Every year, as holidays like Father’s Day or Mother’s Day roll around, many brand feeds start to all blend together with similar messaging, visuals, and content. 

Brands know that nowadays, they need to stand out with their own type of content and style in their everyday posts, but when it comes to holidays, many fall back to a standard we’ve seen year after year.

We’ve all seen these types of posts, typically more polished imagery or videos with copy like: 

• Surprise Dad with a gift he’ll actually use!
• Make Mom’s day unforgettable.
• The perfect gift for the world’s greatest dad.
• Etc, etc, etc. 

They are all generally well-intentioned messages that have a heart behind them. However, in the push to appeal to everyone and simply say something for the holiday, most brands end up saying the exact same thing.

It’s safe. And it checks the box on the content calendar every year. 

However, generic messaging rarely helps introduce or reinforce what sets the brands apart for the holiday moment. 

For some, Father’s Day is a celebration. For others, it can remind them of an absence, recent loss, or a different family dynamic. There are people with fathers who are no longer with them and are dealing with a sense of grief. Some choose to celebrate their single mothers who helped close the gap. Or those honoring other types of father figures in their lives (uncles, grandparents, mentors, siblings, etc.). 

The reality is that these holidays don’t land the same way for every person they reach.

While brands are aware of these nuances, many have continued with the same safe type of content year in and year out. Granted, there is nothing inherently wrong with that approach, but it rarely moves the audience or builds a connection compared to the brands that find an insight that makes them stand out versus blending in with the sheer noise and volume of content and campaigns around the holiday. 

When brands can connect with their audiences and show how they see their audience in all their nuance, they can add value to the moment and build something that lasts longer than a mass-appeal post or campaign. 

So, how should brands do this? By leaning into intention messaging led by their own strengths as a brand, not a calendar date. 

Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and all the holidays are not the actual message but an opportunity to say something worth remembering about what your brand can stand for and for who. 

Brands need to ask themselves, “What does this moment look like for our brand?” rather than simply “What are we posting for Father’s Day?” 

When brands lead with intention versus expectation, the results can be memorable. 

Below are a couple of recent examples that left an impression: 

Kraft’s 14-Karat Macaroni Necklace for Mom: Kraft started with the idea that every Mother’s Day, kids show their appreciation with arts and crafts projects with the dry noodles to makeshift a ‘macaroni necklace’ for their moms.

“To commemorate the mutual love kids and mom share over macaroni, we are creating the only ‘blue box’ she needs this Mother’s Day,” said Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer, North America at The Kraft Heinz Company

Knowing that insight and trend from years past, they worked to create a limited drop of a solid gold Kraft Mac & Cheese Forever Macaroni Necklace with jewelry brand Ring Concierge. 

Kraft only posted about the launch twice on their own pages, with a low price of just $25, and they sold out instantly. 

DoorDash’s Redefining Father’s Day Gifting: Last year’s campaign for the delivery app was led by nine DoorDash partners to show how the creators celebrate the dads in their lives. 

The goal was to help customers ‘rethink the approach to gifting, putting the focus on cherishing time with family,’ and show how DoorDash could deliver 1) personalized and quality gifts available on the app for the creator’s dads and 2) allow for more time with the family by bringing their gifts to their front doors.

While DoorDash never posted the campaign to its channels, the campaign and content worked by driving conversations and awareness with nearly 17 million organic and paid impressions and positive sentiment in the creator’s comments for the brand, which left a lasting impact.

The examples above showcase some of the larger campaigns seen on social media, but that doesn’t mean that brands without those resources can’t create memorable or impactful content or messaging with their own audiences.

Ready to start creating content that drives results for your brand? Contact us!

Let’s be honest. If you touch the advertising industry–whether you’re a client, a creative, a strategist, or a self-proclaimed Jack-of-all-trades–you’ve probably fallen into the trap of thinking, “I’d never click on that,” or “This doesn’t resonate with me,” and most certainly, “If I wouldn’t want to buy, no one else will.”

Here’s the reality: you are not the target audience.

