To Trend, or Not to Trend, That Is the Question.

By Danita White | June 30, 2025

When it comes to marketing your brand on social media, there's a fine line between relevance and reputation—here's our advice on how to navigate it.

In the ever-changing world of social media, trends move fast. We’ve all seen it! A meme can make viral rounds in the morning, but become cringeworthy by evening. For brands, the temptation to jump on the latest TikTok sound, Instagram meme, or pop culture moment is real—and potentially rewarding. But should you always do it?

At AMR Digital, we've helped our clients ride the trend wave with huge success—and we've also advised when to sit one out. So, how do you know when it’s right to join a trend, and when it's smarter to stay on the sidelines?

The Upside of Trending: Reach, Relevance, and Relatability

Trends can offer a brand a brief moment of virality, a relevant cultural connection, or simply a virtual seat at the online conversation table. When done right, they:

Boost Visibility: Trending content often receives a boost from platform algorithms, resulting in increased visibility with reduced spend. During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the U.S. women's gymnastics team had many viral moments, one of which AMR Digital capitalized on, leading to an Instagram Reel that racked up millions of views and continued to bring fresh eyes to our account long after the Olympics ended.
Show Personality: Participating in trends lets brands display the humor, wit, and uniqueness of those working on content behind the scenes.
Drive Engagement: Content that mirrors what people are already enjoying has a higher chance of being shared, liked, and saved.

The Downside of Trending: Irrelevance, Insensitivity, or Inauthenticity

But hopping on every trend can dilute your brand identity—or worse, damage it. Here’s how:

Off-Brand Messaging: If the tone of a trend clashes with your brand values or voice, the result can be confusing to your audience.
Short Shelf Life: Trends expire quickly. If you’re unable to execute quickly, you risk seeming out of touch rather than timely.
Cultural Missteps: Many trends are rooted in niche communities or carry deeper meanings. Brands that misread or misuse them may face backlash.

Remember when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards (Oscars)? The moment quickly went viral, and many brands made memes about the slap, adding their own branded captions or product images into the mix. The actions of brands that made light of the confrontation were seen as inappropriate and insensitive, and many of them ended up having to delete their posts.

Alternatives to Jumping on Trends

You don’t have to ride every viral wave to stay culturally connected. Not every trend is your moment, and that’s okay! The most powerful brand move on social media comes from a place of clarity, not desperation. Be selective. Be strategic. Above all, be authentic.

Instead of waiting around for a trend to come across your timeline, consider:

Creating Your Own Trend: Unique, creative content can become a trend starter, especially when built around challenges or community engagement.
Evergreen Content with a Twist: Repackage your core content pillars with a seasonal or light pop culture lens. Take AMR Digital client, Tea Street—following the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, we helped them tap into a pop culture fashion moment in a way that aligned with their product offerings and tone of voice.
Strategic Commentary: Sometimes, a well-timed quote tweet on X or an Instagram Story reaction can show you're tuned in without engaging in full-on content production.

The AMR Approach: Is This Trend Right for Us?

At AMR Digital, we view trend participation as a strategy, not a reflex. We assess cultural moments through the lens of each client’s goals, audience, and values.

For brands that want to trend smart, our team considers three filters before green-lighting content:

Relevance: Does the trend have a natural link to your industry, product, or audience?
Timing: Can you execute quickly? A trend that’s already peaking might no longer be relevant by the time your content is created and approved.
Tone Match: Does the humor, style, or message of the trend align with your brand’s personality? The Mannequin Challenge has been around for a while, but AMR Digital client, Ashley Faller, recently found success with it by filming it from a realtor's perspective. The trend worked for Ashley because it matched her tone, tapping into her professionalism, but also her humorous reliability.

If your content checks all three filters, go for it. If not, it’s OK to pass. This balance helps our clients stay agile and authentic