The Days of Trend-Chasing Are Over: New Research from Sprout Social Reveals a Third of Consumers Think Jumping on Viral Trends is “Embarrassing” for Brands

Social Media Trends and Consumer Expectations - Social media has become the 1 source for keeping up with trends and cultural moments, surpassing TV, family, friends, and other digital channels [1] - 93% of consumers believe it's important for brands to keep up with online culture, but simply jumping on trends can backfire, with 33% finding it embarrassing and 27% saying it's only effective within 24-48 hours of a trend's lifespan [3] - Authenticity and relatability are the two traits consumers value most from brands, with about half saying original content makes their favorite brands stand out on social [3] - 81% of consumers say social media drives them to make impulse purchases, and 73% say they'll buy from a competitor if a brand doesn't respond on social [4] Brand Strategies and Social Media Engagement - Brands must move beyond surface-level trend-chasing and provide original, human-centric content and personalized 1:1 engagements, particularly in customer care, to secure trust and drive sales [1] - Social media has become a discovery zone for consumers, and creating a social strategy that supports the entire customer journey—from discovery and purchase to loyalty—can directly impact a company's bottom line [4] - 93% of consumers think brands need to combat misinformation more than they do today, requiring brands to actively listen to conversations and correct falsehoods [10] AI Investment and Marketing Trends - Nearly half (48%) of marketing leaders are planning to increase their AI investments in 2025, with 97% saying it's critical that their teams know how to use AI [5] - 93% of social practitioners believe AI can help combat creative fatigue, an issue over one-third of them say they're feeling more now than they did a year ago [5] - Contrary to fears of job displacement, 86% of marketing leaders anticipate hiring more team members this year, and 53% believe AI will help grow their teams [6] Social Media Platform Usage - 90% of consumers have profiles on Facebook, followed by Instagram (82%), YouTube (76%), TikTok (58%), X (50%), and Snapchat (46%) [10] - Facebook is the top platform for direct purchases among all consumers (39%), but TikTok tops the list for Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (47%) [10] Trust and Leadership Challenges - There's a disconnect in trust between social practitioners and their leadership, with 57% of marketing leaders saying executives trust their social teams, while almost half of practitioners believe executives only somewhat understand the value of social media [10] - 41% of practitioners say their greatest fear is leadership not trusting them to publish content that will perform best [10]