May TRENDspotting Report.

By BarkleyOKRP FUEL Team

Welcome to the May edition of the BarkleyOKRP trends report, our monthly snapshot of what inspires, informs, and occupies the modern consumer’s attention so brands can better connect with their audiences.

Happy Spring and Happy UMG, reinstating all of their music for TikTok! So, while we were all singing that we want a man in finance, 6’5”, trust fund, blue eyes, we also still couldn’t stop singing “I’m working late because I’m a singer” via the official Sabrina Carpenter sound (and not just live recording rips)!  

This month, we’ve also noticed how many different ways people try to “hack” their way through the algorithm to be seen. It seems that creators (both big and small) are tired of not being seen and are making less because of it. They’re exploiting these hacks to try and work smarter and not harder to make their lives a little bit easier thanks to the loopholes they’ve found – and brands are finding ways to work with those loopholes, and these creators, too,

As you can see, there’s much to cover, so let’s dive in!

MACRO TRENDS 

Here are seven trends we observed over the past month that are part of a bigger cultural story or platform trend. 

How to Hack Capitalism

• WHAT HAPPENED: TikTokers are trying to hack capitalism with #PayOffDebt. This hashtag features people attempting to use the TikTok Creator Fund to pay off debts, buy new things, or get funds. You see, TikTok’s Creator Fund counts a “view” as someone who has watched a video for at least 15 seconds – but that video also must be at least 1 minute long. So, users are drawing people in with a catchy or heartbreaking hook to get them to watch for 15 seconds and then just kind of do whatever (like stretching?) for the rest of the minute.   
• IMPLICATION: Is it working? Well, kind of. This creator went viral for trying to get TikTok to pay for her $5.7k wedding dress. And, while she reached over $2k in the creator fund, her story also reached tons of brands – with European Wax Center stepping in to cover the rest! This trend really showed off how some creators were able to rally their audiences to stick around and help out – a big benefit to brands looking for creators that audiences find relatable. It’s also opened the door for brands to step up and gain positive PR if someone is trying to #PayOffDebt, which matches what your brand offers or your target audience’s interests.

How to Hack De-Influencing

• WHAT HAPPENED: After the Met Gala, GenZ (and some millennials too) decided they’re sick of fabulous displays of wealth and have started a #blockout2024 “movement”. Their fairly sound theory is that our attention on these influencers and celebrities is currency – whether it’s social or literal currency from things like the TikTok Creator Fund. So, to prove a point and take value away from these people, we’re being encouraged to not just unfollow them – but block them completely so you don’t even have a chance of running across their content and funding their lifestyles. 
• IMPLICATION: While we truly think this movement will slowly fade away, the sentiment is something we’ve talked about before. In our opinion, influencers have hit their peak—especially macro influencers. Brands are finding new ways to get organic attention outside of their own pages, and followers are getting tired of being served content about lavish events when they’re struggling to afford a single night out. So, when vetting influencers for your latest campaign, this is another thing to add to the list! 

How to Hack Using Influencers

• WHAT HAPPENED: Fashion brand Marc Jacobs is breaking the mold right now by using influencers as talent. Instead of just giving influencers a brief and having them post on their own pages, they’re bringing them into the fold and posting the content on THEIR page, causing insane amounts of views and buzz. This makes their content feel authentic and helps them instantly jump on trends. 
• IMPLICATION:  This unique way of using influencers as talent, especially as influencers are becoming just as recognizable as traditional celebrities, feels like something that could catch on as influencers lose viewers on their own content yet still maintain that air of celebrity. Good on the MJ team for pushing the boundaries, taking risks, and paying off with comments like “the only brand that understands TikTok 😩😩” and this video (that they reposted because, of course, they did!).

How to Hack Co-Creation 

• WHAT HAPPENED: We know you all must have heard the genius of BBL Drizzy by now. Not only is this “diss track” by Metro Boomin incredibly catchy – but he openly encouraged creators to take the track and make it their own so Drake could get dissed by anyone and everyone.  You’ve got the sax version, the talk box version, and even the nun version.  
• IMPLICATION: The spirit of co-creation is ALIVE AND WELL on TikTok. This specific co-creation starter worked so well because it capitalized on a cultural moment that was the center of conversation; it was narrow enough to give people some direction on what to do but wide enough to give them the freedom to interpret in their own ways, it was accessible to people of ALL skill levels, and honestly, it’s catchy AF. It is a great recipe for success that, under the right circumstances, could be duplicated by brands.  

