When brands shouldn't jump on popular culture trends: How to avoid the pitfalls of trend chasing
Going viral online? Very mindful, very demure. When a topic starts trending, it can be like a carrot being dangled in front of brands, and the temptation is to piggyback on and get some of that spotlight.
But should you?
Jumping on every trend can be a double-edged sword. Not every trend will suit your brand - and joining in the wrong way can seem (ahem) tacky and inauthentic. So, how do you work out which trends are for you, and which ones you should let go?
Read on for our top tips...
1. Consider: Does the trend align with your brand identity?
Every brand has a unique identity, built over time through consistent messaging, values, and the overall brand experience. This individuality should be front of mind when thinking about jumping on a trend.
Ask yourself:
Does this trend make sense for us to post about?
Is there a way we can make it sound like us, even with everyone else posting about it?
What’s the real purpose we want to jump on this?
You shouldn’t prioritise short-term gains from engagement spikes over long-term objectives.
Take the cucumber salad TikTok trend from Logan, which got so huge that supermarkets were selling out of cucumbers. That’s an easy trend to jump on if you’re a food brand. But if you’re not in the obvious vertical, is there relevance for you to be talking about cucumber salad? Sometimes there is – and sometimes there isn’t.
Logan’s struck up deals with “seemingly unrelated” beauty brands like K18, NYX, and Flamingo – and the latter’s own TikTok account has seen a 1,000% jump in profile visits since its sponsorship of his video. It’s certainly possible to think outside the box and make the most out of a viral moment – you just need to find the hook.
If you’re not sure how to work out if a popular culture moment is the right fit – or how to find the right hook for your brand, read our blog on data storytelling with popular culture moments.
2. Timing is everything – so think fast
Sometimes it’s a case of right trend, wrong time.
Jumping on a trend too late can make your brand appear out of touch (which is exactly the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve), but it’s easily done – especially if your brand has a lot of red tape or rounds of approvals to go through.
Joining a trend while it’s still gathering momentum, however, allows you to ride the wave of its popularity, and get a lot more engagement and exposure for the same content.
The thing to remember with trends is they can disappear as quickly as they arrive. It’s best to make sure you fully understand the relevancy of the trend, but don’t leave it so late it’s old news. Say a film’s been released, and there’s a scene or piece of dialogue that’s trending. Think of it as having an expiry date. While the film is newly out this is a good time to capitalise, but months after? It’s stale.
You need to approach this kind of trend content as you would with Reactive PR: work speedily to understand your angle and get your brand’s message out there before the moment dies.
3. Remember: Just because it’s trending, doesn’t mean it’s right
*Google Trends Data August 2024
Predicting what’s going to trend is an impossible task. Sometimes trends sneak up out of nowhere, and with the huge reach opportunity on social media, they can blow up overnight.
But it’s not just social media trends, sometimes news happens IRL that gets everyone talking on social media. When influencers make the news, for example, it can cause a frenzy. When news broke of Molly Mae and Tommy Fury's recent breakup, searches for “Molly Mae” hit over half a million in one week, increasing by <1,000%.
Looking at the sheer volume of search interest, you might think it’s a good idea to comment on the topic, to get a slither of the engagement pie. However, if we break it down, what kind of brand has enough relevancy to comment on someone’s personal life? Our thoughts are: not many.
It’s important to realise when to be sensitive as a brand – otherwise you risk looking tone deaf, or even alienating your customers.
Was joining this trend worth it? Not according to this unhappy customer...
A good rule of thumb? If you can’t say in one sentence why you’re commenting on it, it’s probably best to leave it alone.
4. Reflect: what is the real value for your audience?
The goal of engaging with trends should be to add value to your audience, or new audiences.
While you don’t have to own the trend to benefit from it, as a brand you own how you talk about it. And engagement comes from getting this right, so your audience resonates with your message.
Brands need to ask themselves whether their involvement in a trend will enhance the customer experience or simply serve as a fleeting gimmick.
This means:
1. The trend needs to be relevant to your target audience
2. You need to be able to relate the trend to their experience of your brand.
For example, if something is trending on TikTok with a Gen Z audience, but your audience are predominantly Gen X, they may not understand your content, as they haven’t encountered the trend.
Equally, if you choose to join a trend such as ‘if you asked me on a deeper level’ (here are some examples) but you didn’t have something surprisingly deep to say about your products or services, your audience are going to wonder what you’re on about.
If you aren’t reaching the right people with your content, and adding something original and relevant to the conversation, the long-term objectives become blurred in with short-term engagement gratification.
Trends come and go, but brand integrity lasts
We get it, staying front of mind is important. But joining trends shouldn’t come at the expense of your brand’s identity and values.
The key to successfully jumping on the trend bandwagon is ensuring that it feels authentic, aligns with your brand, and provides real value to your audience. So no, if you’re a food & drink brand, maybe you shouldn’t be commenting on J-Lo’s divorce…
If you’re keen to leverage trends to get your brand in front of your target audience *and* make them fall in love with you, talk to us. Our mix of PR know-how, savvy social media speed, plus our in house content creation means we’re perfectly placed to help you get it right, every time.