Unless you’ve been trapped in a plastic toy box, there’s no escaping the Barbie-core movement that’s sweeping the globe. Take a trip to Barbie Land with us as we explore Trend Marketing which involves using current trends, fads, or popular topics to promote a brand or service. Just like ours, we’re sure your social media feeds have been pink, pink and more pink and this is thanks to the new Barbie film which has recently hit the $1 Billion mark at the global box office!. Trend marketing is more prevalent now more then ever. It involves using current trends, fads, or popular topics to promote a brand or service.
When applying this to Barbie, many companies have jumped in the Barbie car and catered their marketing to all things pink and glittery, and it’s certainly worked!
Quick links:
What is trend marketing?
Trend Marketing. What is it and why might it be a technique that you can use for your business? As stated earlier, when there is a social trend or popular topic that is present in the media, this usually opens up a new door for businesses in terms of marketing. When a trend is present, such as Barbie, businesses use this to their advantage and cater their marketing to the trend. This way, the brand stays present and increases its reach to a large following.
Why are trends important in digital marketing?
The world is constantly changing, and brands must follow suit to stay in the spotlight. Understanding the latest cultural, social, or technological trends means businesses will capture the attention of their target audience and stay prominent amongst the sea of competitors. People need to be entertained and sharing outdated and old content will fall flat online and will give the impression of an out-of-touch brand, so think fresh and new. Or if all else fails, think Pink! Showcasing your brand’s personality is fundamental on social media, and when you jump on relevant trends, it portrays your business as one that is modern, relevant and entertaining. Digital trends are also a great path for small businesses to take as it can be great exposure.
Should you use trend marketing?
In short, yes! Following trends not only shows the brands personality and ensures businesses stay relevant but it is also a great way of getting brand exposure. Majority of the time, trends can be tracked online through hashtags. The more hashtags, the bigger the trend. Let’s add some glitter… the hashtag #Barbie had been used 14.1 million times on Instagram and had 50.5 billion views on TikTok.
It is important to remember that every audience is different, and they all have different interests. This is particularly important to remember when jumping on a trend, for example, you wouldn’t expect to see dog grooming company market to a trend about fast cars. You need to make sure the target of the trend is also your target audience otherwise it’ll have the opposite effect and make your business seem out-of-touch and unaware of who you’re trying to target.
A great example of this is Airbnb’s recent partner with Warner Bros. and Mattel to transform a home into the iconic Barbie Malibu DreamHouse. Not only did this amuse a large group of Barbie fans, but it was also a fun and successful marketing tactic for Airbnb as it allowed fans to experience the film first hand and fully immerse into the Barbie trend. The Barbie Malibu DreamHouse has become a sensation and is currently the most popular listing on Airbnb. The campaign generated significant media attention, with over 13,000 press hits and an impressive 250 million social media impressions since its announcement. Last year, it got 600,000 articles written about it. So people talk a lot about Airbnb. If that doesn’t convince you that trends marketing is the way to go then we don’t know what will!
On the other hand, seeing a surprising pairing can have its benefits. It is a given that your audience should see the relevance between your business and the trend but sometimes it benefits to think outside the box (plastic toy box). For instance, the games console, Xbox, also collaborated with the film to create a pink, game lovers dream bringing it’s audience a new Xbox Series S console, Xbox Wireless controller, and a couple of Barbie cars appearing in Forza Horizon 5. This breaks a lot of social standards as when we think games console, we don’t think Barbie, but it opens up to a whole new audience. Some could say it even stands out more so then other businesses due to the stark contrast in audiences.
What are the best place formats for trend marketing?
Trends are great to follow, but how’s best to show you’re following a trend? The first obvious option that comes to mind is social media. Social platforms are arguably the most successful way to gain brand exposure, especially considering There were 57.10 million social media users in the United Kingdom in January 2023. That is a lot of people to reach out to! It’s also important to remember influencers can be a great tool for spreading awareness, especially if the influencer happens to be trending and gaining a lot of attraction at the time. Content/organic marketing is always a hit too, making sure your posts reflect a trend is always important to show your interest in the trend. Don’t forget to make it funny! Creating engaging, fun content makes your brand more memorable. It also shows the fun side of your brand again which will come in handy when you’re trying to stand out from thousands of other brands jumping on a trend.
What are some examples of trend marketing?
Let’s take a trip to Barbie land and look at some examples of brands that made the most of the Barbie trend and explore how they ensured to stand out amongst the sea of pink.
– PROPER to came out with limited-edition popcorn packs. The brand continued the escapism by including wrapped iconic London buses and created a floor-to-ceiling pink pop-up.
– Tangle Teezer created themed products that are suitable for all hair types. The brand had pop-up photo opportunities with the words ‘Great hair starts with imagination’ printed across the prop as well.
– Zara dropped a plethora of products ranging from a pink lunch box, a necklace and pink tracksuits all of which have the famous barbie font.
– Impala collaborated with the Barbie franchise to design a three-piece skate collection inspired by the skates that appear in the Barbie movie.
Consumers and brands have been loving the Barbie trend showing that trend marketing is a great way of gaining brand awareness, especially through social media platforms. It will allow your brand to be seen as up-to-date and current. It is also a great opportunity to strengthen your brand story and get creative!
Thankfully we know the best ways of staying current. Get in contact with us to help you stay new and fresh. Don’t fall behind, get trending!