How to Hack Building Your Audience

• WHAT HAPPENED: We’ve discussed this before, but your fans still allow you to act and make awesome content DAILY. Are you set up and ready to take action? BIC had just started their TikTok (like, they only had one other video posted) when a creator made a viral video about how she was finally running out of her favorite pens, and it was a tragedy. So, now BICs second TikTok EVER has over 470k views because they took action immediately and are bringing those pens back (for a limited time) for their audience.
• IMPLICATION: Talk about kicking off a brand new account with a BANG and building an audience quickly. After what BIC Pens did with an account and team new to the platform, we don’t think anyone really has an excuse not to be ready to activate when fans give you the opportunity to. When your team is set up to be successful with permission to jump into action when they spot the opportunity (through a strong social listening strategy) – even going as far as being ready to help them make operational shifts based upon customer feedback – you, too have the ability to delight your fans while also building your audience. 

How to Hack Your Moment to Shine

• WHAT HAPPENED: NFL Schedule Release Day happened in May! It is one of the best opportunities for NFL social teams to be as creative as possible and get attention! And we think there are a few really interesting things to discuss regarding the videos that teams put together. The ones who had the videos getting the most praise really leaned into multiple cultural moments at the same time to make sure they hit a broad enough audience to be relevant across their diverse fan bases (We gotta give the Bears credit, but they nailed the multiple moments) OR leaned into what they’re known for on their social channels (the Vikings really spend a lot of time highlighting their player’s personalities on their channels, which they leaned into).  And the ones who flopped either leaned in way too hard on trends that not everyone would get unless you’re chronically online (looking at you, 49ers) or played too far outside of their typical voice and tone on social (The Bill’s video is good – but their social team is regularly so unhinged, this is a miss!).
• IMPLICATION: The big takeaway here is that when you have the opportunity to have your own social moment to shine, make sure you’re not deviating too far from what you regularly share on your channels and the voice and tone you’ve established with your audience. Also, don’t go too niche with your references to trends without including some broader points to focus on.

How to Understand the Speed of the Internet to Hack it

• WHAT HAPPENED: In May, the internet had a deep conversation about as a woman, would you rather be left alone in the woods with a man or a bear (a bear, duh). This started as a more serious conversation that opened up many eyes but has since devolved into jokes and memes and the comments section of any video with a bear in it. We believe this truly highlights how FAST the internet truly moves. We went from the debate starting to the reference being some of the most liked joke comments in the comments section in less than a week. Trends, conversation topics, and internet vernacular are changing at the most rapid pace in history. If you disconnect for even a week, there are things, references, and topics that have become a part of internet culture that you’ll likely be left out of.
• IMPLICATION: Just because the internet discusses bears doesn’t mean a honey brand can say whatever they want. It’s so important to understand meme and trend lineage to make sure that it truly makes sense for your brand. In addition, sometimes trends & memes change so rapidly that they don’t have time to catch on and only stay with a niche audience. Other times, they explode so quickly and grow so large that by the time you’re ready to join the conversation, it’s changed into something completely different. But sometimes, they hit a sweet spot between those two. And, if your brand has the editorial authority and the right way in, you can show off to your audience how you’re a part of the same internet and experiencing the same things they are, further personifying your brand and feeling more and more relatable.

Things to Watch Out for in June

While we can’t see into the future (yet), here are some things that we think are highly likely to become topics of conversation and/or generators of the next big meme in June! 

• It’s Festival Season! We’ve got the Governors Ball and Bonnaroo in June, followed closely by Lollapalooza in July. These are prime spots for celebrity memes, new music dropping, and new artists emerging into the mainstream. 
• We’ve got the Tonys, the second half of Bridgerton (team Polin!), the 2nd season of House of the Dragon, the 4th season of The Boys, the 3rd season of The Bear, and the US Open, Inside Out 2, and A Quiet Place Day One all in June. So, if you need to escape the summer heat, there’s plenty to watch and talk about online!

That sums up the highlights for last month. If you want more, download our appendix to see what we’ve been tracking per platform over the month. We’ll return after the last Friday of the month to discuss everything that happened that month. And, as we always ask internally, let us know if we missed anything! We’d love to hear what trends you’re seeing pop up on your FYPs!

The BarkleyOKRP TRENDspotting report is a must-read for the modern consumer (and the brands hopping to attract + retain the modern consumer). Follow along each month as our in-house trend experts, FUEL, highlight the who, what + why this matters.

For a thorough evaluation to help your brand build its biggest future, contact our Chief Growth Officer, Jason Parks, at jparks@barkleyokrp.com.