This is The Life Cycle of Trends.
Many of us thought that turning the millennium would break everything, partly because computers were not ready to shift from 199-something to 2000. I remember thinking how stupid that was but also thinking that maybe...? No matter. All that is in the past and in fact, a now powerful consumer group was born in the midsts of the non-apocalypse only to covet all that tech we were so scared to lose and which has since become "retro." And "retro" has been trending for a while now.
For fun, here's how retro the year 2000 really is
I wanted to head this blog post with a picture of myself celebrating the turn of the century, maybe one wearing those 2000 glasses? Looking through my hard disk I scrolled down pictures ordered by "date created." I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled. Not a single picture!? I finally realized I got my first digital camera in 2005. Digital cameras have already trended through all possible life cycles a trend can go through.
All Trends Go Through Cycles
If we lay it out on a very strategist kind of way, it looks like this.
Let's go through each phase and tackle how your brand marketing can use trends at different moments in the cycle.
Trends in Buzz Phase
A few things come to mind. But first It's important to distinguish between a buzzing trend and something gone viral. Virality is off the trends cycle. It could be argued the idea of virality is itself a trend, but that's another blog post. The lifecycle of something gone viral is short and intense and quickly forgotten. But a trend in Buzz Phase lasts longer. Think about the Metaverse or NFTs.
How can brands use something trending in Buzz Phase
Permission to fail. A trend in Buzz Phase is ideal for jumping on conversations without fear of failure. It's the perfect learning tool. When something is in Buzz Phase it's ok to test it, use it, and be bad at it—in public.
Trends in Fun Phase
These are things that have found a place in everyday life and amongst early adopters but have yet to solve a consumer need. We can think of VR as being in this part of the cycle right now. Virtual Reality today is something middle class Canadians can afford to have at home and play with. With the Metaverse, Meta is trying to bump Oculus (its VR headset) into the Useful Phase. AR, VR's older sister, is already naturally transitioning out of the Fun Phase and into the Useful Phase. While we still use AR filters on social media for fun or in Google to see animals in our living room, we are seeing an increasing amount of AR tools solving consumer needs like trying clothes on virtually or placing virtual furniture around the home.
How can brands use something trending in Fun Phase
The positive associations innate in fun moments make trends in this phase ripe for deepening relationships and fostering brand love. Direct sales opportunities are rare here and it's not the time to be pushy or salesy. Instead, trends in Fun Phase offer unique chances to engage and, needless to say, have fun.
Trends in Useful Phase
While the tech is fast improving, there is still some friction with AR use and if we place it along the tech adoption curve, AR is still in the early stages of Early Majority. Even more rooted in Useful Phase are things like smart watches and home deliveries. Smart watches (think Apple Watch, Fitbit) are beginning to blend into everyday wear as we use them to track time (still true), activity levels, heart rate and oxygen levels, messages, calls... You get the idea, they are useful in so many levels. Home deliveries were propelled into this phase in the lifecycle of a trend through the pandemic. Home deliveries went from solving a consumer need to an essential service.
How can brands use something trending in Useful Phase
Sh*t just got real. Other brands are likely already doing this right. Consumers now have expectations and therefore, there is lots of room for frustration. Before jumping on a trend in this phase, consider if this trend makes sense for your brand or not. If the answer is yes, find a way in which investing in the trend will add real value to your consumer or clients. Notice my use of the word "investing." Expect to invest—money, time, people—if you plan on leveraging trends in Useful Phase.
Trends in Ubiquitous Phase
Anybody who is old enough to remember the iPod shuffle will come to the same example, smart phones. There was a lot of buzz and doubts when the iPhone first came out to compete with Blackberries. Can you even begin to imagine your life without a cellphone? I had a hard time remembering digital cameras didn't cover the Y2K craze... Now, photos on my smart device include anything from my pets chilling, to important life moments, to product information I don't have a pen and paper to write notes about, to more pet pictures. All in my smart phone. I need my smart phone to enter some public spaces (vax passports, for example), read menus, track my cycles, get a doctor's appointment, and a never ending list of other things.
How can brands use something trending in Ubiquitous Phase
At this point, we are no longer dealing with a trend but rather a tool. It is time to consider how this tool interacts with your brand and whether you can take action to improve or maximize this interaction.
Trends in Renew Phase
Automobiles come to mind here, currently undergoing a reinvention as electric and even self-driving.
How can brands use something trending in Renew Phase
Because renewal is about exploring you are a back at a permission to fail or have fun moment. However, you must be cautious and transparent about it. Since you are reinventing or re-testing on an existing thing, you must consider preconceptions, expectations, and UX. Using a trend in Renew Phase calls for a thoughtful decision (to do it or not to do it) and implementation.
Special thanks to the great Mark Dolynskyj, currently doing great stuff at McCann Canada but previously doing great stuff with me and others at CloudRaker. We developed the Lifecycle of a Trend together, while discussing podcast stuff. Thanks dude!
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You can all download The Lifecycle of a Trend for free below. The real cost of building this graph combines years of experience and hours of work, amounting to about $500. You can chose to buy me a Thank You Cortado below.
Putting this article together I read The Daily by Cassandra, AdWeek, Snap Consumer AR Global Report 2021, The 5 Customer Segments of Technology Adoption, NETFLIX'S ABERCROMBIE & FITCH DOC ASKS: IS FASHION'S Y2K REVIVAL PROBLEMATIC?
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