The internet is killing brand originality

3 brand activations to retire and 3 to try instead

I’m someone who believes social media is cemented into our culture. No matter how much we fantasize about collectively logging off and reclaiming our attention spans, it pulls us back in. In fact, usage has plateaued: the average time spent on social has remained steady for the past two years and is projected to stay that way through the next two (eMarketer).

Kids today are basically born with phones in their faces from the second they exit the womb. Likely aware of what a “like” or “comment” is by the time they learn how to read. It’s our new reality.

This shift online hasn’t just changed how humans move through the world. It’s also completely rewritten the rules of marketing. Like people, brands have had to adjust to the digital world by competing for the same finite attention online, and in doing so, many fall into the trap of using iterative marketing trends. This has led to burnt-out consumers, tired of seeing the same activations used time and time again.

This leads me to three brand activations I am officially declaring overdone on social, and three alternatives to try instead.

1. Out: Influencer/Celebrity Collabs.

If I see another crumbl cookie partnership I’m going to scream.

I think we can all applaud Hailey Bieber and the Rhode team for being early to the game with the $20 Erewhon, strawberry glaze smoothie back in 2022. But like any social media trend, brand trends also come with expiration dates.

Fast forward to this week alone and we’ve got:

• Baskin-Robbins x Sydney Sweeney

• Dunkin x Sabrina Carpenter

• Matchaful x Addison Rae

These partnerships are predictable and all attempt to follow the same equation: celeb + fruity drink = viral.

In: Artist Collabs.

Swap mega influencers/celebs for creatives. Partnering with independent artists who are already sharing their talents online gives brands the chance to build a new world around a launch.

Recess recently teamed up with artist @dessiejackson to launch their new orange-vanilla flavor with dreamy stop-motion video. I have been following Dessie for some time now and always thought she deserved more brand collabs so I’m happy to see this one done so well.

See the post here

Here are 5 lesser-known artists I would want to partner with today if I had a brand:

• Chef @paris.starn

• Illustrator @ashleysetiawan

• Photographer @luuuuush

• Film Director @s____yna

• Painter @mars_black

2. Out: Branded Vending Machines.

These take me back to the days of Kylie Lip Kit machines that popped up in airports circa 2019. We managed to move past the avocado toast/Cha Cha Matcha/Man Repeller era, so I think it’s time we lay this cliché to rest as well.

In: Pop Up Photo Ops.

I’m not necessarily saying your brand should build a vintage photo booth — I feel that trend is also on its way out. But offering unique photo ops for customers gives people an RTP (reason to post), ultimately boosting visibility.

One of my favorite photo op activations lately came from Gentle Monster. At their LA popup, they invited creators and customers to try out an AI powered photo booth that turned them into the Bratz doll version of themselves.

watch here

If I were a brand I would host a pop-up and hire a talented film photographer like @chloehorseman for the day, offering to take posed solo pics of my most loyal fans for free so they can go home with a fresh new grid post.

3. Out: Influencer Dinners.

Gone are the days when the content creator lifestyle was still a spectacle and brand dinners were a foreign concept that sparked real intrigue. Fast forward 5 years post-pandemic, and brands are lucky if they can get a few thousand likes from these events.

I will say, hosting dinners to build loyalty/community among micro creators within your niche? Yes. Hosting dinners to get clicks and comments from the public? No thank you.

In: Community Events

Invest in your customers. Especially the ones who see your brand as part of their identity. Brands who give back to their loyalists signal to potential customers that they are proud of who they are and who they attract. Proud enough to spend real marketing dollars creating experiences that make their fans feel valued.

On has seemed to crack the code of brand social — balancing a blend of artist collabs with real runners around the world in a way that feels authentic to the brand. And by sponsoring small run clubs in major cities like Dirty Bird RC or The Loop, they make running feel like something all the cool kids are doing.

I would love to see more brands amplifying local clubs and organizations in cities to create more authentic engagement and build up IRL communities.