May 17, 2019
Grumpy Cat built an empire on memes. That’s getting harder to do
The cat was a pioneer of the viral internet.
Internet phenomenon Grumpy Cat brings her iconic "No Face" to Madame Tussauds Washington, DC for a meet-and-greet with fans at Madame Tussauds on September 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. The iconic cat passed away Friday.
Larry French/Getty Images for Getty Images for Madame Tussauds
With the help of her owners, Grumpy Cat straddled the line between meme and “influencer,” securing licensing deals, royalties and an admiring audience of millions. In recent years, more and more advertising strategies have tried to harness the power of memes to build brand awareness. The downside? A meme that could easily stand out a few years ago might not get traction so easily now.