The Trend + Brand Product Formula Is Not Enough

We’re at the point where if the trend du jour was a Tide Pod mukbang, a lot of brands would pitch reactive social concepts against it. The more you tie yourself to a range of cultural narratives, the less differentiating factor you have. The formula of Trend + Brand Product is no longer enough, and it’s definitely not ownable.

It’s time to start thinking outside the box a little bit, and that might mean dropping preconceived notions of “what works well.” If you’re starting to see saturation with a certain format or meme, it’s best to move on. Keep in mind that the best work feels like it comes from a singular, distinctive creative POV and isn’t swayed by the trend cycle.

Be cognizant of ‘data dissonance’

Data dissonance describes the disconnect between the data used to tell stories about culture and culture itself. We like to point to numbers (likes, shares, listens, views) because they’re easy ways to showcase popularity and effectiveness. But my qualms with data are twofold.

First, it’s hard to believe the numbers anymore, since platforms measure them differently and are rarely upfront about whether or not something was “boosted” or not. This is also why music fans are annoyed with the ubiquity of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan on Spotify. Second, a culture refined by data and numbers just spits out uniformity. Boiling creativity down to a science encourages homogenization and doesn’t incentivize risk taking.

While counting impressions is important and does give you a good barometer of performance, it can’t be the only part of the picture. We need to focus on other lanes.

Qualitative metrics might be harder to articulate but will give you a better sense of whether you’re making work that’s actually earning a place in culture. Are people outside of LinkedIn (and in the real world) talking about your work? Do you have a consistency of engagement rather than a burst that quickly fizzles out? Is there lore—IYKYK codes, symbols, communities, and traditions—that allows for deeper engagement?

These might not make it in a recap report, but they’re likely a more accurate assessment of cultural relevance than engaging in a number-measuring contest.