apply critical thinking in spotting a fad and a trend

• Impacts Experience
• New Articles

Fast Fact Videos

Fads vs Trends: How Organizations Can Tell The Difference (And Why it Matters)

Mixing up fads and trends often leaves executives frustrated, confused, and – worst of all – fearing innovation. Here’s how to spot the difference. 

Understanding the difference between fads and trends is critical for all organizations. However, many leaders seem to be unaware of their important differences. Today’s  Fast Facts video aims to differentiate these critical concepts, and also provides a quick tip for how to spot the difference.

Both fads and trends can play an important role in an organization’s success- but they must be treated differently. If they are not, leaders risk burning out adapting to every fad, and critical trends required for an organization’s survival may be missed. Let’s start by looking into fads and trends individually.

Fads come fast and fade away

A fad is any form of behavior that is intensely followed by a population for a short period of time. The behavior will rise relatively quickly and fall relatively quickly once the perception of novelty is gone.

There are some great fads out there! Collecting beanie babies was a fad, so were pet rocks, sending spam, #followfriday, Ouiji boards, troll dolls, water beds…the list goes on. We can thank fads for basically everything that we wore in the 80s (or 90s, or 2000s…) And there are a lot of fads going on right now that may bring us a laugh twenty years from now. 

Fads certainly have value and they can profoundly change organizations- consider the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge ! Utilizing fads in marketing and programs can increase top-of-mind awareness, demonstrate the timeliness of your organization, and serve as a gateway for new audiences.

This is all great and important stuff but – remember – fads don’t stick around.

Trends solve problems and get stronger over time

A trend, on the other hand, gets stronger over time and does stick around. Trends have identifiable and explainable rises that are driven by audience needs. They help solve a problem for people. In the words of the forever-awesome Seth Godin , “A trend gains power over time, because it’s not merely part of a moment, it’s a tool, a connector that will become more valuable as other people commit to engaging in it.”

The increasing use of social networks is a trend (that connects us to one another). So is quitting smoking (which lengthens our lives), evidence-based medicine (that removes the guesswork in medical-related situations), and the use of mobile devices (that allow us to look up information in real time). These are things that have grown – and continue to grow – in market penetration. They solve problems. They represent new ways of life.

Organizations ignore trends at their own risk. Ignoring trends means that they will either be forced to adapt later and will necessarily be behind, or the organization will fade away.

Confusing fads and trends causes big problems

Trends inform your organization’s successful evolution. When organizations write off things like web-based engagement or data-informed management (for instance) as fads instead of trends, evolution stops. Things get held back.

However, if we approach passing fads as trends, we cry wolf on organizational change. We burn out believing that every week, we need to change our organization’s structure based on “what’s hot right now.” Treating fads like trends can lead organizations to become overwhelmed, give up on following along, and, again, stop evolution.

A trick for telling the difference between fads and trends

So how can your organization figure out if something is a fad or a trend? A helpful trick may be to consider that trends inevitably affect some form of the organization’s engagement strategy, but fads usually influence tactics. This isn’t a fool-proof trick, but it can help your organization think strategically about the differences between both fads and trends.

For instance, social media use is a trend and that affects your engagement strategy, but selfies affect how you can carry out that strategy. Screaming “YOLO” and going gluten-free are things that folks may be doing these days – and, in order to remain relevant, your organization may benefit by embracing them for now. But these fads affect your organization’s tactics (and messages and programs), not its strategy. Data-informed management affects your strategy. Embracing transparency affects your strategy. The trend toward personalized interactions and programs thanks to our increasingly individually-tailored world is a trend and also deeply affects our strategies.

If there is growing, multi-year data demonstrating that something affects the market, then you know it’s a trend. But sometimes we need to know when and how far we should move and embrace change before there’s multi-year data telling us that something is sticking around.

Both fads and trends have real value for cultural organizations, but understanding the difference may be necessary for survival. Fads can inform your tactics and help you to maintain the perception of being “current,” but ignoring trends can lead to irrelevance and create a divide between organizations and their audiences.

Six Concepts that Visitor-Serving Organizations Confuse at Their Own Risk

How to Differentiate Trends vs. Fads: Staying on the Pulse of Pop Culture

Trends vs. Fads. Thanks to the digitization of almost every single aspect of our lives, we’ve all become accustom to immediacy — expecting our news, notifications, and responses to come in a matter of seconds. Because of this, we live in a culture that prioritizes rapid movement from one thing to the next.

