When it comes to finding and maintaining brand relevancy, advertisers walk a fine line. Playing it safe by sticking to the status quo may help instill consumer trust, but it may not get people talking. On the other hand, being active on social media can both help and hurt a brand. Perceptions can change very quickly based on what consumers see on social platforms, with a particularly strong effect on younger consumers.
While many brands are able to leverage social media to create and maintain cultural relevance, some are able to weather controversy better than others. Two similar brands with a similar strategy may have two very different outcomes, especially if one has been able to foster more trust with consumers.
“Brands are a lot like people nowadays. They all have personalities, we talk about them and there's a variety of different factors that make brands appealing to different generations and different cohorts. There's different things they do to stay relevant and there's different tactics that they take,” said Justin Pincus, managing director, QuestBrand.
The Harris Poll company QuestBrand’s “A Brand Leader’s Playbook” report evaluates data from The Harris Poll and internal data to evaluate what the company calls Brand Momentum, and how it correlates to key performance indicators. Data is collected daily from a pool of consumers intended to reflect the U.S. population. Momentum is measured by changes in consumer beliefs about the trajectory of a brand in relation to its competitors. Scores of 20% or more means consumers view the brand as “rising” while scores closer to zero reflect the opposite.
The relevancy equation
Shein and Temu are prime examples of how some brands can weather controversy better than others, per the report. Shein, which has a brand momentum score of 23%, has gone viral on platforms like TikTok, largely through strategic influencer partnerships and the popularity of “haul” content. While scrutiny around topics such as labor practices and regulatory risks are growing, the brand is able to maintain consumer interest through its ability to take advantage of microtrends.
Temu, which has a brand momentum score of 27%, takes a similar approach to Shein. It’s able to offer goods at seemingly impossibly low prices. However, tariffs, regulatory issues and a loss of consumer trust is causing the brand to have to go on the defensive. Despite increasing European advertising spend and improving fulfillment capabilities, Temu was not able to recover when it came to brand momentum. The damage was done.
“Temu had this massive awareness and familiarity gain. They threw tons of money at their brand, and they got momentum burst, but they lost it really quick,” said Pincus. “Marketing can only get you so far. At the end of the day, it's going to be about the product, it’s going to be about the quality of the company.”
The ongoing play for attention
Keeping brand momentum going can be tricky. While a newer brand may go viral on social media, a lack of history and consumer trust may grind that momentum to a halt. One example of this would be Peloton, which saw massive growth during the pandemic before a significant crash after gyms started to open back up.
“Equity keeps you standing when that bubble bursts. Peloton didn't really have the depth of trust, quality and consideration to weather that fall,” said Pincus.
Maintaining relevancy and momentum is crucial if brands want to stay in the public eye. Carhartt, a brand with a legacy of outfitting blue collar workers, has been able to expand its consumer base to younger consumers and those into streetwear. The brand, which has a momentum score of 26%, is able to leverage its legacy of quality to keep its place in the public eye.
“What cultural relevance means is, how much is a brand shaping trends and conversation today? And that goes back to what value is,” said Pincus. “What's the value of having high trust if nobody knows who you are, nobody talks about you?”
