuff."

These initiatives signal Giphy’s dedication to staying at the forefront of digital advertising, continually evolving to meet the needs of brands and users alike.

Closing Thoughts

Marcus wraps up the episode by thanking the guests and the production team, teasing the next episode’s focus on attitudes towards artificial intelligence.

Final Quote:

Marcus [23:49]: "Hope you yours is fine."

This episode offers a comprehensive overview of how GIFs have transcended their origins to become a powerful tool in digital marketing. Through expert insights and practical examples, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the strategic use of GIFs in connecting with audiences, fostering engagement, and driving brand success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Key Takeaways:

1. GIFs as a Form of Self-Expression: GIFs serve as dynamic tools for conveying emotions, reactions, and cultural moments, making them integral to modern digital communication.

2. Giphy’s Strategic Role: As a leading GIF search engine, Giphy enables brands to tap into trending content and cultural shifts, ensuring that their GIF-based campaigns remain relevant and engaging.

3. Authenticity is Crucial: Successful GIF advertising hinges on maintaining a human touch, ensuring that the visuals and messages resonate authentically with audiences.

4. Data-Informed Creativity: Leveraging search data and trending dashboards allows brands to craft timely and impactful GIFs that align with current cultural and linguistic trends.

5. Global Expansion and Enhanced Measurement: Giphy’s ongoing efforts to expand internationally and refine measurement capabilities indicate a robust future for GIFs in global digital marketing strategies.

This episode serves as an essential guide for marketers, retailers, and advertisers aiming to harness the full potential of GIFs in their digital strategies, providing actionable insights and best practices to navigate the creative and data-driven aspects of GIF advertising.