Take your Instagram feed, for instance — you scroll and scroll, but how often do you look at one photo for more than a second? Most of us take a quick glance and move onto the next. Sound familiar?

Well, this translates into pop culture, which has a direct impact on what’s “in” and what’s not.

Although it sometimes can feel like something is just becoming popular before it fades into oblivion, tapping into the latest trends and fads can be a key strategy for marketers. If you yourself are a marketer or if you are involved in your businesses’ marketing strategy, it’s critical to understand what is a fast-moving fad versus trends that are maybe here to stay (albeit for a short time). For example, there have been memorable trends and fads in recent years that have made its mark on society.  

Remember the #IceBucketChallenge? What about planking?

These were social media fads that came and went, but had a significant impact on businesses and companies worldwide. The brands that are able to quickly adapt and take their own spin on fads are better able to leverage more engagement and press, simply because they had their finger on the pulse of pop culture. The key is that when you’re able to tap into these fads by creating your own campaign, your business can become a part of pop culture and become even more relevant (as many brands aim to do).  

Knowing how to differentiate a fad from a trend can be a vital factor in your marketing strategy.

Investing too much time or money in a quick-moving fad can result in wasted resources. Marketing and advertising often take time to develop, and can take so much time that a fad has already died before you could even market it. This doesn’t mean you should completely ignore fads such as the Harlem Shake videos of 2013 or the Cinnamon Challenge of 2007 — if you can produce something quickly before the fad dies down, go for it!

Trends, on the other hand, are societal shifts that are slowly adapted to over time. More recent popular trends include Augmented Reality in the media or the shift to become more environmentally conscious. If you can learn to create content that is geared towards these larger shifts, it shows your business is in it for the long haul.

There are tons of examples of huge businesses that failed to innovate with the times.

Think about Kodak, a company that was built upon the concept of analog photography. As society started moving towards digital photography, they neglected to focus on this area of their industry and thus ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2012. Today, an emerging trend is the emphasis on video content , so if your business can start leveraging video as much as possible, you can improve your chances at staying relevant.

As a brand, you want to stay on top of your game when it comes to both trends and fads.

While fads will be quick-moving and sometimes random, trends are slower shifts that you will start to see more and more of over time.

You shouldn’t neglect either, but it’s important to understand how and when to tap into both.  

Join The Storytellers Café – My free training community to help you create an impact through your story

Enrol in The 5-Day Content Experience – Learn how to repurpose your content like a pro…in 5 minutes a day!

Email: [email protected]

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profitablestories/

Need help telling your story in your own voice? Let’s make it happen. Schedule a consultation with me here

Get FREE tips and coaching for your writing delivered to your inbox!

Subscribe now to write better and make an impact with every word.

You've successfully subscribed and a welcome message is on its way to your inbox!

By entering your info, you’ll become a valued subscriber with FREE access to exclusive writing tools, delivered with 💜 to your inbox. (Unsub anytime in one click.) You also agree to our Privacy Policy which never abuses your info.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Write Your First (or Next) Book Fast!

Download the FREE Book Outline Guide to get your book on "The Write Track"!

YES! The PDF is on the way to your inbox.

By entering your info, you’ll become a valued subscriber - with FREE exclusive info delivered with 💜 to your inbox. We never abuse your info.

Follow me on Instagram!

Catherinenikkel, recent posts.

• Storytelling Trends for 2024
• The Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Book Writing Coach for Entrepreneurs
• Unleashing Your Literary Potential: A Guide to Hiring a Book Publishing Coach
• The Importance of a Personal Writing Coach
• How Book Coaching Services Can Empower Aspiring Authors
• Book Coaching
• Book Writing
• Content Creation
• Content Writing
• Digital Marketing
• Entrepreneurship
• Ghost Writing
• Ghostwriting
• Mindfulness
• Social Media Influence
• Storytelling
• Uncategorized

Write Your Book Outline. Fast.

Download this FREE PDF Guide to write your book outline faster, and finally put your book on The Write Track!

YES! The PDF is on its way to your inbox!

By entering your info, you’ll become a valued subscriber – with FREE access to exclusive writing tips and tools, delivered with 💜 to your inbox. (Unsub anytime in one click.) You also agree to our Privacy Policy which never abuses your info.

Pin It on Pinterest

Know someone who needs this.

Share this post with your followers and friends!

Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance

• No category

TNCT Q1 Mod2 Understanding Trends and How They Go Trending

Related documents

Add this document to collection(s)

You can add this document to your study collection(s)

Add this document to saved

You can add this document to your saved list

Suggest us how to improve StudyLib

(For complaints, use another form )

Input it if you want to receive answer

Home » How To Spot A Trend Versus A Fad

How To Spot A Trend Versus A Fad

Nils Vesk (pictured below) is an innovation architect who’s delivered programs for some of the most prestigious organisations in the world, including Microsoft, IBM, Commonwealth Bank and Nestle. In this guest post for B&T , he shows you how to spot a lasting trend that’s not merely just another passing fad…

The importance behind learning to differentiate a trend from a fad is that no business wants to waste time and energy developing a new product, just for it to reveal itself further down the line as a short-lived fad. As such, a key skill any innovator must learn is how to identify the difference between the two early on.

First things first, a fad can be defined as something that people believed would be a long-term trend, but that then disappeared as people quickly lost interest.

So, what is a trend? And why are they so important in business? Often when people hear of trends, they think of a something that appears overnight, becoming instantly popular, before disappearing in the same manner. In actual fact, trends can be longer-term, in some cases sticking around for many years.

In business in particular, it’s crucial to be able to identify trends that will disrupt your industry and capitalise on them before your competition. The ability to do this will give you the head start, allowing you the opportunity to create new products and services and even create a new market by spotting a gap before others.

When it comes to trends, we can break them down into three compartments: uncertainties, disruptors and trends. In business, it’s important to identify the key uncertainties that could impact our customers and industries as a whole. Following this, it is key to then be able to identify is what disruptors are arising, the impacts that they might have and then finally the specific trends that are emerging around or from these drivers and uncertainties.

Here are the five phases of a trend:

• Dawning – an emerging trend
• Developing – a trend that is gaining momentum and is being developed by various parties
• Developed – a trend that is fully fledged and has hit mainstream interest
• Decaying – a trend that has done it’s time and is becoming ‘old’ in the mind of users or customers
• Discarded – a trend that is no longer in demand and has been superseded by something more exciting, superior, different or by adding new value

Clearly, it makes no sense to begin working on a developed, decaying or discarded trend, but instead to succeed it’s imperative to jump on a dawning or even early stage developing trends. To become an innovator, we must learn how to scan the business world to discover these dawning trends and potential disruptors.

A number of determinants can affect a trend’s duration, including:

• Differentiation – This refers to how unique and memorable the new trending product or service may be. Differentiation is more important for some industries than others, and can be critical to their success. Essentially, when assessing an emerging trend ask yourself  “Is this unique or really different to what currently exists?” as well as “Is this product/ service remarkable i.e. does it give me something to remark about?”
• Superiority – How well does the product or service compare to its competitors? It’s important to understand how effective and efficient a product is, whether it could be of more value to your audience, and whether it is more affordable than other similar products on the market.
• Newness – How long has the product or service been on the market? Do your research and see if there are existing similar products on the market. If similar products do exist, when did they first come onto the scene?
• Performance – How well does the product perform in relation to customer expectations? Does it do what it is advertised to do? Does this satisfy customer needs or desires?
• Customer community – How does the user or customer community interact with and use the new product or service? How large is the potential audience of this trend? Communities can play a big part in the success of a product or service, and part of this can sometimes be made up by the ‘why’ of the product. Having a cause creates bigger community participation and trend duration and creates purpose for the product. Also ask yourself “Does the trend exclude a crowd? ” Some trends are successful simply because they exclude people and therefore appeals a nice/specific customer group and caters to their specific needs/wants which in turn increases the loyalty of the trending product or service.
• Aesthetics – This refers to how timeless the design of the product or service experience may be. Will the service and its design still be relevant in a few years?
• Ground-breaking – Does the product cause a total revolution or a simple evolution? Does it solve/alleviate a problem? Will it change peoples’ life in some way? Will this signal the end of an era or create a new one?
• Market category – Does the trend, product or service create a new market category? Does it extend on current products and services and take a portion of market share, or does it create an entirely new category?

Once you’ve assessed the trend according to the above criteria, you can use a polar chart to map out the impact that a certain trend may have, which is crucial for businesses when deciding whether a trend is worth pursuing.

Vesk will be hosting ‘ The Next Big Thing’ Masterclasses throughout May and June in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane where business leaders will discover the trends that will impact their industry, their team and their customers, and how they can capitalise on them.

