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Using Trends in Brand Content Without Losing the Message

By Unresourced Team · · 4 min read

Trends move fast on short-form platforms: a format, a sound, a phrase or an editing style suddenly appears everywhere. Jumping on a trend can help content feel current and reach more people. But trend-driven brand content often fails when the trend takes over and the product or message disappears. This guide explains how creators and brands can use trends without losing what the content is supposed to do.

  • Familiarity: viewers recognize the format and understand it instantly.
  • Discovery: platforms sometimes surface content using popular formats or sounds to more people.
  • Relevance: trend-aware content signals that a creator or brand is paying attention.
  • Creativity: trends offer a ready-made structure to play with.
  • Forced fit: a trend that has nothing to do with the product feels awkward.
  • Lost message: the joke lands, but nobody remembers the brand.
  • Short shelf life: content that depends on a trend can feel dated within weeks, which limits its use in ads.
  • Rights issues: trending songs are often not licensed for commercial use.
  • Tone mismatch: some trends clash with a brand's values or audience.

Before using a trend, ask:

  • Does the format naturally show the product or its benefit?
  • Does it suit the brand's tone and audience?
  • Can the message survive inside the trend?
  • Is the trend still rising, or already fading?
  • Is there anything about its origin or meaning that could be sensitive?

If you have to stretch to connect the trend to the product, skip it.

Step 2: Adapt, do not copy

The best trend-based content uses the structure of a trend while making the product central. For example:

  • a "things I wish I knew" format becomes "three things I wish I knew before my first boutique hotel stay,"
  • a transformation trend becomes a genuine before-and-after of an organized pantry,
  • a "day in my life" format becomes a day using the product naturally.

Add your own twist. Viewers reward originality within familiar formats.

Step 3: Keep the message visible

Inside the trend, make sure:

  • the product appears early and clearly,
  • the key benefit is communicated, through visuals or text,
  • the brand name or packaging is recognizable,
  • there is a clear takeaway or call to action.

Watch your edit and ask: if someone remembers only one thing, will it be the brand and why it matters?

Step 4: Move fast, but not recklessly

Trends reward speed. A trend that took off this week may be over in a few weeks. That creates tension with brand approvals, which can take days. Ways to manage this:

  • For creators: suggest trend ideas in your pitch with a quick turnaround plan.
  • For brands: set guardrails in advance, such as approved messages, banned topics and music rules, so creators can act quickly within them.
  • Use lightweight approval for trend content when possible.

Step 5: Handle music carefully

Many trends are built on popular songs. For personal content, platforms license music for users. For brand content, the rules are different: commercial accounts and ads often have restricted libraries, and using unlicensed music in branded content can lead to takedowns or legal issues. Options include:

  • using the platform's commercially cleared music library,
  • recreating the format with original audio or voiceover,
  • using royalty-free tracks with appropriate licenses.

Our guide on music licensing in sponsored content explains the details.

Step 6: Balance trends with evergreen content

Trend content is great for organic reach and timeliness. Evergreen content, such as demos, testimonials and tutorials, keeps working for months and is often better for ads. A healthy content mix includes both. For paid campaigns, consider recreating the essence of a trend in a way that will not feel dated quickly.

Hotels and travel brands can use trends effectively when they showcase real experiences: room reveals set to a popular format, "pack with me" trends ending at the property, or "hidden gems" lists featuring local spots. Keep guest privacy in mind when filming trend content in shared spaces.

How brands can brief trend content

  • Explain which trends or formats you are open to, and any you want to avoid.
  • Provide approved messages and claims.
  • Set music rules clearly.
  • Agree a fast review path for time-sensitive content.
  • Accept that not every trend attempt will work, and judge results over a series rather than a single post.

How creators can pitch trend content

  • Show you understand the brand's message, not just the trend.
  • Propose a specific idea with the product built in.
  • Explain how quickly you can deliver.
  • Offer an evergreen version as a backup.

Common mistakes

  • Using a trend after it has clearly peaked.
  • Choosing trends that clash with the brand's audience.
  • Letting the product disappear behind the joke.
  • Using unlicensed music in branded content.
  • Copying another creator's take too closely.

Measuring trend content

Judge trend content on the goal it serves. For awareness, look at reach, views and shares. For brand recall, watch comments mentioning the product or questions about it. For paid use, compare its performance against evergreen creative over the same period. A trend video that gets views but no product questions may be entertaining without doing the job.

Frequently asked questions

How do I spot a trend early? Spend time in your platform's feed within your niche, and notice formats you see repeatedly over a few days.

Should every brand use trends? No. Some brands and audiences are better served by consistent, evergreen content.

Can trend content be used in ads? Sometimes, if music and rights are cleared, but it may age quickly.

For hooks that keep trend content focused, see our guide to writing UGC hooks.

Unresourced connects brands, agencies and hotels with creators who know how to make trends work for a message. Create a free account and explore campaigns.

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