Brat Summer met its sudden end when its creator, British singer Charli xcx, announced on X: “goodbye forever brat summer.” The lime green color that had dominated the summer quickly faded, and its successor, Demure Fall, eagerly filled the cultural void. As we shed a tear for summer and jumped into our rain boots, the tone shifted. We no longer identify as brats, but as cutesy and mindful!
The trend cycle is faster than ever, and the trends themselves are becoming more niche. If Mob Wife Aesthetic, Grandpa Core, Coquette Core, Clean Girl Aesthetic, or Office Siren sound like random phrases to you — congratulations, your screen time is probably much lower than mine. I’ve seen these popular TikTok aesthetics more often than some of my family members in the past few months. Driven by pop culture, these highly specific aesthetics evolve at a pace that neither brands nor consumers can keep up with, leaving us to question — how can we stay relevant in a constantly changing world?
Winning Is More Important Than Participating
Although most microtrends begin as inside jokes or viral moments, they spread in an instant, and brands compete to see who can respond the quickest. Duolingo, Crocs, FlixBus, and Ryanair are just some of the names that use social media not only in tune with the times but also in tune with their own values, thus excelling in engaging younger generations.
Adapting to microtrends can also benefit personal branding. When TikTok users, accustomed to short videos, noticed their attention spans dropping, creators began adding clips of soap-cutting and soothing games alongside videos to keep their focus. The 1975, a band known for their distinctive humor, capitalized on this idea and went viral by playing such distraction videos on screens during their concerts. Similarly, Zara Larsson, the singer behind the recent dolphin trend (which I’d love to explain, but I don’t want to spoil the joy of discovering it yourself), won over the public by incorporating it into her performance. Even the U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris has cleverly blended formal and humorous content on her profiles, brilliantly showcasing her personality. Her playful exchange with Charli xcx, mentioned earlier, placed her in the spotlight with Generation Z.
Whether microtrends still amuse you or you’re tired of the repetitive content, we can’t ignore the fact that they work for certain purposes. Does this mean everyone should jump on the microtrend train? Probably not, especially not every trend without considering how it will resonate with the audience and what you aim to achieve with it. If the end result is just a few extra views or occasional likes, it might be wiser to stay at the station and wait for an opportunity that better fits the brand’s story.
What Does This Mean in Practice?
Many brands mistakenly believe that they should show their understanding of the internet in order to be culturally relevant. The truth is, audiences can always tell the difference between genuinely understanding internet culture and faking it. A more meaningful approach is to assess how a specific trend fits into the broader marketing strategy and adapt it to your usual tone of communication. Finding the right balance is key, though it’s also the hardest task, and the point where things often go wrong.
Although we are at a turning point where the sustainability of this fast-paced trend rhythm is being questioned, short-lived trends aren’t going away anytime soon, and there’s no reason to ignore them. The bad news is that there’s no universal recipe for success. Each brand must track trends, pay attention to key terms and SEO, and act quickly when something truly aligns with their story. Microtrends come fast and fade even faster; if you’re not among the first or most original content creators, the algorithm will simply swallow you up.
Looking ahead, the industry faces exciting changes, and our digital habits are bound to shift. Artificial intelligence will increasingly shape our online experience, enhancing efficiency and personalization, leaving us to wonder how these changes will spill over into the offline world and traditional (outdated?) communication channels. To stay ahead, brands will need to be flexible, combining quick adjustments with a strong long-term vision.
