The trends treadmill: should your brand chase online trends?
It might be tempting to engage with popular crazes that are making noise online – but brands need to understand that latching onto trends will never be a replacement for content output that properly serves their audiences.
In 2020, the general public and celebrities alike flocked to TikTok and Instagram to take part in a viral vodka pasta recipe trend. Last month, a press release announced that, “fuelled by the social media hype”, Heinz and drinks company Absolut were partnering to launch their own limited-edition pasta sauce, in the hopes it would appeal to consumers.
“We’re determined to continue innovating and delighting consumers with delicious flavours, at the speed of social media trends,” commented Heinz on the strategy behind the launch. Yet, despite hoping to engage audiences, the reaction to the product’s launch was mixed, with multiple social media users even querying if the announcement was an early April Fools’ Day prank.
Is the company too late to the party in capitalising on a trend that reached the peak of its popularity nearly three years ago? As the confused social media reaction suggests, in taking a gamble on centring their strategy around chasing trends, they’ve potentially risked alienating a significant chunk of their audience.
So, what can this teach content leads? That a leap onto the online trend bandwagon can’t replace a steady stream of well-timed content that aligns with your overall strategy – and prioritises your audience.
Don’t leave your audience behind
Whether you’re creating a new campaign, crafting video content or looking for the next subject of a feature article, it’s important to think about the values of the people in your audience and what matters to them – and not just how you can engage them by responding to trends that are currently attracting the masses.
After all, in 2021, 88% of consumers said that authenticity is a key factor for them when deciding which brands to support. This means that if your comms team is simply trying to fit in and copy what everyone else is doing, you risk losing the trust of your target audience.
Look at Instagram. Last year, the company fundamentally changed its brand focus when it altered how content was presented on its platform in response to the growing popularity of short-form video. However, this sparked a significant backlash from some users, with celebrities such as Kylie Jenner using the platform to call out the brand, telling Instagram to “stop trying to be TikTok” and return to its original image-driven style.
Our advice? Don’t use a viral craze simply because you hope it will guarantee a successful piece of content. Instead, ask yourself: does the trend fit with your brand’s identity? Will it align with the values of your audience? Are you saying anything new to your consumers?
You also need to think logistically. If there’s a TikTok challenge your comms team wants to participate in, consider the internal timeframes, sign off and filming processes that would be necessary for this content to be created in a timely fashion. Things move quickly online, and it is possible that the next popular trend will be on the scene before your brand has had the chance to take part in the current one.
Stick to strategy
While it’s important to tread with caution, this is not to say your company should dismiss trends entirely. After all, paying attention to the things that have got people talking can help brands to remain innovative, stay relevant and continue engaging with new and existing audiences.
Take a look at Duolingo, whose TikTok account currently has more than six million followers. The language-learning brand is always quick to capitalise on the social media platform’s latest challenges, to the delight of its audience.
Though it might seem strange to tout a strategy that consists of staff members dressing up in a big green owl suit to create (in the brand’s own words) “unhinged content”, Duolingo’s approach is clear and, most crucially, consistent. It leverages current popular moments to entertain – rather than sell to – viewers on the platform. As a result, Duolingo has gathered a loyal audience who enjoys this humanised, authentic approach to content.
At Speak, we stay on top of the latest online trends through processes such as competitor scans to help us craft effective storytelling methods for our clients. Our newsroom approach means that we build effective editorial strategies to connect organisations with their audiences. And we make sure the stories we produce are not just timely – but also help our clients tell the stories that matter to their target audiences.
After all, trends come and go – but having a purposeful content strategy is timeless.