In a world hooked on trends, it’s easy to chase the next big thing. But the brands that stand out show up with intention—meeting their audience where it matters and delivering real value. They don’t follow every trend, they stay true to what’s authentic.
In this article, we’ll break down the key dos and don’ts of trend participation, offering insights and questions to ask to help you decide how to engage in a way that strengthens your brand identity and deepens connections.
Does It Align With Your Voice and Mission?
Trend participation should never feel like a costume change. It should feel like a natural continuation of how your brand already shows up. When trends are filtered through your brand voice, they don’t just attract attention, they deepen relevance and build connection.
Duolingo is a great example. Their irreverent personality isn’t something they adopted for social media, it’s throughout their brand DNA. That’s why their participation in meme culture doesn’t feel performative, it feels like a brand showing up exactly as expected, in a language their audience already speaks.
On the other hand, brands that abandon their tone to chase what’s viral often lose more than they gain. When a serious or premium brand suddenly leans into chaotic humor, it blurs the perception of who they are. And when that clarity fades, so does trust.
Trends aren’t about sounding funny or current. It’s about consistency. When every expression, on trend or not, points back to your values, your brand becomes more than visible, it becomes memorable.
Does Your Brand Belong in the Space?
Being trendy isn’t about showing up everywhere, it’s about showing up where your audience is. When brands engage with trends in spaces their audience lives, they’re doing more than capitalizing on attention. They’re participating in shared meaning. It’s not a brand shouting into a space, it’s a brand in conversation with the people it was built for.
Bratz is a great example of this. By portraying their dolls as celebrities in pop culture moments, they’re not just posting content, they’re reinforcing a shared identity with their followers. There’s a big difference between an energy drink account and a fitness community page that happens to sell energy drinks. The same applies here: Bratz doesn’t just show up to sell dolls, they show up to participate in a lifestyle their audience already believes in.
On the flip side, bandwagoning into a viral moment without having earned your place in that space often alienates your audience. The goal of brand visibility shouldn’t be to insert yourself into every conversation, but to show up meaningfully in the right ones.
Are You Adding Anything New?
Jumping on a trend is easy. Elevating it is strategic. The brands that stand out aren’t just echoing what’s already viral, they’re contributing something new. When you participate in a trend, your brand should add value that makes people pause and engage with your brand.
Heinz’s “Seemingly Ranch” campaign is a masterclass in this. It started with a fan post about Taylor Swift at a Chiefs game, eating “chicken with ketchup and seemingly ranch.” When the phrase blew up, Heinz launched a limited-edition bottle—“Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch.” The move was playful, fast, and tied directly to the product. The result? Heinz’s most successful earned media campaign ever. They turned their fastest-declining product into a 52,987% ROI and generated over 6 billion media impressions.
See the full study on D and Ad.
It worked because it had relevance, creativity, and it was on-brand. Audiences can spot when something’s just a repackaged meme versus a thoughtful move. The difference is contribution, not imitation. When done right, it can become more than a moment, it becomes a multiplier.
When they align with who you are and who your audience is, trends can be a powerful tool for amplifying your brand. Focus on being strategic, staying authentic, and adding something meaningful to the conversation. Ready to take your brand to the next level? Reach out today and let’s make it happen!
