Who doesn’t love a meme or pop culture moment? Especially when it seems like all of the internet wants to be a part of a collective memory or joke. Leveraging trending pop culture references can be a goldmine for brands looking to connect with their audience.

As I’m writing this, you may have someone from your team asking if you should jump on the “Hawk Tuah” trend, since it’s still gaining traction and the girl behind it seems to be everywhere. Hopefully, the following will go beyond the traditional advice of playing it safe or doing it because enough other large brands are posting about it.

The key question remains: When and why should brands dive into current trends? And, say it with me now, it depends. Let’s break down what it depends on.

Brand safety

Brand safety isn’t what it used to be if it ever really was.

Your ad could be shown alongside content in the feed that is counter to the messaging you want near your brand, and yet it’s the risk you take for guaranteed views. We’re seeing more and more AI ad content being created while we also have brands navigating how to deal with major issues during an election year. The internet is a controversial and precarious place and yet, brands know they need to show up and be present.

The ever-present desire for attention, views and engagement has brands abandoning brand safety for earned media and virality, chasing attention at all costs and linking themselves with memes and references that you would never even dream of proposing let alone pressuring legal to approve.

Timing

Jumping on a trending topic can gain significant attention, but timing is crucial. Catch a trend too early and your audience might be confused. Too late, and you’ll come off as trying too hard. The sweet spot is in the middle, where the trend is recognizable but not yet saturated. Being best friends with your legal and comms teams is priceless here as these moments can age quickly and no one wants to be the brand that got approval two weeks too late.

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