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Branded Mockery

Brands poke fun at their rivals in bolder, call-out strategies

Trend - Beyond social media battles and light-hearted exchanges, brands in QSR all the way to fashion are taking more risks through activations and real-world campaigns that call out their competitors in negative, albeit humorous, ways. These examples speak to the evolution of brand identities and willingness to take risks when it comes to consumer communication and messaging in the public space.

Insight - In the era of eco-consciousness and social media-driven transparency, big-brand skepticism is very commonplace. Consumers -- especially those who are more social media-literate -- are therefore tougher to market to. Humor is something this group responds positively to as it communicates more authenticity than say, fact-based or aspirational marketing.
Workshop Question - What risks are you willing to take to be more open and transparent with your consumers in terms of outlining your value proposition?
Trend Themes
1. Branded Mockery - Brands are embracing the use of humor in their marketing by calling out their competitors in negative but humorous ways.
2. Celebrity-cameo Advertising - Major soda companies are using celebrity cameos to engage in humorous advertising tactics.
3. Daring Brand Call-out Ads - Brands are taking risks in their marketing by referencing controversial events and creating humorous slogans.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food - Fast food companies are using humor to differentiate themselves from other brands in a highly competitive industry.
2. Tech - Tech companies are using bold marketing tactics to compete with other major brands in the industry.
3. Fashion - Fashion companies are using humor to communicate more authenticity in their brand identities and messaging.
4.6
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
5 Featured, 43 Examples:
131,056 Total Clicks
Date Range:
Mar 18 — Aug 19
Trending:
Average
Consumer Insight Topics:

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