The internet will always need something to obsess over at any given point in time. One like leads to another, and before you know it, a trend is born. Content about the same thing or in the same meme format floods your feed, remixed and repackaged across platforms, until the crowd decides to obsess over something else. And the cycle repeats itself. Typical.
But these trend cycles are moving faster than ever. What used to take weeks now takes days, sometimes mere hours. And by the time brands notice, Gen Z has already moved on to the next trend. Timeliness is absolutely key when it comes to tapping into a trend. Creators have known this, but brands are finally getting the memo.
Now, brands are not just observing these trends on the sidelines; they’re participating in them, sometimes even trying to kickstart them. Why? Because they’ve realized that cultural relevance is how you stay visible in the speed of social media. The ones that show up in the moment and speak the language of the trend earn attention and become part of the conversation instead of interrupting it. Sometimes.
That’s where cultural branding comes in.
What Is the Meaning of Cultural Branding?
It’s no coincidence that the brands you know and love are also the ones that have culturally positioned themselves to reach their target audience where they already are. Cultural branding is a strategic approach that integrates a group’s values, traditions, and beliefs into a brand’s identity and marketing efforts.
Fixed Identities & Shape Shifters
A successful brand doesn’t shape itself; it uses its target audience’s culture to inform how it shows up. Brands that cling too tightly to a fixed image and mission can only go so far. Without tuning into their consumers’ beliefs and online behavior, visibility becomes a constant uphill battle… one that you don’t want to (or worse, won’t be able to) fight in for too long.
Consumers, especially Gen Z, are identity shape-shifters. They code-switch across platforms, remix their aesthetics, and adapt to whatever cultural moment unfolds. So the brands that want to stay relevant have had to become shape-shifters, too.
When platform behavior changes, consumer behavior follows. Discovery-based algorithms now drive the internet. TikTok’s visual search and storytelling mechanics push trends and cultural moments forward. Instagram evolved from a community-building platform into a discovery engine as consumers became hyper-aware of pop culture and began craving real-time search, learning, and entertainment.
Cultural branding involves recognizing when a moment aligns with your brand values and showing up authentically.
Your customer base is always evolving. Their beliefs shift. Their cultural values expand. As a brand, you can’t afford to stay static. You need to stay flexible enough to reflect the different communities you want to engage with, even if that engagement only lasts for a few days.
How to Build Cultural Influence the Right Way
Cultural branding is one thing, but cultural influence is another. It’s easy for a brand to copy and paste a current cultural moment, but how impactful was that moment for your brand and your consumers?
Aligning your brand values with your consumers’ culture builds trust and loyalty. But inconsistency kills that trust fast. Brands that jump on every trend without intention come across as performative. The key is to reflect cultural moments authentically (not just copy the script) and to evolve the social narrative to generate real conversation around the topics that people already care about.
If a trend is going viral, ask yourself: what can we do as a brand to stand out from the dozens of other brands who are already participating?
A lazy copy-paste might earn you a few likes and follows. But a fresh perspective, one that adds value, humor, or insight, generates engagement shows a clear distinction: showing up versus making an impact.
It’s important to note that not every trend requires your participation. Some moments aren’t aligned with your brand, and others are already way oversaturated by the time you notice them. And in case I haven’t made it clear enough yet, timing is everything.
The Power of Trends
We’ve all heard the joke about Gen Z having literally zero attention span. We’ve seen it play out many times over, too. What’s the takeaway? That staying on Gen Z’s radar means staying on top of trends and culturally relevant moments. Kudos to you if you’re able to be the trendsetter, but even just familiarizing yourself with what’s happening on social media gives you a major advantage.
Trends can happen at any time. And I mean any time. There’s no exact formula for when or why something goes viral (if there was, it wouldn’t be so special, or so novel). Whether it’s Labubu collectibles or the Louvre heist memes, the internet will randomly select something and turn it into a cultural phenomenon overnight.