The Mirror Effect

It’s natural to view campaigns through our own lens. After all, we’re immersed in a brand’s world consistently, if not every single day. Unfortunately, assuming personal preferences align with target audience preference can lead to misguided strategies (and frustrated clients and teams). This phenomenon, often termed the “mirror effect,” occurs when you project your personal taste into your campaigns and messaging, ignoring how the audience thinks or feels.

Consider this: a campaign that feels “off” to you might be spot-on for your target demographic. On the flip side, that specific message you know is going to drive conversion may be alienating your consumers. It is essential to differentiate between personal and audience preference. Effective advertising isn’t about appealing to your own tastes and C-Suite opinions, it’s about resonating with your target consumer.

Take Nike, for example. The brand built its legacy on bold, inspiring stories that spoke directly to athletes and everyday people chasing greatness. But recently, Nike’s choices have felt more like they’re trying to keep up with the conversation than lead it. They’ve drifted from the values that established them as the market leader, and instead started projecting what they thought would be more profitable for the business—casting aside the brand aspects their audience actually connects with.

Rather than drive innovation and inspiration in their marketing efforts, Nike shifted efforts to performance-based metrics and promotional messaging to drive immediate sales–ultimately resulting in a consumer uninterested in the label alone and revenues declining 10% YoY.  That kind of misalignment doesn’t just hurt brand perception—it hits the bottom line.

How to Stay Audience-Centric

1. Embrace Data-Driven Insights: Use data to get real about what your audience actually wants. Numbers don’t lie–let them guide you.
2. Engage in Active Listening: Feedback, reviews and social media interactions offer unfiltered insights into your audience’s perceptions and desires.
3. Diversify Your Team: Bring different voices to the table–different backgrounds, experiences and ways of thinking help you see what you might miss on your own.
4. Test and Iterate: Test different ideas, see what sticks and consistently refine to ensure your campaigns stay relevant.

Opportunity of Reflection

The mirror effect gets a bad rap—and for good reason. It’s easy to fall into and hard to spot. But for brands that know how to recognize it, it can be a powerful advantage. When you catch yourself marketing from the inside out, it’s a chance to pause, check your assumptions, and refocus on the audience you’re actually trying to reach. It raises an important question: are we creating for ourselves, or for them?

This kind of self- and brand-awareness is lucrative. The moment you stop seeing your own reflection and start seeing your audience clearly, you’re in a much better position to connect, inspire, and ultimately drive results.

Nike, to its credit, recognized the disconnect. Rather than doubling down, the brand pivoted–returning to its roots with a global campaign that reignited its original spirit of possibility and perseverance. This spot didn’t just celebrate athletic greatness, it invited everyday people to dream bigger, think bolder, and embrace their potential in an audience-first approach. Nike got back to speaking to their audience instead of at them. The response? A renewed sense of connection.

It’s easy to let personal bias sneak in, but here’s the truth: if you’re building ads for you, you’re probably missing the mark. Great campaigns aren’t built on personal taste–they’re built on audience truth. Whatever your role, check yourself: Are you making decisions based on what you like, or what your audience needs to hear?

Because if it’s the former, you’re not advertising. You’re creating a mirror.

But if you recognize the mirror, you can turn it outward to reflect what matters most.

Curious about building audiences who will actually drive results for your brand? Let’s chat.

What’s Still Trendy?

Pickleball? Cold plunges? Owala water bottles? Are we still saying things are demure?

Participating in trends on fast-moving platforms like Instagram and TikTok can help brands stay relevant, reach new audiences, and build authentic connections. However, trend participation can be cringy or off-brand when done without intention.

The key? Intentionality. Before your brand hops on the next trending sound or meme, run it through these three filters to make sure it’s not just timely but also valuable.

Follow These Three Checks to Ensure That Trend Participation Adds Real Value:

1.) Does The Trend Align With Your Audience’s Culture and Posting Platform?

Not every trend works for every audience or every platform. A Gen Z-focused brand might thrive on TikTok dance or meme trends, while a B2B brand might have greater success in clever LinkedIn memes or relatable posts, depending on its audience.