Please login with linkedin to comment

Latest news, sydney comedy festival: taking the city & social media by storm.

Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]

• Advertising

Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA  Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]

Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?

Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.

TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?

As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?

PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel

Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.

Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign

Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.

GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers

If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer

Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International

Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.

Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO

Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.

Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport

B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.

• B&T Exclusive

Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”

Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.

World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024

Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.

Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards

The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.

The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR

Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.

AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows

Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.

Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media

Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.

MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI

A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!

Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group

Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.

The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special

It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.

Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice

Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.

Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again

In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.

Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals

Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.

“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes

B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.

The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing

Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.

TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges

MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.

Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit

A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.

Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day

B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.

Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership

Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.

Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute

Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.

Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign

As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.

Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity

Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.

DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc

DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.

Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community

Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.

Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X

Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.

Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign

Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.

Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech

This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.

You are using an outdated browser

Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

Signing in with LinkedIn

Please wait while we sign you in with LinkedIn.

This may take some time.

Please be patient and do not refresh the page.

(A new window from LinkedIn should open for you to authorize the B&T login. If you don't see this please check behind this window, and if it is still not there check your browser settings and turn off the pop-up blocker.)

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR FREE

Never miss a story again. Sign up for B&T's daily newsletter now.

Human-Centered Change and Innovation

Innovation, change and transformation thought leadership, lovingly curated by braden kelley, what is trend spotting.

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

I am sure everyone has heard the term “trend spotting”, but what does it actually mean? Trend spotting is the process of identifying emerging trends in the marketplace and using them to inform strategic decision-making. Businesses have been using trend spotting to stay ahead of their competition and capitalize on emerging markets for decades.

Trend spotting can be used to identify new customer demographics, changing tastes and preferences, and upcoming products and services. It is a way to stay ahead of the curve, as trends can provide insights into what will be popular in the future.

There are several methods used to spot trends. Some businesses use surveys and polls to gauge customer sentiment and get an idea of what people are looking for. Others use competitive analysis to identify what their rivals are doing and where they are succeeding. Businesses can also use market research to track changes in the marketplace and stay ahead of the curve.

However, it’s important to remember that trend spotting isn’t an exact science. Trends can change quickly and the results of trend spotting can be unpredictable. Businesses should use a variety of methods and sources when trying to spot trends. They should also be aware that trends can be short-lived and should always be open to new ideas.

Trend spotting is an important tool for businesses looking to stay ahead of the competition and capitalize on emerging markets. However, it’s important to remember that it is not an exact science and can be unpredictable. Businesses should always be open to new ideas and use a variety of methods and sources when trying to spot trends.

Bottom line: Trend spotters are not quite the same thing as futurists, but trend spotting is a component of futurology. Trend spotters use a formal approach to achieve their outcomes, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking ™ can empower anyone to be their own futurist and trend spotter.

Image credit: Pixabay

Related posts:

• What is the difference between signals and trends?
• How Is PESTLE Analysis Connected to Trends?
• What is Trend Analysis?
• Signal Crafting

One thought on “ What is Trend Spotting? ”

Pingback: What is Trend Monitoring? | Human-Centered Change and Innovation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Course catalog
• Login 

Log in with social media

Sign up with social media, reset password, log in with ldap.

Enter your username or email address and we'll email you instructions on how to reset your password

• GRADE 12 GAS

GRADE 12 - GENERAL ACADEMIC STRAND (GAS) → Grade 12 - GAS 2nd Semester

Trends and critical thinking.

• Define a trend
• Explain the process on how to spot a trend
• These three trends will reshape life in the 21st-century
• Creative thinking - how to get out of the box and generate ideas
• Differences between Fads and Trends
• Fads vs Trends
• FADS AND TRENDS
• What is Trend and Fad?
• 10 CRAZIEST Trends & Fads of 2017
• TRENDS vs FADS Trends Networks and Critical Thinking Skills in the 21st Century
• Difference between fad and trends
• What is the difference between fads and trends?
• LEADERS: UNDERSTANDING FADS vs. TRENDS
• critical thinking 21st century
• Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking: ICT
• Trends,Networks and Critical Thinking
• Trends Network and Critical thinking in the 21st Century
• A Requirement for the subject Trends, Networks, and Critical
• 2020 Global Talent Trends
• Internet of Thinking - Tech Vision 2018 Trend
• TREND or FAD || Documentary
• Characteristics Of A Trend
• All units must be completed

You selected to get the course Trends and Critical Thinking . Please Login or Signup to get it.