Riding the wave of a viral trend can elevate your small business overnight. But done poorly, it can feel cringeworthy or even damage your credibility. Here’s our guide on how to successfully leverage trends to secure media coverage and drive genuine audience engagement.
Do Find an Authentic Connection
Always ensure the trend you’re leveraging genuinely aligns with your brand’s values or identity. Ask yourself: Does this enhance our story? Does it feel organic? The media and your audience can spot forced connections from a mile away.
For instance, the recent Blue Origin stunt attracted plenty of negative commentary and criticism for its perceived superficial nature. At first glance, this People Style story might seem to add to that noise. However, upon closer inspection, Elf Cosmetics already had an established relationship with Amanda Nguyen and were genuinely committed to supporting her cause before the PR stunt. The article explains: “The brand first teamed up with the Nobel Peace Prize nominee in February for an episode of its purpose-driven film series, ‘Show Your(s)e.l.f.,’ celebrating her journey of resilience, advocacy, and determination.”
Do Add Meaningful Insight or Value
Simply referencing a popular trend isn’t enough. Providing insightful commentary, data, or a unique angle positions your brand as a thoughtful contributor rather than an opportunistic outsider.
FaceTune, a popular photo editing app, recently jumped into a viral controversy surrounding a former Real Housewives of New York star’s heavily edited social media post. While the company’s humorous tweet matched their cheeky brand identity, providing an actionable tip for users to avoid similar pitfalls in the future would have added more value and positioned them as helpful rather than merely reactive.
Do Act Quickly and Responsibly
Timeliness is crucial—trends move fast. Jumping in early can mean the difference between leading the conversation and appearing outdated. However, never sacrifice accuracy for speed; fact-checking and sensitivity checks must always come first.
Don’t Force It
If the connection between your brand and the trending topic isn’t clear or compelling, it’s better to stay out of the conversation. Forced engagement can significantly harm brand trust and credibility.
Don’t Neglect Audience Sensitivity
Certain trends, especially related to social issues or crises, require genuine empathy and sensitivity. Misjudging these can lead to backlash and lasting damage to your brand reputation.
Don’t Sacrifice Long-Term Vision for Short-Term Gains
Always consider whether engaging with a trend aligns with your long-term brand strategy. Sometimes, opting out of short-lived hype preserves your integrity for bigger, more aligned opportunities ahead.
A good example of missing this point was another People Style article detailing the beauty products Katy Perry’s makeup artist used for her short trip to space with the above mentioned Blue Origin crew. We don’t know how the story came about but it entirely missed the mark with the artists tips appearing trivial and disconnected from the broader conversation only adding to the already swirling controversy for Perry and the mission.
At the heart of successfully leveraging trends is authentic storytelling. It’s about more than riding a wave, it’s about crafting a meaningful narrative that genuinely resonates. Our public relations agency has proven expertise in creating compelling, authentic stories that help small businesses and thought leaders leverage trends strategically, responsibly, and effectively.
Ready to enhance your brand’s storytelling? Let’s talk.