Traditional or trend-itional: The reality of real-time marketing

You may have spotted some brands taking a 180 this past week from the ‘brat’ aesthetic to something a little more ‘demure and mindful’. These growing micro-trends are certainly keeping brands on their toes. But are these trends sustainable and does riding the latest wave actually boost brand awareness and engagement? To put this to the test, we spoke to 218 UK consumers who follow these trends and interact with culturally connected brands using our agile insights platform, SBX.

When it comes to the perceived impact of real-time marketing (topical marketing based on current trends) on loyalty, the majority (58%) say this marketing approach somewhat influences their brand loyalty, followed by a third who feel it extensively influences their brand loyalty and 9% who feel it doesn’t at all. The landscape is similar when it comes to interaction. 55% occasionally interact with real-time marketing efforts from brands, while 38% do so frequently and 7% do so rarely.

When asked for their unprompted thoughts on micro pop-culture trends, 31% find them dynamic and exciting, 25% feel they bring people together and 16% describe them as harmless entertainment. On the flip side, 27% of consumers see these micro-trends as simple marketing tactics and 11% find them costly and annoying.

Culture shock or “culture rocks”?

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Marketing in today’s cultural landscape is like playing a game of Twister - you can’t have your hands everywhere at once. When asked what challenges they think brands face when trying to do real-time marketing right, the top answers consumers shared were cultural sensitivity (39%), brand authenticity (34%), the risk of backlash (27%), shifting public perception (25%), and the constant need to keep up with trends (20%).

Cultural sensitivity is no joke. 73% of consumers say authenticity is very important in marketing campaigns. In fact, 45% say cultural appreciation influences their perception of a brand. Over a third feel cultural sensitivity builds brand trust (36%) and enhances engagement (31%). This includes respecting diversity (30%), placing an emphasis on inclusivity (26%) and avoiding cultural appropriation or tokenism (9%). Only 11% feel cultural sensitivity doesn’t impact their perceptions of a brand.

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When asked to share examples of real-time marketing campaigns that either worked well or didn’t, here are a few examples of the campaigns consumers mentioned:

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Almost 1 in 2 consumers felt that inauthenticity was the main factor contributing to these campaign failures (47%), followed by insensitivity (21%) and poor execution (16%).

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These campaigns were deemed successful because they were culturally engaged (66%), authentically integrated the trend (47%) and championed diversity (20%). Although consumers were not prompted to highlight specific sectors, 13% mentioned sports when sharing their views on successful real-time marketing campaigns, highlighting this as a sector that performs particularly well on trend-driven campaigns.

What does this mean for your brand?

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1. Keep it real with your real-time marketing

Although 31% find micro pop-culture trends dynamic and exciting, a similar proportion see them as basic marketing tactics with little cultural influence. To avoid coming across as simply ‘jumping on the band wagon’, which could lead to views of inauthenticity (the biggest driver of unsuccessful real-time marketing campaigns according to consumers), make sure the trend aligns with your brand identity. What’s ‘relevant’ right now might not be ‘relevant’ to your audience or your mission. Leverage consumer-first research to find the right fit.

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2. Optimise real-time marketing for deeper engagement

While 38% of customers engage with a brand’s real-time marketing efforts, 55% are still not participating frequently, indicating that there is room for improvement. Tailor your campaigns to your audience’s peak activity times and preferred channels. Make sure your campaign aligns with these cultural moments and offer immediate value through exclusive deals, discounts or interactive content. This will not only capture attention but also encourage participation, turning views into engagement. Use a follow up strategy to foster the connection.

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3. Use the 'now' to better the future

Cultural appreciation and sensitivity was a common theme raised by consumers when discussing real-time marketing efforts. When sharing their views on the most successful campaigns, many consumers chose examples that integrated the trend in a way that connected it to an important cultural or social issue. In fact, over a third feel cultural sensitivity increases their trust of a brand (36%). Consider leveraging trends to take a stand on important issues that resonate with your target customers. For example, Vinted used the anti-consumption trend to highlight conciouseness around sustainability.

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