With many CMOs deciding to jump on a bandwagon and market on TikTok because “everyone is doing it,” maybe it’s time to examine why trend chasing is bad for marketing. It’s good to be curious but at the same time thoughtfully strategic on how and when your brand should (or shouldn’t) engage in new spaces. Be intentional with the actions of your brand, as you shouldn’t hop into a new space just because others are doing it.
Here are five reasons that explain why chasing trends is not a strategy:
You Don’t Know Your Why
The first step in any good marketing strategy is understanding the why behind your brand. This “why” should be the guiding light in everything that you do as a company which includes understanding your target audience, what solutions you provide, and the overall tone of voice you use when marketing your product or service. Once you have a strong understanding of your why then you can start to consider if a new trend makes sense for your brand to pursue. If the answer is no, then don’t do it just because everyone else is – because that leads us to our second point…
You Don’t Want To Be A Follower
In today’s age of social media, we are constantly seeing what everyone else is doing and where they are doing it. It easy to get caught up in FOMO (fear of missing out) when you see posts about an influencer going to the coolest new restaurant in town or using the newest skincare line before it even hits stores. But just because others are doing something doesn’t mean your brand needs to as well. Being a follower instead of a leader can make your brand seem copycat which will only hurt you in the long run. So, when considering if you should jump on a new trend, make sure to ask yourself if this makes sense for my brand specifically – not just if it would be fun or interesting to do.
Not All Trends Are Created Equal
Some trends come and go as quickly as they start while some have more longevity. Figuring out which category a new trend falls into can help you decide whether or not pursuing it makes sense for your brand. For example, last year fidget spinners were all the rage but by the end of summer they had already started to fade away. On the other hand, rosé has become somewhat of a staple drink over the past few summers with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. So think about not just if something is trendy but also how long you think that trend will last before deciding if putting time and resources towards it is worth it for your brand.
You Could Be Wasting Resources
Allocating resources towards pursuing a trend that may not even last can hurt your bottom line and also cause some including key stakeholders like investors to lose faith in leadership. Instead of continuously jumping from one trend to another without seeing any real ROI, focus on being strategic with how you allocate resources by sticking to longer-term goals that will help grow your business in a sustainable way.
You Could Be alienating Your Target Audience
When you try too hard to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one. When considering if you should hop on a new trend, think about how this will impact not only current customers/clients but also prospects. If participating in this trend goes against everything that you stand for as a company or could turn off potential customers then it may not be worth changing course just for the sake of being trendy. After all, at the end of the day, what really matters most is conversions – not just likes or follows.
There are many reasons why chasing trends is not a strategy including that you don’t know your why, you don’t want to be follower, not all trends are created equal, and more importantly pursuing trends could be wasting valuable resources that could be used elsewhere more efficiently or actually alienating your target audience instead of attracting them.. When evaluating if participating in a trend makes sense for your brand, make sure to consider all aspects before making any decisions as well as keep in mind what YOUR WHY IS!
