Why Fads Aren’t Always Bad

By Bethany, Social Media Strategist | December 20, 2019

Angry Birds, Dabbing, Silly Bands, and Gangnam Style were just a handful of fads that started in the 2010s and grew in popularity. Even the first real “selfies” began over the past decade.

It’s important to prepare your business, regardless of the industry, for upcoming fads that may benefit your business promotion. You want to be nimble enough to act on trends before they go out of style!

Let’s look at how some of these viral sensations were perfect promotional opportunities:

Fidget Spinners

Fidget spinners were a popular toy that emerged in 2017, and became widely used to help people who needed to fidget to relieve energy, or anxiety. Many children used them in school, and many adults started to use them at work. Considering it was an affordable, small item, many brands could purchase them in bulk as freebies to promote their business. You may even still see them at trade shows and expos branded with company logos.

GIF Animations

GIFs have been popular for a long time since the early 90s, but became more widely used in 2013 because of Vine. In 2015, they became available for users on Facebook and Instagram. Now everyone uses GIF stickers on Instagram stories, and they are even more popular today. You can easily jump on the bandwagon, and use it in engagement with your business’ social media accounts. Your users will not only understand it, but love it.

Mannequin Challenge

The #MannequinChallenge was a viral Internet video that started trending in November 2016. In the videos, people would be challenged to freeze in action like mannequins while a moving camera films them. Famous celebrities, sports teams, and politicians soon followed and posted their own versions of the trend. It was also a great opportunity for small businesses and brands to record their own videos and join the conversation.

YOLO

“You Only Live Once” actually began when uttered by Robin Williams in the 1980s movie, The Dead Poets Society. It returned to youth culture when Drake used the term in his 2011 hit, “The Motto.” Since then, YOLO has been branded everywhere. Many companies used this popular term to associate it with their brand. One publisher even re-branded Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet to “YOLO Juliet” to make it more relatable to a younger audience.

As we enter 2020 – and an entirely new decade – there are many possibilities for new fads to emerge. Keep your eyes peeled for what becomes popular across social media, and what’s trending. If the fad can be easy for your business to execute, like fidget spinners with your logo, then go for it!

Questions for how you can incorporate trends in your marketing tactics? Contact us at smartstrategies@bbggadv.com.