My favourite time of the year is upon us. It’s trend forecasting season, baby! The time when I make guesses on social trends for the year, and then blame [the dog? A bad internet connection? Elon Musk?] for the ones that turn out wrong in 2026.
Joking, of course. But joking aside, I’ll be flexing my research chops with a blend of qualitative and quantitative insights to inform this methodology. So buckle up - let’s get into my predicted macro trends of the year.
Trend #1: Decelerating Hype Cycles
Think fast fashion, but for internet trends.
Ever find it exhausting to keep up with the IoT (internet of things)? You’re not alone. Fast moving trends are causing fatigue and overwhelming brands, creators, and audiences with the sheer pace they’re urged to consume. How many of you jumped on Demure on Friday afternoon only to realize it was done and dusted by Monday morning?
Some brands are starting to slow down and allow people to savour experiences, before moving on to the next thing. Especially the ones investing heavily into content production technologies. Record labels like @thisneverhappened are going as far as to create taglines like ‘experience the moment, don’t record it’, while nostalgic brands like Nokia are re-launching the dumbphone, as a means to detox without disconnecting. We’re also seeing a comeback of Luddite Mode, or Neo-Luddism - a liberation from social media and technology, synonymous with the gen-z led rebellion against doom scrolling and social media burnout.
That’s not to say we should flush our smart phones down the toilet. Rather, that we should think twice about the pace we curate content. We still need to stay relevant and exciting online, but we also need to ask ourselves if certain trends make sense for brands before participating. Does it support genuine connection? Does it intuitively tie back to the brand personality or purpose? If yes, have atter. If no, resist the urge to overproduce and find some respite in the chaos of the IoT.
Pro tip: when creating your marketing roadmap, hold contingency budget aside for ‘reactive trends’ which cannot be planned for. This way resources are in place for a faster turnaround when the time comes. Streamlining your approval process in advance, will save you the heartache.
Trend #2: The Dark Side (…of Social)
Star Wars fans, stand down.
The realities of cancel culture have created demand for safer spaces to self-express outside of public commentary, with more options for anonymity and privacy. This is synonymous with the loneliness epidemic, which has driven people to grasp for deeper connection among real and/or internet friends. This perfect storm of cultural relevance has amplified the desire for dark social.
Dark social is another word for private internet groups and forums, like closed Facebook communities, Discord, or Reddit. They are invite-only, semiprivate, or fully private spaces where groups gather, and tend to be highly conversational venues.
For brands, dark social is a research lovers’ goldmine. Think of it like a free, billion person focus group… (how wild is that?). Even a wallflower can glean a comprehensive understanding of customer needs and new creative opportunities when monitoring discussions and questions. Niche audience data can lead to personalized inventory, R&D opportunities, affiliate relationships, and more. Some brands may forego social listening altogether and use dark social as a space for exclusive drops and fandom, like the Gucci Vault, a concept initially launched on Discord before becoming a physical pop-up that offered rare and exclusive pieces to their customers.
Pro-tip: Make sure you have a community management strategy in place for 2025. If you’re simply collecting data, lurk away to your hearts’ content. But if you’re planning to engage, ensure you’re not infiltrating with a passive approach. In other words, no re-directing inquiries or digital switchboard vibes. Instead, actively speak to, and connect with fans.
Trend #3: The Levity Activity
See what I did with that rhyme?
The world is on fire. Corruption is widespread. I spent $6 on an onion this weekend. Box breathing and composting banana peels doesn’t seem to lighten the cognitive load. The truth is, it’s easy to catastrophize in the doom and gloom of modern day society.
But in the rough, comes the diamond. These stresses are a shared experience among humanity, which means they are an opportunity for widespread connection. Furthermore, they will cause consumers to crave levity. Brands like The Better Climate Store are tackling this head on, with their satirical tongue-in-cheek approach to global warming. Their Greenwash Soap (inspired by corporations everywhere) and Memories of Clean Air candle are my personal favs.
