Why should you not follow trends or even avoid them? Well, because everyone else does it and it is not in your interest to be hidden among billions of people. This is a moment in history, where you have the tools to stand out and grab attention and even win the game against incumbents. The problem here is that most people think of trends as something so simple like personality or a visual representation of the “unique you”, but what happens when this “uniqueness” is used by 2 or 3 million people or way more? I guess you got your answer. Then you become one in 3 million. So all this sentiment of personal freedom you think you have, at the end of the day it is just a reflection of a commercial plus what you think you like, which most likely has also been influenced by some kind of marketing.
"... what happens when this “uniqueness” is used by 2 or 3 million people...? ... Then you become one in 3 million"
There is a huge problem in differentiating what others tell you to do and what you really like and want to do. 99% of people don’t succeed because they don’t do anything different, but the 1% does. Some sources say it is more about 95%, who are in the bucket (Sadeghi, n.d.) since they basically live month by month and don’t play with their money wisely. But, what you don’t realize is that you are part of a larger group. Humans tend to overrate themselves, which creates a distorted reality.
We are no one to say how to live your life, nevertheless, you should boost your self-awareness and find ways to be different. The issue comes when many people see this opportunity, then this window collapses again until the next “1%-window-opportunity” comes along. It is a game of fast and unique moves. This, and good work is all it takes.
The issue comes when many people see this opportunity, then this window collapses again
Talking Marketing, clothing is one of the product types most associated with trends, thanks to Zara and other limited collection brands. Although, if you really dig into why people buy trendy clothes, the main reason is not limited stock, it is to look like the model on the ad you saw online. For the most part is about looking alike to other people, the opposite of being unique. According to a study, humans are attracted to people similar to them. This creates a neural activity that makes us like similar things (Anders, Jong, Beck, Haynes, & Ethofer, 2016).
We are now in the world of trends since every brand tries to go viral, which is what it should be, but you must see this in order to move to the opposite direction.
Limited edition clothing companies, also called “Fast Fashion”, stick to the following marketing techniques:
Word of mouth:
This is what every marketer dreams of since that means FREE Marketing. Although it is very dangerous for other people, let’s call them competitors. This technique is uncontrollable once it has started and can make a product or a whole company go viral. Meaning it can eclipse the competition. Therefore, once you see signs it has started you should run away from it and make a counterattack.
Counterattacks can be done by releasing your most exciting under-development product/service (earlier than planned) or “copying” * your competitors. For example, when Apple released the iPhone, not too long after that, Samsung released its version of the smartphone.
*We do not support any illegal competition and activities.
Influencer marketing
Seeing influencers, people you look up to or even people close to you, wearing clothes or other trendy items is a very powerful technique. In fact, it is one of the most used techniques nowadays. On Instagram alone, Influencer marketing has doubled its market size from $0.8 Billion to $2.3 Billion in just 3 years (Statista, 2019).
Emotional Appeal
This technique just like the past two is very effective thanks to its connectivity with neuronal activity. The part of the brain called the hypothalamus is the one in charge of responding to emotions (Uttley, 2020). Therefore, this technique has a direct connection with our brains which makes it key. An example of an emotional appeal placed in an ad is UNICEF’s ads where war areas are shown, which makes us feel connected to that reality and some of us end up giving money.
this technique has a direct connection with our brains which makes it key
Get into the trend at the very beginning
Trends are just like surfing. It is all about riding the wave at the beginning or intercepting it in the middle, but never let it pass or wait until the end. So, if you see it is too late for you to join the wave, then get out and look for another one instead of joining the masses.
To conclude, trends are events that most companies don’t take into account, while they are the most powerful form of marketing. Trends have a direct connection with our brain; therefore, you can unconsciously let them decide for you. Each trend wave must be yours, but even if that is the case you should run away from it when you are not in charge of it and more people can eclipse you.
References:
Sadeghi, A. (n.d.). The One Percent: Secrets of Successful People: TS. Retrieved from https://titaniumsuccess.com/podcast/secrets-of-successful-people/
Anders, S., Jong, R. D., Beck, C., Haynes, J., & Ethofer, T. (2016, March 31). A neural link between affective understanding and interpersonal attraction. Retrieved from https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/03/30/1516191113
Guttmann, A. (2020, September 28). Global Instagram influencer market value 2020. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/748630/global-instagram-influencer-market-value/
Uttley, C. (2020, August 20). 5 Ways Your Brain Influences Your Emotions. Retrieved from https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/5-ways-your-brain-influences-your-emotions.htm#:~:text=The%20main%20part%20of%20the,the%20emotional%20value%20of%20stimuli.&text=The%20hypothalamus%20is%20in%20charge%20of%20regulating%20how%20you%20respond%20to%20emotions.