Virality drives conversations across platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Virality equals trends, which equals engagement, which equals visibility. Someone’s five seconds of fame can become your brand’s five seconds of fame, too, if you know how to play your cards right.
The Formula: Timing, Quality & Accuracy
Simply participating in a trend isn’t enough. The brands people remember every time are the ones that “do it right.” And it’s simple; follow the formula: timing, quality, and accuracy.
- Timing means showing up when the conversation is still fresh. In my experience, I’d say you have a 24-48 hour window to maximize peak engagement.
- Quality means matching the energy of the trend to the energy of your content.
- Accuracy means understanding the context. Missing the joke or forcing your brand into a moment that doesn’t fit will do more harm than good.
3 Ways That Leveraging Trends Builds Cultural Influence
Tapping into the pulse of social media trends puts your brand directly in the algorithm’s path. When something blows up, all eyes are on that one trend, and users (myself included) go down a rabbit hole searching for related content.
1. Trends Make Your Brand Discoverable
If your brand participates in a trend without it giving the vibe of a lazy copy-paste, the chances are higher that you’ll ride that wave of virality, too.
Following the formula, tagging the original creator of a trend when possible, and using relevant hashtags or sounds increases your chances of being surfaced in search results and the FYP.
2. Trends Strategically Position Yourself (With Taste)
Participating in trends opens the door to building connections with your audience. It shows that you tune in to what they care about, even if only for a short time. But what if I told you that some moments aren’t meant for every brand?
Take Taylor Swift’s engagement announcement. Every brand rushed to create content around it. Some nailed it: Panera and Scrub Daddy understood the assignment. Others felt forced, cringe, and awkward. They tried too hard to be different or think outside the box to the point where the trend became indistinguishable.
That’s where taste comes in. Taste means knowing where you stand, which conversations make sense for you, and when your participation will be rewarded.
3. Trends Build Long-Term Awareness
While trends drive short-term engagement, they also align the right people with your brand without them actively seeking you out. When you participate in a trend your target audience cares about, you become part of their discovery process.
That one trending post can drive people to explore your other content across socials, check out your website, and even become a new customer. You’ve entered their world through a cultural moment, and now they’re curious about what else you have to say. That’s the long game of cultural influence.
4 Brands That Leveraged Trends Well
I can’t count the number of trends I’ve consumed over the past few months, but off the top of my head, here are four examples of brands that leveraged trends well, increasing their brand’s visibility, helping them connect with their audience, and boosting engagement.
1. Poppi x Amaya Papaya
If you didn’t know, Love Island USA Season 7 was the most-watched streaming original TV season in the U.S. in 2025. Whether you watched the show or just caught clips and edits on TikTok, almost everyone was tapped in. Viewers were obsessed; so much so they started following the contestants’ social accounts before the season even ended.
But amongst fan favorites like Olandria, Nic, and Huda, Amaya stood out. As the islanders neared the finale, brands were already plotting ways to snatch contestants up for campaigns, and Poppi did not wait.
While the show was still airing, Poppi posted a mock-up of an “Amaya Papaya” flavor, a playful nod to Amaya Espinal’s fan-given nickname. On Instagram, the post became Poppi’s most-liked Instagram post ever, racking up over 200K likes. Fans went wild in the comments, begging for it to become real. But Poppi wasn’t even an official sponsor of Love Island, let alone one of its contestants.
Once Amaya left the villa, though, Poppi followed through and released a limited-edition “Amaya’s Island Colada” flavor (pineapple-coconut) featuring iconic phrases like “sensitive gangsta.”
The collaboration was the perfect alignment, considering Poppi’s “pretend” flavor was already a success. They asked themselves, why not bring it to life?
Poppi proved that timing, authenticity, and follow-through matter more than a massive sponsorship budget. They posted the mock-up while the show was still airing, not after. By the time other potential sponsors tried to capitalize on post-Love Island buzz, Poppi had already claimed ownership of Amaya’s narrative. Whether this was planned or simply done “just for the bit,” it went from viral meme to product launch in just a few months.
