Mindshare’s Alexis Fragale, Director, Insights, examines how the accelerated speed of culture impacts various industries, and how culture fatigue impacts marketers.
Excerpt: But we’re in an age where emerging platforms and viral sensations die as quickly as they arrive. In the past, memes and challenges enjoyed “long” lifespans. With less competition and the novelty of the new, these quirky images and videos could capture our attention and slowly work their way from some niche online community and spread across the internet.
Older memes have become a part of our culture and some have even endured (we are still being Rick Rolled). Now, it’s more difficult to keep track of all the new ones being created every day. Brands looking to connect with culture often try to jump on these trends, but to many, it’s a death blow once it becomes mainstream. And oftentimes, brands don’t hit the right tone.
The quickening of culture doesn’t only affect our digital lives and internet phenomena – books, music, and fashion have been impacted as well. Fewer titles are staying atop the bestsellers lists, as churn for the next ‘it’ book rolls on. The music industry is transforming in the streaming age as artists like Ariana Grande accelerate the time in which music is released to be culturally relevant in the moment.
For more insights from Alexis, check out the full article in WARC. And, this piece is a preview of Mindshare’s larger Culture Vulture Trends report, wherein the Insights team identifies the macro trends pervading U.S. culture and its impact on brands and marketers.
