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 of 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. My qualm with data is twofold.
First, it’s hard to believe the numbers anymore, since platforms measure them differently and rarely are 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 if 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 in engagement 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 are likely a more accurate assessment of cultural relevance than engaging in a number measuring contest.
