[004] Should Brands Still Hop on Trends?

We need to stop trying to make fetch cool :')

Hello again victims 👋

I saw a video this week that said, ‘brands stop jumping on trends, you’re ruining my life’ — and honestly? Fair.

Is it possible for Brands to hop on trends without being cringe? Yes, but there’s nuance here, and I’m diving into it for today’s newsletter.

I’m also covering:

• Save for later: Influencer send-outs and experiences are getting next level

• In trends: justice for the Diet Coke lovers (me)

• Other news: Hubspot’s latest job ad reflects how much the social industry has grown

Let’s get into it!

Deep Dive

The trend is dead when the brands get on board.

These days, even the comments call it out: “Can’t wait for the brands to ruin this one 🙄.”

I work in social media, and I think about trends all day. But lately, my instinct is to skip them entirely.

A TikTok I saw last week said: “Brands, stop jumping on trends. You’re ruining my life”, and it got me thinking:

Can brands hop on trends anymore without being “cringe”?

Trend hopping is becoming uncool, period.

The one thing money can’t buy, no matter how hard you try, is being deemed “cool”.

Being “cool” in the eyes of the consumer is what takes a brand like New Balance from being your Dad’s favourite shoe brand to one that is so widely worn, it gained 23% more market share in 2023.

Other recently cool brands include Salomon, Miu Miu and Coach - all experiencing huge gains thanks to a sudden rise in popularity that can, in part, be attributed to viral products on TikTok.

What’s the opposite of cool? Trying too hard.

When a brand goes out of their way to hop on a trend - whether it be a simple trending audio or using a trending phrase - consumers collectively cringe, recognising it for what it is: an attempt to be cool and relevant in a way that seems out of step with their brand.

So… can trends ever work for brands?

Yes! All hope is not lost.

The key is being ruthlessly selective - to the point of ignoring almost every trend that comes your way unless it makes total and absolute sense.

Take the trending “I’m a mommy” audio from Love Island, and two brands who actually nailed it.

• Denver Zoo showed off the birth of a new pancake tortoise (side note…the mother tortoise’s name is Waffles and I am sobbing).

• Scrub Daddy, which actually has a product called Scrub Mommy, gained 400k+ organic reach and 50k engagements.

These two pieces of content work for the simple reason that they are highly relevant to each brand.

Meanwhile, The Real Real tried it - but unless you know the hierarchy of Birkin bags (the lore is deep), it doesn’t land.

Your best bet: think beyond trends

The brands changing the game on Social Media are already thinking beyond trends and creating truly original content.

Duolingo basically invented the “unhinged” brand genre. Even when they do hop on trends, it’s unmistakably them.

Social media users want to be entertained, or at least gain something truly valuable from a piece of content.

Another trend recreation without a funny or unique take is boring, plain and simple.

The future of social is original content. The sooner brands figure this out, the sooner they can stop feeling like the Aunt in the family group chat who sends minion memes.

Save these if you want to sound smart in your Monday meeting, or for when your boss next asks for examples of brands “winning” social

✅ Heaven Mayhem’s butler send-out: Standing out in a sea of PR mailers isn’t easy, but jewellery Heaven Mayhem was clever in thinking of a way to guarantee influencers would repost (the dream of any send out campaign) by using a butler that recipients could pose with.

✅ Kerrygold’s influencer trip: Unlike the Tarte trip, which has become famous for the amount of controversy it manages to drum up every year, Kerrygold somehow created the world’s most wholesome brand trip that didn’t have users criticising influencers for being out of touch.

I think the key here was creating an experience that tapped into the heart and soul of the brand - warm, comforting, inviting - without coming across as ostentatious. Brands take note: Kerrygold has thousands (if not millions) of viewers swooning over the Irish countryside, and in turn love for their brand is growing.

• Fridge cigarette trend: TikToker’s are referring to Diet Coke’s as “fridge cigarettes” and nothing has ever felt more accurate or delightful! I don’t recommend jumping on this trend unless you have an absurd version of a fridge cigarette…like pickle juice, or forbidden lab samples of unreleased beauty products.

• This video about an early 2000’s haircut: My older sister had this haircut circa 2004 and honestly, she’s never been cooler than in that moment.

• Hubspot is hiring a Senior Social Program Manager:

  This person’s job will be to manage all of the parties and stakeholders involved in bringing the Social Media Strategy to life. This is a reflection of just how far the industry has come - I don’t think this job would have existed 5 years ago, but I can attest to the fact that if you’re working at a Global Brand, these roles are increasingly necessary in order to manage the sheer volume of content going out the door.

That’s all folks!

If you liked this newsletter, I’d love it if you let me know, or even shared it with a friend. If you hated it, let me know too! Hatred fuels me :)

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