By definition, viral tendencies are fleeting. However hopping on them at simply the best time can yield huge, long-lasting success in advertising and marketing a product, model, or service.
With an estimated 328.77 million terabytes of information created every day, it may be tough for manufacturers to search out distinctive methods to achieve and be remembered by potential prospects. However manufacturers have a better likelihood of creating a long-lasting connection if they will meet prospects the place they’re and attraction to their pursuits.
Occupied with and connecting with future prospects who won’t but concentrate on your model might help enhance the probability that they may flip to you when prepared to purchase. That is the place leveraging media tendencies, popular culture, and different world matters comes into play. By taking a trending matter or occasion and determining the way it turns into related in your model, prospects usually tend to bear in mind you the following time they want an answer.
Whereas taking part in each development could appear tempting, model alignment is essential in creating a profitable advertising and marketing marketing campaign.
So how can manufacturers leverage tendencies to draw potential prospects?
Be artistic along with your content material. Begin by opening your thoughts to the potential methods your model’s options can be part of the dialog and take it to the following stage by leaning into your arsenal of property to discover tendencies with much less restriction than you may need to train with paid or earned media.
Google: Your At all times-on Focus Group
When mapping out a model’s viewers and wishes, Google is a priceless asset in a marketer’s toolkit. It’s extremely correct in its capability to disclose the present calls for of actual individuals looking for options at any given time, so Google serves as your always-on focus group.
Efficiently harvesting Google’s subtle search knowledge permits manufacturers to develop higher client conduct insights, add depth to their buyer profiles, construct a extra partaking buyer journey, and create genuine client connections. They will strengthen methods and drive significant enterprise outcomes when paired with different client analysis and insights.
Understanding client search knowledge is a essential step for manufacturers to achieve the insights vital to construct relationships with customers by gaining their belief, constructing a connection, and establishing authenticity, which is able to assist convert prospects into prospects.
Determine Traits That Match Your Model
Manufacturers that efficiently determine what content material and matters goal customers are studying about, looking for, and discussing, can seize extra consideration in real-time. Nonetheless, it’s essential to make use of knowledge on this identification, not simply intestine emotions. Entrepreneurs threat permitting their methods to be primarily based on siloed private opinions with out actionable client insights. Google Traits, for instance, supplies manufacturers with an evolving provide of natural search knowledge, revealing an unfiltered panorama of their viewers’s ache factors, pursuits, and curiosities.
This assortment of correct knowledge supplies a real-time snapshot of present trending matters. What would Google Traits reveal in a search at present? Two of the most well-liked ideas proper now: AI and Barbie.
Whereas manufacturers have managed to efficiently leverage one or the opposite, combining two trending ideas (when it’s related in your model, after all) will create a extra important alternative for manufacturers to achieve bigger, extra numerous audiences.
By producing enjoyable, well timed content material that aligns with client pursuits, manufacturers can construct a big library of content material for use throughout a number of channels, together with their web sites, focused earned media alternatives, e mail newsletters, social posts, and natural searches to maximise the worth of every asset.
Let’s take a look at an instance.
It’s a Barbie and AI World
Data collected over the previous 5 years exhibits the time period “Barbie” peaked in search curiosity the week of Dec. 23, 2018, with simply over 1.9 million searches. This was across the similar time because the announcement of a same-sex Barbie couple and a video of actor Jason Mamoa studying out the “Barbie Woman” lyrics throughout the Aquaman press tour.
Forward of the Barbie movie’s launch in July 2023, Barbie-related Google searches peaked at 5.4 million from March 25 to April 21. Following the discharge of a teaser trailer on April 4, the time period “Barbie” yielded 2.2 million searches that week alone.
Fairly actually portray the world in varied shades of pink, the advertising and marketing rollout behind the Barbie movie has left a mark in practically each trade.
Whereas make-up, vogue, and decor align extra carefully with the Barbie picture on the floor, trip leases, insurance coverage firms, and online game console producers have discovered intelligent methods to attach with the movie and its viewers, organically persevering with the movie’s advertising and marketing momentum.
Barbie has even made its method into the tech area. Trying up the phrase ‘Barbie’ in Google generates a flash of starbursts and casts a pink tint over the search outcomes web page. Mixed with AI, one other trending matter, extra manufacturers and customers have discovered methods to affix within the enjoyable.
AI-powered artwork has led to extensive adoption of the know-how on social media. The favored Barbie selfie generator overlaid customers’ photos and customized taglines over the film poster. TikTok customers took it a step additional by bringing a distinct third-party filter to the app that utterly transforms the consumer right into a Barbie character. AI additionally led to new, real looking iterations of Barbie’s dreamhouse to point out what the dollhouse might look like in numerous states throughout the U.S. or when designed by well-known architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Zara Hadid.
Recognizing the recognition of each matters is step one for manufacturers to affix a development. The following is determining if it is smart in your model to attach with each points and, if that’s the case, learn how to apply AI know-how to the mounting curiosity in Barbie. By utilizing generative AI so as to add Barbie’s contact to selfies and structure, manufacturers have been in a position to determine locations the place audiences may simply assimilate into the narrative, connecting them to customers whereas additionally constructing model consciousness.
Whereas becoming a member of in tendencies won’t result in direct conversions, manufacturers turn into extra memorable and visual by inserting themselves into present pursuits and producing associated content material. This connection invitations customers to construct belief along with your model earlier than becoming a member of the customer’s journey.
Strive Out Completely different Traits
As soon as your model has recognized related tendencies, brainstorm alternatives for content material creation. Contemplate matters like record-high temperatures, the FIFA Girls’s World Cup, and Meta’s launch of Threads. How can your model make the most of the curiosity surrounding these matters?
First, create owned assets associated to this client curiosity knowledge. This may embrace a weblog put up discussing defending your merchandise in excessive warmth or producing photos of what it would seem like to host a world cup recreation with star gamers in Barbie Land.
Subsequent, share this content material on social media, in adverts, or e mail campaigns to develop your content material as managed property. Invite your followers to offer suggestions or insert their very own likenesses for added engagement. Lastly, work with influencers or information organizations to develop further content material. Leveraging influencers and their followers may end up in a viral second that leads customers again to your model.
Whereas customers analysis manufacturers to search out extra details about merchandise, providers, and different choices they might want now or sooner or later; they place a better emphasis on forming relationships with genuine manufacturers they will belief.
In case your model can turn into part of their every day lives by providing them partaking content material that appeals to their pursuits every day—and exhibits that your model is engaged with the newest tendencies — customers will probably be extra prone to construct a connection along with your model and look to you when they’re able to enter the customer’s journey.
Featured Picture Credit score: Anna Shvets; Pexels; Thanks!
