The formula for trend and branded products is not enough

We’re at a point where if the current trend was a tide pod mukbang, many brands would come up with reactive social concepts against it. The more you attach yourself to one set of cultural narratives, the less differentiating factor you have. The “trend + branded product” formula is no longer enough and it is definitely not “ownable”.

It’s time to think outside the box a little, and that might mean letting go of preconceived notions about “what works well.” If you start to notice saturation with a particular format or meme, it’s best to move on. Remember that the best work feels like it comes from a unique, distinctive creative perspective and is not influenced by the trend cycle.

Be aware of “data dissonance.”

Data dissonance describes the discrepancy between the data used to tell stories about culture and the culture itself. We like to point to numbers (likes, shares, lists, views) because they are an easy way to demonstrate popularity and effectiveness . I have two concerns about data.

Firstly, the numbers are hard to believe as platforms measure them differently and rarely say in advance whether something has been “boosted” or not. This is also why music fans are annoyed by the ubiquity of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan on Spotify. Second, a culture refined by data and numbers only spits out uniformity. Reducing creativity to a science promotes homogenization and creates no incentive to take risks.

While counting impressions is important and provides a good barometer of performance, it cannot be the only part of the picture. We have to focus on other tracks.

Qualitative metrics may be harder to formulate, but will give you a better sense of whether your work actually deserves a place in the culture. Are people talking about your work outside of LinkedIn (and in the real world)? Do you have consistent engagement rather than a spike in engagement that quickly evaporates? Are there traditions – IYKYK codes, symbols, communities and traditions – that allow for deeper engagement?

These may not make it into a summary report, but are likely a more accurate assessment of cultural relevance than entering a number-crunching contest.

The appetite for high-quality creativity is back