Should Brands Capitalize on Trending Pop Culture References?

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Let’s say this is a part of your long-term strategy to be culturally relevant and unabashedly push what content can be made for a brand. Lean in and show that it truly is a part of your brand’s DNA. Duolingo is a great example of not just trying to be unhinged here and there. They go all the way with it and it’s embedded in their brand and its perception. They leaned in and they are winning because of it.

What about B2B brands?

B2B marketing has traditionally been seen as more conservative and, some might argue, boring.

However, there’s a growing push for B2B brands to show up more creatively and frankly less stuffy. Succinct, timely and sometimes even unhinged content can yield impressive engagement. This shift isn’t just about standing out; the brands that win are the ones that successfully adapt without sacrificing their core values.

That said, engagement must be relevant. Just because content is unhinged or trendy doesn’t mean it will convert to revenue. It’s essential to continually measure the effectiveness and alignment of these strategies with wider business objectives.

Autodesk has done the work to be thoughtful about how they approach pop culture and activate their content to act more like a B2C brand versus the traditional B2B approach.

Aligning short-term and long-term goals to these activations is critical when deciding whether to leverage a trend. Build out a process for your team to jump onto relevant content when things aren’t happening, so you aren’t left scrambling when you see a Slack message that says “Everyone else is doing it.” Instead, it needs to fit into a broader strategy that considers both immediate engagement and eventual conversion.

Navigating the landscape of trending pop culture references requires a delicate balance. Brands must assess their readiness, ensure alignment with their values and weigh the benefits and risks. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, thoughtful strategy and authentic engagement can lead to meaningful, lasting connections with your audience.