Poppi spoke their audience’s language. The real product launch felt like it came from a fan account. Inside jokes like “sensitive gangsta” and references only Love Island viewers would catch made the execution 10x better. This stunt and collaboration positioned Poppi as a brand that moves fast and listens to culture in moments that matter.
2. Kit Kat x 5120 x 1080 trend
The 5120 x 1080 trend is possibly one of the weirdest trends I’ve come across. What started as a format led by cinematographers capturing intricate landscapes quickly became a playground for brands to flex their creativity. Many brands like e.l.f., Set Active, and Toblerone jumped on.
But one brand in particular caught my eye: Kit Kat. Why? Because a singular Kit Kat bar fits this trend perfectly.
Kit Kat didn’t overcomplicate it. They posted a single Kit Kat bar stretched edge to edge across the 5120 x 1080 frame. It was perfectly proportioned, and I won’t lie, I did end up craving Kit Kat later that day (thank you, candy stash).
Other brands leaned into making their products look minuscule in the wide frame, used sensory tactics, or simply showcased their product lineup horizontally. Those examples performed well, but Kit Kat’s version stood out because it didn’t feel performative. This kind of execution makes you nod your head and smile because you instantly get it. I compare the feeling to adding the last puzzle piece to a puzzle you worked on for hours.
It’s clear that Kit Kat recognized the trend the moment it started gaining traction and instantly knew: this is our moment. A Kit Kat bar is already rectangular. The ultra-wide format didn’t require them to force their product into the trend; it was literally made for the brand. The key word here is natural alignment, and that’s what made the execution feel effortless.
3. CAVA x Plushies
Labubu this, Labubu that. If you spent any time online in 2024-2025, you couldn’t escape the viral obsession with Labubus: the creepy-cute plushie from Pop Mart’s “The Monsters” series. Lines wrapped around Pop Mart stores, drops sold out instantly, and the hype got so intense that people started buying “Lafufus” (knockoff Labubus) just to get in on the trend.
But Labubu’s were part of a much bigger movement: plushie bag charms. From Jellycat croissants to Sanrio characters, Gen Z started clipping soft, nostalgic plushies onto their bags. The trend tapped into something more intimate: “little treat culture,” Gen Z’s habit of collecting small, joy-inducing items as a form of self-care and self-expression.
CAVA saw the moment and jumped in quickly.
CAVA launched limited-edition blind-bag plushies inspired by their fan-favorite pita chip flavors: Original, Garlic Ranch, Hot Harissa, and a mystery fourth character, “Sweet Sammy.” The plushies were only available with the purchase of CAVA’s new Hot Harissa Meal.
They leveraged two powerful cultural forces: gamification and little treat culture. Just like Pop Mart’s Labubu strategy, CAVA tapped into blind box culture. You didn’t know which plushie you’d get until you opened the bag, tapping into the same dopamine rush that made Labubus and other blind boxes a phenomenon.
Not to mention, almost all of these blind box openings were organically posted on TikTok and Instagram. This element of surprise turned a meal into a collectible experience.
Little treat culture is an emotional trigger. Gen Z doesn’t just buy products that contribute to their daily life, they buy into products that make them feel something. A meal with a surprise plushie becomes a moment of joy, a tiny indulgence that feels special. CAVA positioned their plushies as bag charm-worthy.
The result? The plushies sold out across multiple locations quickly. Not so surprising. While CAVA didn’t invent the plushie trend, they were culturally aware enough to recognize when a moment aligned perfectly with their brand. They understood their Gen Z audience’s craving for small, cute things that spark joy, and they delivered.
