24 Sep As the viral TikTok trend ‘BRAT summer’ comes to an end – what’s next?
Whilst the lime green ship has certainly sailed, the impact of Gen Z’s so-called ‘BRAT summer’ can’t be denied.
A trend originally cultivated by Charlie XCX’s fans in response to her latest album, (let’s just say it means embracing a more chaotic lifestyle and leave it at that), this quickly spread across viral TikTok in its entirety. This turned the phrase into an overnight household phenomenon with every brand jumping on the bandwagon to showcase the very essence of ‘BRAT’.
It just might be one of our favourite senseless viral moments yet and it’s certainly got us thinking about the impact of social media in dictating trends and campaigns.
Gen Z Guides the Way
This isn’t the only trend that we’ve seen brands get actively involved with recently. The popular phrase ‘very demure, very mindful’ was coined by beauty content creator, Jools Lebron, but this has since become a light-hearted way for brands to connect with their Gen Z audiences across all industries. J-Lo even got involved.
It’s reactive marketing at its finest, but as Vogue Business* so rightly explained in a recent article, it is ‘the fine line between cultural relevance and cringe’. Basically, if the shoe doesn’t fit, it’s perhaps best not to get involved. Therefore, knowing your audience is key and you can weigh up if user-generated content will be well received.
Un-Serious Brand Marketing
Another recent viral TikTok trend we’ve spotted is ‘we let our Gen Z intern edit this video’, which has been interpreted by the likes of UK-wide brands, Boots and Curry’s. These videos consist of team members relaying a script entirely made up of ‘trending’ or viral taglines and popular slang words. They will also pass the baton on to the next brand to recreate it themselves. We spotted Boots challenging Henry Hoover to take on the trend…
This demonstrates just how much TikTok has become a carefree space and an app where brands shouldn’t expect to take themselves too seriously. As a result, it also helps businesses decide if TikTok is perhaps the right platform for them.
Honourable Mentions
Whilst we’re on the topic, we wanted to shoutout some of the brands that we think are doing TikTok right and creating content which suits the platforms audience, as well as their own. Take Ryanair, a budget airline which is often known for its delays and extra add-on fees. But the brand knows this and has found a way to find some hilarity in this with some self-aware skits.
Another favourite is Duolingo, whose iconic bird logo has become a sassy online character. You’ll quite often find the brand in the comments of viral videos with a funny quip or response to another business. This is an interesting approach to community management which often sees brands go viral just for their comment alone. AdAge** recently discussed this in an article and explained how this can be just as good for engagement as it is for in-feed posting.
Decisions, Decisions…
Overall, to get involved with viral TikTok trends you need evaluate these three things: time, relevance and audience. Are you jumping on a trend fast enough or have you missed the mark? Does the nature of the trend fit your brand values or the tone-of-voice you want to set? And ultimately, will your audience get it or will the concept of a ‘BRAT summer’ leave them extremely confused?
Whilst it’s becoming a great way to ensure high-reaching content and engagement from Gen Z social media users, will it be the way forward for you?
Looking to put together some social guidelines or hand over social media management? Get in touch: hello@luya.co.uk
**https://adage.com/article/digital-marketing-ad-tech-news/duolingo-starry-brand-strategies-tiktoks-comments-section/2553181