Also, consider where the trend originated. A format that takes off on TikTok may not on Instagram, even if both favor short-form video. Gymshark is a great example. They lean into inspirational photos and polished content on Instagram while embracing trends and humor on TikTok. Same brand, different audience strategies. Additionally, other trends can cross platforms successfully, and adapting trends takes a deep understanding of your following on each platform. 

2.) Is It Culturally Relevant to Your Brand, Not Just Popular?

It’s easy to copy what’s trending. But the best-performing trend content adapts viral moments in a way that feels unique to your brand and taps into broader cultural relevance.

Consider adding a clever twist or tying a trend into a seasonal moment or pop culture event. Either way, you want to stand out by being thoughtful, not just timely.

3.) Is it Executed with Intention?

Going “all in” on a trend means more than just replicating a format. It means integrating it into a campaign with clear messaging, strong visuals, and cross-channel consistency. Audiences can sense when something is thrown together just for reach. So don’t just follow the format. Own it, elevate it, and make it mean something.

When Trend Participation Does More Harm Than Good

Even with the right strategy, not every trend is worth your brand’s time. Just as the right trend can build momentum, the wrong one can do real damage. Here’s when trend participation can backfire and actually hurt your brand more than help it.

1.) It’s Already Past Its Peak

According to a report from Sprout Social, 27% of consumers believe that trend-related content is only relatable and worthy of engagement within the first 24-48 hours of the trend’s peak. Users, on average, spend 53 minutes a day on TikTok, making trends past this window seem stale and the brands behind the trend disconnected or out of touch. That said, while most trends need to be posted in this initial peak, others can withstand a longer time period, but often these trends are less specific (like a dance trend) and more easily adapted to fit your own audience and niche. 

2.) It Feels Forced or Inauthentic

Approximately 33% of consumers find it embarrassing when brands jump on trends that don’t fit their identity. Participating in a trend needs to align with your brand’s tone, industry, or values to avoid your followers feeling that it is inauthentic. 

3.) It Lacks Context or Cultural Awareness

Many memes, phrases, trending dances, or viral audios have cultural significance. Understanding the origin of trends is key to ensuring that your brand’s participation does not come across as tone-deaf, exploitative, or misrepresenting your brand’s values. 

How to Evaluate Whether a Trend Is Right for Your Brand

Before your team decides to join a trend, consider asking the following:

• Does this trend align with our brand values and voice?
• Can we execute it in a way that feels original and compelling?
• Are we legally allowed to use this audio, image, or concept?
• Do we fully understand the cultural roots or implications of this trend?

If the answer to any of these is “no” or even “maybe,” it may be worth reconsidering or finding an alternative angle.

Leverage Creators When It Makes More Sense

Sometimes, the best way to engage with a trend isn’t through your brand account at all. Partnering with content creators or influencers can offer a more authentic, audience-native way to participate, especially if your brand voice is more formal or polished.

Tools to Spot Trends Early and Avoid Playing Catch-Up

Success in trend marketing often depends on speed. But that doesn’t mean guessing or jumping in blindly. Use these tools to stay ahead of the curve:

• Google Trends: Use the “Trending Now” tab to track real-time interest in search terms and topics.
• Pinterest Predicts: Ideal for spotting emerging lifestyle trends with long-tail potential.
• Exploding Topics: Identifies early-stage trends before they hit mainstream attention.
• Social Listening Tools (e.g., Brandwatch, Sprout Social, Meltwater): Monitor conversations across platforms to understand what your audience is reacting to and how.
• Influencers and Content Creators: Following niche influencers and meme accounts can serve as an early radar for trends with staying power.

The Bottom Line

Trends can be a powerful tool for visibility and engagement, but only when they align with your brand’s voice, values, and audience. The most successful brands don’t just follow what’s popular; they make it their own.

If your team is unsure when or how to explore including trending content on your feeds, or if you want to build a more consistent, strategic presence on social media, working with an agency can help. From trend spotting to content creation to storytelling, a good agency brings both the expertise and outside perspective needed to grow your organic social media channels.