Take a moment to not market.

Reimagining online marketing without trend jacking.

Moment marketing, or trend jacking, has become a pervasive strategy for brands looking to capitalize on current events, trends, or viral moments.

While it might seem like a quick and easy way to gain attention and engagement, it often comes at a cost.

Firstly, as much as one can deny it, there’s the issue of authenticity.

Most brands struggle to find genuine relevance in the moment they’re trying to capitalize on. This lack of authenticity can lead to backlash from consumers who see through the thinly veiled attempt to hijack a trend for commercial gain.

Moreover, the pressure it puts on internal creative teams is immense and often overlooked. The demand to come up with a clever and timely response to a trending topic can be overwhelming.

Creative teams are expected to produce high-quality content on the spot, often with super tight deadlines. This more often than not, leads to rushed, uninspired work that does little to enhance the brand’s image.

Additionally, the competitive nature of moment marketing can be detrimental to brands.

The race to be the first to jump on a trend can result in brands neglecting important considerations like moral standards, ethics and the more than often ignored brand alignment.

This can lead to embarrassing blunders that damage the brand’s reputation rather than enhancing it.

Furthermore, the relentless pursuit of moment marketing reflects a broader trend of brands prioritizing short-term gains over long-term brand building.

Instead of focusing on creating great products and services that genuinely add entertainment / value to consumers’ lives, brands are more concerned with grabbing attention at any cost.

In this age of information overload, consumers are becoming increasingly wary of brands that try too hard to insert themselves into every conversation.

Rather than bombarding consumers with irrelevant ads and trending opinions, brands would be better served by focusing on building meaningful connections with their audience based on shared values and genuine engagement.

Ultimately, moment marketing might provide a temporary boost in online love, but it does little to build lasting brand loyalty.

Instead of chasing trends, brands would do well to take a step back and focus on what truly matters — creating great products and services that speak for themselves.