4. TRIANGL x 2016 Trend
2026 is the new 2016; or so everyone says. The 2016 aesthetic is trending –TikTok searches for “2016” surged by 452% in the last week, and Spotify saw a 71% increase in “2016” playlists compared to 2024. From chokers to skinny jeans, people have been posting their old 2016 looks and recreating them with TikTok’s vintage 2016 filter (Rio de Janeiro, IYKYK).
OG YouTubers, Viners, and musical artists from the era posted throwback photos, which garnered nothing but praise. But the real winner here is TRIANGL, the neoprene bikini brand that defined 2016 swimwear. Trust me, you had to be there. It was huge.
As a founding father of 2016 fashion core, TRIANGL tapped into the 2016 wave. They dug into their 2016 archives and reposted pictures of girls wearing their iconic neoprene bikinis with the caption: “Who remembers their OG TRIANGL?”
The carousel included Hailey Bieber, which, from a distance, feels like a calculated move. With her Rhode beauty line dominating the beauty and skincare industry, her association with TRIANGL can potentially carry serious influence. If Hailey is seen wearing the neoprene bikini, Gen Z is likely going to go from “that’s cool” to “I need it now” at the speed of light. So if Hailey Bieber does a collab with TRIANGL, or even reposts their carousel, just letting you know, I called it.
But TRIANGL didn’t just dig into the archives; they announced that they’ll be relaunching their neoprene bikini line. If you didn’t know, the company’s original goal was to sell one bikini a day, but by the end of their first year in business, Triangl had turned over $5 million. That post has over 50K likes, which proves that they matched their audience’s energy to the T.
TRIANGL was the first brand to fully commit to the 2016 bit. While other brands posted content in 2016 filters, TRIANGL reposted archives, are set to launch a new collection, and own the 2016 fashion narrative.
They read the room clearly: people don’t just want the aesthetic of 2016, they want the conditions that made 2016 feel the way it was, and the bikini was a huge part of that. Whether or not the 2016 aesthetic is here to stay, TRIANGL has decided to go all out and be the first to commit to the bit, potentially prompting other 2016-era brands to follow suit.
Bonus: Blank Street Matcha
Okay, maybe this counts as five trends, not four, but Blank Street is a unique case that I’m obsessed with. I couldn’t not include it. Unlike the other brands in this article, Blank Street didn’t just participate in a trend. They let the trend reshape their entire business.
What started as “Blank Street Coffee” (a single coffee cart in Brooklyn), became a matcha empire by 2025. Matcha sales now account for over 50% of Blank Street’s business, with their Strawberry Shortcake Matcha becoming their best-selling drink of all time.
And, they’re not done. Blank Street continues to drop flavor after flavor: Blueberry Matcha, Banana Bread Matcha, Cookies & Cream Matcha, the list goes on. Each one is a limited-edition drop that created scarcity and drove demand.
Blank Street leaned so far into matcha that they completely reworked their brand, dropping “Coffee” from the name entirely and shifting their entire color palette to lush greens and pastels (coincidentally matcha-coded).
No, Blank Street didn’t invent the matcha trend, but #matcha has millions of views across socials. They understood that Gen Z romanticized the occasional iced oatmilk matcha latte, and that matcha as a concept is an aesthetic.
Trying new matcha flavors becomes content, and carrying a Blank Street matcha is a status symbol, because it shows participation in a lifestyle trend.
So, all of this to say… maybe it’s not so much of a bad idea to let the trend consume you.
Cultural Branding: Key Takeaways
- Stop trend-farming. You don’t need to participate in every single trend you find, just the ones that fit your brand aesthetic, voice, and identity.
- Timing beats perfection. Don’t wait until the last minute. Speed and cultural awareness matter more than having the “perfect” execution or a different approach.
- When the trend is already about you, show up. When your audience is already talking about you, lean in. It’s a missed opportunity to stay silent.
- Cultural relevance is your competitive advantage. The internet will always need something to obsess over. Brands that stay plugged into what Gen Z cares about like “little treat culture” build authentic connections that keep audiences coming back.