According to Oracle’s 2022 Happiness Report, 91% of people prefer brands to be funny and 72% would choose a brand that uses humour over the competition. So this year, think laughs not lectures - and don’t be afraid to roast your fans. If RyanAir can troll TikTok users with toilet access fees, so can you… sort of. Allow consumers to find a sense of comfort and joy through lighthearted and humorous messaging, especially while wading through the dumpster fires of the 21st century.
Pro tip: robots aren’t funny. (And if you think they are, it says more about you…👀 #ThowingShade). Use humour as a great way to stand out in the age of AI content.
Trend #4: Do it on Purpose
Call it purpose, social justice, or impact. It all comes back to connection and CSR.
When did we start trying to be everything to everyone about everything? When did we start needing 12 kinds of milks? When did Pinterest recipes become a 20 page scavenger hunt just to find what temperature to preheat the oven? Ok, maybe now I’m projecting... but somewhere between the time where cats became influencers and we coined #BratSummer, intention and purpose in marketing waned.
But not all that wanders is lost - all we need is a course correction. Instead of being everything, brands should connect with their audiences in meaningful ways, through meaningful initiatives. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report (n=36k), consumers trust brands more than government with a staggering 54% lead, and that responsibility should be taken seriously.
In 2025, companies should create impactful experiences that inspire mass action and make the world a better place.
Pro tip: while topics like sustainability, for example, are important. Be wary of washing (i.e. greenwashing, pinkwashing, diversitywashing, etc). Consumers are sensitive about brands using social justice to line corporate pockets, and they aren’t afraid to call it out on social media. (Anyone remember the green m&m TikTok?) Avoid being a clout chaser by backing up claims with real, cold, hard facts and tangible efforts. If you wouldn’t say it in an annual report, don’t type it in a social post.
Trend #5: Collective Effervescence, +10k Aura
Strategists love nothing more than a catchy new buzz word.
Post-panini (pandemic), there has been a cultural shift towards enhanced experiences, after prolonged sensory deprivation. This shows no signs of slowing down as we collectively continue to grapple with anxiety-fuelled economic and climate uncertainty. This brings us to the sociological concept of collective effervescence. That is, the demand for mass collective experiences which fulfill a yearning for belonging.
According to a November 2024 Stats Canada survey, 61% of respondents aged 15-65+ always or often feel lonely, and there is general sentiment around a loss of community. These values skewed even higher for disabled and LGBTQIA2+ persons (n=20k). Why does this matter? Brands can find blue sky opportunities by engineering collective experiences that promote connection at scale. The most obvious examples would be The Burning Man Project, pro-sport fans, or a classic Big Fat Greek Wedding.
IKEA began pulling this off in 2023, when they started hosting nighttime raves in their stores. Marcus Engman, IKEA’s creative director, told VML that he wanted to create areas for tillsammans (the Swedish word for togetherness), and explained “when you do a thing like throwing a rave, it’s the people that create the ambiance. We’re just the scene for them to create something”. He’s not wrong - who wouldn’t want to get jiggy wit a BILLY on one side and a KALLAX on the other?
In summary, people want fun, but through alternative formats than digital alone. Multi-sensorial touch points are a great way to swim away from the sea of sameness and stumble into the unexpected.
Pro tip: to simply “create connection” can be daunting. If you don’t know where to begin, think about serving communities, instead of serving individuals within a community, or a bottom line. What can be done to facilitate escapism? Think about alternative spaces, places, and senses. Or, call your friendly neighbourhood creative agency (cough…ZGM) and we’ll do it for you ;)
TL;DR
In summary, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with internet culture, and the speed it moves. Which platform? What metrics? What content? The first thing we need to do is disarm. Social media is a digital playground. That means that exploring, being creative, testing, learning, and trying new things is half (if not all) of the fun. We don’t need to treat organic social like traditional or paid media, because it’s not.
If I can leave brands with any advice, it’s to avoid a rigid approach. Create a proactive social strategy thats rooted in customer data, social listening, internal audits, competitive analysis, journey mapping, anticipated trends, and cultural moments. Then hold spaceTM for reactive content, when it makes sense for your brand to participate in pop culture throughout the year.
Want your brand to make a better mark on the world, while creating a little happiness along the way? Drop me a line at at sarah.elstone@zgm.ca.
