Fads Burn Bright and Fast, Futures Glow and Last

What makes a trend significant is how well it captures consumers’ interests, needs, and values, which can help it evolve into a lasting influence – a Future. Fads, conversely, might grab attention and burn bright and fast for a while, but they usually lack the depth and durable influence that sustain engagement.

For brands, it’s vital to keep an eye on what’s trending and distinguish between what’s popular at the moment and what might stick around for the long haul.

Brands also shouldn’t casually dismiss fads. They need to understand how trends work since some fads can evolve into lasting futures for certain audiences while others might remain mere fads. Similarly, not every trend will turn into a future reality for everyone.

Co-authored by Point’s strategy director, Carla Gontier and Nkaroleng Matjie Mid-Weight Strategist, this edition of “Fads & Futures” outlines key market trend shifts that may have a long-term influence on brand positioning. We also consider the potential of these trends becoming fads.                

TREND: Brand vs Performance

Future potential

TikTok’s guide aimed at (re)educating marketers on marketing fundamentals emphasises the significance of brand-building alongside performance optimisation, pointing to a future reality.

While immediate performance metrics are important for brand success in the short term, today’s brand-savvy consumer increasingly expects brands to cultivate meaningful relationships with them. Various studies have confirmed that, through this lens, brand humanisation is a key element in building a brand identity.

For brands to adapt to this evolving landscape, they need to build stronger identities to establish deeper connections, while also keeping a finger on brand performance’s pulse. 

Many brands currently perceive this dual emphasis as fundamental to their brand optimisation efforts in the future.  

Fad potential

While building strong brand identities and maintaining performance metrics are crucial, this dual focus may also be temporary.  As the marketing landscape evolves, the notion of returning to basics could gain traction, but it might shift again toward more complex strategies.

For instance, AI’s rapid advancement and its potential to enhance hyperpersonalisation could prompt brands to make this a priority over the current balance of brand-building and performance optimisation. In this context, brand identity optimisation could emerge as the central focus, eclipsing other marketing strategies, including various strategic combinations.

TREND: Swiftonomics – the business of Taylor Swift

Alongside her sold-out concerts, Taylor Swift’s brand is making a significant economic impact in various countries. Her Eras Tour, which runs from March 2023 to December 2024, is attracting fans from around the world, resulting in millions spent on flights, hotels, and other travel expenses. It’s estimated that her UK edition of the tour has generated close to £1 billion for the British economy. She’s also drawing new audiences to the NFL, while her association with Travis Kelce has contributed to a rise in sponsorships.

Fad potential

Swiftonomics is often seen as a fad because of its brief economic effects and dependence on momentary celebrity influence. While Taylor Swift has considerable sway at the moment, trends tied to celebrities are mostly temporary, making it hard to keep interest alive over time.

The initial hype can also lead to fatigue, which may cause consumer engagement to subside.

Brands should be mindful of this cycle and focus on building long-term strategies that foster deeper connections with their audiences rather than relying solely on fleeting excitement.

Future potential

Currently, there’s a vibrant relationship between entertainment and brand development. Brands may start investing more in experiential marketing to create memorable connections at entertainment events. This trend should continue to grow and is also reflective of the broader trend of brands staying up to date with the cultural context in which they function.

TREND: Optimising AI

Future potential

Brands are well aware that AI is set to become a desired part of the creative process – giving power to the way in which brands are experienced and facilitating deeper connections.  

Optimising AI is a current and future reality in which consumers can create and interact with content more efficiently. This could also lead to more individuals engaging in content creation. Ultimately, prioritising user-centric design is critical for the long-term effectiveness of AI.   

Fad potential

Some might experience this as a fad. Regular updates and innovative features (as with Figma and Canva), at first may seem like the way forward; yet, these ever-shifting dynamics can also lead to confusion and user fatigue, which in turn may show a temporary spike in engagement that can quickly fade if brands struggle to keep pace and adapt.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding AI innovations in marketing, particularly post-Covid (an era marked by a great acceleration of AI). However, the rush of brands adopting the latest and best AI has to offer can lead to a superficial understanding and underutilisation if they do not invest in learning how to effectively integrate these technologies into their strategies.

TREND: Immersive Retail

Future potential

Immersive retail experiences are fundamental to the future of branding, as they have the potential to generate animated and deeper emotional connections. 

Consumers are increasingly seeking more memorable and meaningful brand-connect moments, which immersive experiences can potentially provide. Such experiences will also help brands stand out in the marketplace, which is the ultimate horizon for some brands.  

Fad potential

If immersive innovations become too technical (for consumer interaction), or gimmicky, or if they fail to achieve their main objective (advancing the shopping experience), then consumers will see it as a fad and quickly turn their attention elsewhere. Furthermore, the power of immersive experiences will transcend the fad of pop-up stores – which are limited in consumer engagement.

Driven by frontier technologies, the era in which we live is showing a remarkable rise in trends. While it’s not expected of brands to observe all trends, those that can effectively adapt to the most significant ones – separating definitive futures from passing fads – will be more likely to achieve sustained brand success. 

To find out more about the other insights shaping branding’s landscape, download the full “Fads & Futures” report.