6 Jul 2020What’s Trending: How to Keep Your Brand Relevant
What is a Trend?
A trend is a current tendency, direction or style that has an increased volume of attention or public interest. Trends are about fitting in, wearing the same fashion item as everyone else, going to the ‘in’ places, and generally following the overall virtues of popular culture. These trends affect our social, economical as well as political environment, and so are important considerations for brands to keep abreast of in order to remain relevant.
But what happens when trends get too common or too popular? The tendency is that once a trend is used in excess, not only is it abandoned by the masses, but the antithesis of that trend starts to emerge. Put simply, as people are overburdened with a trend and start to lose interest, they begin to move away from that trend to establish some sort of uniqueness from the crowd. Just like that, the opposite of the existing trend makes its way into popular culture.
Back to Basics
This is the dynamic that is taking place around us today as trend exhaustion sets in. A look at the current landscape shows the emergence of trends that are the complete opposite of what we, as a global community, strived for merely a few years ago. As we entered the twentieth century, the world continued its quest toward mass marketing and mass distribution. Globalisation then took over and we were met with the rise of international franchises and social media platforms. The overexposure to everything global left consumers with an overload of the new and the over-computerised, and gave them a sense of nostalgia for the ‘has-beens’ and the authentic. The result? We now find ourselves trending towards the original.
As the world moves back to the basics, here are three top trends to incorporate into your marketing plans to ensure that your brand remains compatible with the ever-changing social landscape.
The Homemade Trend
The current trend is seeing a return to the authentic and the homemade. Artisanal goods are not only coveted, but respected and praised for their quality, as well as for the effort and love that goes into the making of each product. Such goods are considered ethical as people are moving away from big mass brands and globalised products in search of local goods. Brands are realising that the younger generations, more than others, prefer an artisanal burger or a cup of freshly ground coffee to those products that are so easily accessible from fast food and coffee giants.
Let’s Rewind
The relationship with technology is too is heading back to its roots. Although visual media still reigns as we move towards the best quality and high-definition visual resources that have ever been available to us, audio is also making a comeback. Until a few years ago, many people did not know what a podcast was, whilst today audio podcasts are becoming mainstream. The format of the podcast is one that is effortless to consume, as users can work, exercise and drive whilst listening to a Podcast, without the need for visual content. Whether you want to learn how to improve your business skills, or drift off into a world of travel, there’s a podcast for almost anything delivered from a unique approach.
Localisation Trending
As we make the change towards the home-grown, brands are trying to adapt to localisation by using the tools available to them, that once pushed products worldwide, and instead focus their abilities on understanding where consumers are now. As a result, media and advert platforms allow brands to digitally advertise to individuals in a set geographical range so that they can use these digital tools to suggest local products and services to customers nearby. Ah, we see that you are close to the airport! Why not stop by for a coffee from our airport outlet?
Once these trends exhaust themselves, we will probably once again see a return to mass engagement and global tools, as the process begins once more. Until then however, it’s not only important to make sure you do not get left behind and to implement these trends into your business plans, but to also protect the success you already have.
Take out a business insurance package with Laferla, or simply learn more about our business plans to secure your investment.