August '22 Drop

Our TL;DR monthly trendspotting and reporting on the sticky stuff for your biz, your brand, and your cultural fluency. Check back monthly for the next 5 best things.

Virality of on-trend tunes

Applebees keeps serving the hits

For a brand once spiralling, their ability to tap into social trends and younger consumers has given them a new set of wings. In this instance, using literal wings and dating.
With the launch of their new lip gloss line, Saucy Gloss, comes a cross-category merch collab and original music/video to boot.
Dubbing this video the first “datable” video, all stars chosen are publicly single, in hopes that consumers will want to connect with them more.
From “Fancy Like” to “Taste my Face” there’s a page everyone can take out of Applebees book > If you can’t say it, sing it.

Consumer x Brand Opportunity:

Where is your consumer’s digital hang out spot? Give them opportunities to create and engage in that area with music stitching or audio borrowing using your creations. Help them create and express, while simultaneously pushing your content forward.

One question to ask your consumers:

Tell us you’re a [fan of our brand] without telling us you’re a [fan of our brand]. Tag us for a chance to be featured.

Source: TikTok

Nostalgia marketing

The power of (tasteful) nods to the past

There’s nothing quite like a volatile and uncertain present to make us long for a more stable past.
Enter: “nostalgia marketing” — a tactic that uses a sensory stimuli (think: scent, song, taste, or imagery) designed to trigger nostalgia.
For brands looking for short-form ways to engage customers, nostalgia can be a powerful tool for offering immediate return in the form of happy memories and comfort.
With shows like Stranger Things, brands like Vacation, and people like @Rod @itskatesteinberg reminding us about the good ole days, it’s hard not to be nostalgic.

Consumer x Brand Opportunity:

Consider how you want your consumer to feel engaged with your brand. What sensorial elements from the past might map to them? Tap into your audience’s soft spots.

One question to ask your consumers:

If we were a brand, product, or person from the 90’s, who would we be and why?

Sources: PR Daily, Fabrik

Shop till ya stop… scrolling

Thumb-stopping, live-shopping

Last September, TikTok introduced product links and showcase ads to provide shopping solutions for its users.
Live shopping, although more slow rolling on the app, brings another feature just in time for the scrolling and shopping rush that is the holidays.
The live shopping ads link to products as they are being used in the Live video.
It’s like they can read our minds when we say, “Ooo wonder where I can get that?” as we scroll through addictive videos all day…

Consumer x Brand Opportunity:

TT influencers just got a lot more valuable. Sure, product promoting is great — but live shopping your brand while it’s being used in-situ? Priceless. Test and learn purchase intent through live video showing the product being used with a seamless way to add to cart.

One question to ask your consumers:

What is one thing about this product that you would change, add, or remove to make it work better for you?

Sources: Ad Age

Brand crisis control

Daily Harvest freezer-burned by the same thing that made it cool

In June, Instagram-born Daily Harvest recalled its French Lentil + Leek Crumbles after receiving reports of severe stomach issues — notifying customers via email.
The email sparked panic in some, outrage in others, who said the email sat unnoticed in crowded inboxes.
Many wondered why a company built on, by, and for social media didn’t use those channels to spread the word. And, when they ultimately did, why it seemed camouflaged.
Instead, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter — the very platforms that gave rise to this brand — are amplifying customer concerns around its safety and accountability.
Other DTC brands like Oatly, who recently issued a recall of their own, are trying not to suffer the same fate — even going so far as to post Sponsored IG ads to spread the word around recalls.

Consumer x Brand Opportunity:

As you work to define and evolve your brand, consider articulating: Who is our brand in crisis? Run a workshop to draft scenarios and build action plans against foreseeable risks (yes, even if they’re low probability). Sh*t happens — be proactive in planning for crisis and learn from others.

One question to ask your consumers:

If we’re in a moment of crisis, where/how do you want to hear from us? Think of it as an ‘emergency contact’ — but between you and our brand.

Sources: Fortune, Bon Apetit

Meet your people where they are

Reddit, the new gen focus group

As Reddit’s Head of Creative Strategy once said, “The best practice for brands entering Reddit is to lead with listening first.” Redditors don’t want to be sold to, they want to be heard.
Following that guidance, many brands are using Reddit in R&D for product development and sustainment — tapping into the power of anonymity to get authentic consumer feedback on product launches and ideas for the future.
With consumer pain points splattered across subreddits/forums, Reddit offers brands the opportunity to find “riches in the niches,” as our Head of Creative says.
The key is to ask the right questions — focusing less on what it is that consumers want and more on understanding why that is.

Consumer x Brand Opportunity:

Organically participate and contribute to build trust within subreddit communities. Think less about brand building participation, and more about building an authentic connection to the people who fuel your brand. You’ll be rewarded with greater brand awareness, and sometimes even earned media. Oh, and dishing out free products or good discounts won’t hurt either.

One question to ask your consumers:

What’s one thing we should stop, start, or continue as a brand?

Source: Modern Retail

The Wax reported by:
Joelle Cosmas & Ellen Wilcox

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