This might be our trendjacking era, but when should brands join the conversation?

Written by Shelley Bowdler-Olagbaiye, Director of Marketing 

When Taylor Swift makes a move, it’s not just music news – it becomes a cultural moment. When she revealed her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, during Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, it broke records with 10 million views in less than 24 hours. 

In record speed, brands rushed to join in. The Empire State Building lit up orange.

But when you scroll through a sea of orange posts, not all hit the same. For me, the ones that stood out felt like a natural extension of the brand – playful, referential, and audience-aware.  

So when does it make sense to trendjack, and when should you let it pass? Here’s a simple framework to help guide the decision. 

Does it connect to your brand story? 

The best trending moments feel like natural extensions of a brand’s story. For Dunkin’, orange is baked into its identity, so creating a glittery version was a playful twist that still felt true to its brand. 

With Swift, the point extends far beyond the aesthetic – it’s the cultural weight behind her. Themes like reinvention, ownership, empowerment, and community. For B2B brands, the test is whether those deeper themes connect to your brand positioning. A consultancy might link reinvention to transformation in business. A tech firm could tie her ownership battles to data ownership. The fit comes from alignment with your brand’s existing story, not from chasing the surface aesthetic. 

Does it resonate with your audience? 

When the Showgirl announcement dropped, food and lifestyle brands met their audiences where they already lived: inside Swiftie culture. In B2B, not every cultural moment belongs in your feed. But let’s not forget that buyers are people too. They scroll Instagram, follow sports and binge Netflix. The trick is balancing professionalism with cultural agility: choose the moments that humanize your brand without straying from the professional context your audience expects. 

Can you add something unique – or at least ‘unique enough’? 

It’s not enough to ride the wave – you need to bring your own perspective. Think: what can you bring that adds to the conversation? For consumer brands, that might mean reinterpreting a cultural moment through their product or aesthetic.  

In B2B, uniqueness comes from insight and experience. That way, you’re not just echoing culture – you’re adding something that only your brand could say. Swift’s move into podcasting isn’t just celebrity news – it’s a case study in platform strategy, reach, and content ownership. That perspective is what makes the post uniquely yours, instead of just another echo of the trend. 

Would it stand alone without the trend? 

A good way to test whether to engage is to strip away the cultural reference. If the content still sounds and feels like your brand then it’s probably a fit. 

Dunkin’s orange-glitter post worked because orange is core to its brand identity. Even without Swift’s album as context, the playful execution would still feel like Dunkin. That’s the key: when your tone of voice and brand expression are well defined, they act like guardrails. They stop you from forcing relevance or chasing every trend. Instead, you can adapt with confidence, knowing your brand already knows exactly how to show up. 

Does it fit your channel strategy? 

Not every cultural response works everywhere. Instagram and TikTok afford more space to be playful and experimental, while LinkedIn usually calls for a sharper, more professional tone. That’s why having a clear social strategy matters – it sets the boundaries for where to push creativity and where to hold back. Adapting to the channel doesn’t mean diluting your brand, it means flexing your expression appropriately. This all boils down to consistency: every post should connect back to your overall strategy. When content feels disconnected from the broader message, it creates confusion rather than relevance. 

Will it age well beyond the moment? 

Trends move fast, and reacting well takes agility. But the stronger test is whether the post adds to your brand in the long term. 

Content grounded in brand authenticity feels lasting, reinforcing who you already are. Posts built only for quick attention fade quickly – or worse, leave you looking off-brand. 

Final thoughts: Strategic trendjacking that lasts 

When used thoughtfully, trendjacking can amplify your brand in cultural moments without compromising identity. The brands that stood out during Swift’s latest announcement leaned into colors, tone, and humor that felt inherently them. 

Culture moves quickly – but brand relevance is built over time. Knowing your voice, your history, and your audience gives you the confidence to know when to jump in – and when to sit it out. It isn’t about being the first mover, it’s about being true. Because relevance rooted in strategy lasts well beyond the trend cycle. 

If you want to explore how your brand can build this kind of clarity and consistency, our brand insights and strategy team can help you cut through the noise and identify the moments that truly fit your brand story.

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About the author

Shelley Bowdler-Olagbaiye, is a Director of Marketing, based in our London office. With a deep understanding of B2B marketing, she works with brands to shape multi-channel digital strategies that deliver measurable business impact. 

Key takeaways 

What makes a trend a smart fit for a brand?

It should align with core brand values and tone – not just visuals but deeper narratives like reinvention or ownership.

How can brands add value instead of echoing a trend?

By bringing unique insight or relevance, such as perspectives only your industry or team can provide.

Why should your content stand alone without the trend?

Real brand value isn’t propped up by a fleeting moment. If your message holds power without the trend, it proves the content is rooted in your voice – not riding borrowed relevance.

Resources

• What is trendjacking and how to do it for your brand
• The right way brands can leverage trendjacking