Love him or hate him (and there is usually no in between), Sacha Baron Cohen knows how to stand out in a crowd. His memorable, mostly shocking characters (i.e, Borat, Brüno, Ali G,) show up in unexpected places with unsuspecting (unsympathetic?) people and make us talk, laugh, and squirm. (Interestingly, we hardly know anything about his personal life.)

For the record, I haven’t seen any of his movies. I’m neither a fan nor a critic of his work. My only exposure to Cohen is through the media storm that seems to follows his characters. Or, more accurately, through the media storm he mindfully creates through PR stunts he executes shamelessly and brilliantly to market his movies. But, whether or not you subscribe to his brand of humor, brand marketers can learn a few things from Sacha Baron Cohen:

Have a point of view
Coehn’s humor is unapologetic, intends to offend, and makes even the most left-wing liberal uncomfortable. There is no question, though, how his characters view the world. They have a distinct lens that plays in and out of the movie. Every brand should, too.

Commit to it
Cohen doesn’t water down his movies to appease anyone. On the contrary, he demonstrates in spades what it means to commit to a point of view: doing press in character, baring his buns to the world and even straddling Eminem’s face while wearing chaps on live television. Commitment need not entail outrageous gags or nudity, however. What is required of commitment is risk and focus – with budgets, marketing plans, stakeholders, and target audiences. In other words, when marketers “kind of” go for it, we “kind of” feel it – which is to say we don’t feel anything. Say whatever you want, just say something unique! Make us love you or hate you. Anything less is the indifferent equivalent of saying someone is “nice” after a date. And, in case you have been out of the dating pool for a while, indifference is the kiss of death in relationships – and branding.

Pull the PR lever – hard
Brüno’s performance at the MTV Movie Awards last month was a preview of what fans could expect in his movie. The gag aligned with the irreverent spirit of his movie and the politically incorrect, youthful minds of his target audience. This PR 101 move was not only a slam-dunk in creating exponential buzz and exposure for Bruno’s movie, it was cheap. Mainstream media + bloggers + fans speculating about the stunt created a tsunami of coverage and curiosity. It also engaged outraged detractors who contributed more fuel to the roaring flame and kept the conversation going. All of this has translated into movie gold and a number one opening weekend for “Bruno.”

Shine on, Sacha. Keep us laughing and guessing.