Trend-predicting has changed

Viral trends are a funny thing in the world of social media. One day we’re all embracing our bold, confident and unapologetic attitude during brat summer, the next day we’re calm, modest and mindful, and working on our elegant side during demure fall. These trends were easy to hop on for everyone in 2024, and the counter-movement from brat summer to demure fall was not hard to predict. But it’s not always that straightforward. Let’s take a look at 2025.

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Trend bi-polarity

There was no song of summer 2025, nor was there a big viral trend. Where summer 2024 had brat, and summer 2023 was dominated by Barbiecore, this year was bare on the trend front. We had the ‘Nothing beats a Jet2 Holiday’ jingle, which is still stuck in our heads, but no major movements like the years before. If we look at the entire year of 2025, we see less impactful trends. At the same time, we hear a lot of brands struggle to keep up with trends.

Why? The speed of social has caused a lot of micro-trends to rise and fall within the same week. We have moved from the traditional trend cycle to trend bi-polarity. Here’s an explanation what this means and what to do next:

the trend pendulum

We used to think of trends as following a predictable bell curve: rising, peaking, and fading. Often, one trend would move to its opposite, also known as the counter-trend (think of going from brat summer to demure fall). This way of trends moving, could also be referred to as the trend pendulum. It helped us predict what would happen next, as a result of a current trend.

But platforms like TikTok have completely changed that. The trend cycle didn’t just speed up, it collapsed. In today’s landscape, the old pendulum no longer swings predictably. Everything now happens all at once. Instead of one trend dominating at a time, two opposing trends can coexist equally and simultaneously. This is known as trend bi-polarity.

Trend bi-polarity makes it nearly impossible to predict what’s really ‘in’ or ‘out’. Trends rise and fall at rapid speeds, creating the sense that there are no big trends to follow. It does however make it feel like there are a billion micro-trends happening at the same time, and trying to follow these (micro)trends seems to have become a losing game. We wrote a bit more about the ‘why’ behind these micro-trends here.

trend strategy

It might seem like this makes it impossible to keep up, but there is still a secret pathway: A clear trend strategy. A trend strategy is basically a plan for how a brand or business can respond to cultural and consumer trends in order to stay relevant, grow, and connect with its audience. It goes far beyond just “following what’s popular”. It means understanding the cultural landscape and being up to date on what’s happening and why it’s happening.

the key to predicting

Michelle de Vroed, Brand Partnerships manager at For You Agency:‍

"Understanding what’s driving your audience is key to predicting the trends you should focus on. A great example is how community has become a central focus in almost every marketing strategy. Over the past year, people have realized that social media alone isn’t giving them the connection they crave. Political polarization, economic stress, and pandemic-era isolation have left many feeling lonely, fragmented, and disconnected, even while spending hours online. As a result, there’s a growing desire for real-world community, shared experiences, and deeper connections. So, as you plan your marketing strategy for 2026, keep in mind that observing your audience’s current behaviors can help you predict how best to connect with them in the year ahead.”

WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE MARKETER?

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that you don’t just want to wait for ‘the next big thing’, but you also don’t want to join every microtrend you see. Not every trend is meant for your brand, which is why it’s important to understand why trends exist and which ones genuinely align with you. Identify the cultural drivers behind a trend, choose the ones your audience resonates with and create a unique twist. That’s how you show that you know what you’re talking about, instead of just trying too hard to go viral. And that’s where real brand love starts.