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We are always bombarded with short-lived trends, starting with I met Gala AND Fashion Week to TikTok dances, skincare secrets, meta memecoins and every thing in between. In an era of rampant virality, a monoculture can emerge, even if every thing seems decentralized. We all follow at least a few trends every week, if not every month, and for a business, these trends can temporarily result in big profits.
Consider how Starbucks is now offering boba tea in an try and appeal to Gen Z consumers, or how every company from Adobe to Taco Bell is doing.”First, artificial intelligenceFollowing these trends has given both brands a temporary share price boost, but it’s not yet clear what the long-term effects will be.
Meanwhile, a vintage Hermes bag or Gibson guitar is as timeless today as it was when it was originally released over a century ago. My agency regularly participates in events such as Comic Con AND Agreement stay ahead of the times and determine which of today’s trends may change into timeless. Here’s what you could know about navigating trends.
Pros and cons of trend jumps
Virality is essential to each creators and brands because it is a cost-effective solution to increase brand visibility and awareness. Let’s consider last yr’s Trend Big Red Boot from MSCHF.
In early 2023, every model on Instagram wanted a pair of those $350 oversized shoes to appear like a video game character in their photos. The attention increased the company’s visibility and brand awareness, driving sales and helping it secure $8 million in financing by January 2024.
A yr and a half later, the hype cycle is long over and no one is talking about these impractical shoes anymore. However, MSCHF hasn’t missed a beat, continuing its streak of limited editions that have made it a mainstay all over the place from sneaker and art blogs to HypeBeast AND GQ. The collective’s business model takes into account the ephemeral nature of trends and quickly switches between them.
However, sometimes a trend may be ignored. When school administrators at D’Youville University made the reservation Sophia, the AI robot, delivered his graduation speech, sparking outrage among students, who began a petition to stop it. Either way, they managed to drag it off, and after the feat, the private university became a joke on late-night comedy shows.
It is essential to know that virality is only temporary, no matter whether the impact is good or bad. You need a realistic technique to use it and then move on.
Riding the hype train for the long haul
Like MSCHF, Marc Jacobs is a master at following trends, and before someone like Laundry Day or DJ Mandy goes viral, Jacobs will already be endorsing the brand. Of course, branding is the exception slightly than the rule – when you jump on the latest dance or meme on TikTok, the crowd is already excited about the next big thing.
Instead, it is vital to grasp how platforms like TikTok fuel these culture-defining movements. Understanding the mechanics of those video platforms and creating a TikTok content plan gives you the best probability of recreating the same level of virality. This plan should cover more channels than simply TikTok as governments around the world consider banning the app.
You should be where your audience is, whether that is Substack, Twitch, Geneva, Farcaster, or any other large channel in your demographic. Building a community on the right platform is about being in the right place at the right time to create a viral trend. These are your biggest fans and most certainly to share your posts with their social media audience.
This means you could create great content that is value sharing. It has to be fun, informative, and have a unique twist that individuals have not seen before. You’ll know you’ve got truly created a trend when you begin gaining followers like Wendy.
In the early days of Twitter, Wendy stood out for her attitude and witty jokes. Thanks to this, it was a typical example of employing a company “intern” who had contact with the public. Just searching “Wendy’s Twitter” on Entrepreneur turns up 306 articles about them from the last decade. Fast forward to today and see every brand from Beyond Meat to US Department of Labor has an offended intern who raises awareness of the frontier lords’ positions.
Of course, when everyone does it, it’s not cool, but the basic mechanics of growing these accounts through authentic interaction with the community remain the same.
Optimize during down cycles
Just like people move to Los Angeles to attempt to make it in Hollywood, a common goal is to change into famous on TikTok for quarter-hour. But that fame is fleeting – every trend inevitably becomes a thing of the past, and what you do during the down cycles will ultimately sustain your business. The virus comes and goes faster than you expect, and everyone is chasing that dopamine hit once their quarter-hour of fame is up.
Those who manage to keep up fame normally do so by pushing boundaries. Consider Doja Cat, whose music profession has taken off over the past few years. Her unique style, ability to remain on top of trends and versatility have helped her change into a Coachella headliner and maintain her popularity beyond her viral YouTube hits and TikTok videos.
Brands and creators who maintain this build a strong foundation that seamlessly translates virality into revenue and profits. Each time they proceed to build their core audience base, this will increase their possibilities of going viral the next time. Ultimately, attracting attention to your brand is a good thing, but you have to supply real value for people to look at if you would like them to maintain coming back.