Trends in society are consistently fluid, and they change now more than ever as people’s attention spans grow shorter. While in style, though, brands can use trends to reinforce their image with target audiences while garnering exposure to new ones.
What’s trending?
Keeping up with current events is the best way to stay in the know about trends. Reading, watching or listening to the news, following some favorite blogs, checking out what people are talking about on social media platforms, and talking to your customers are all ways to stay abreast of the latest developments. In this information age, it is critical your brand isn’t left behind when it comes to relating business to what’s happening.
Granted, you’re not going to be able to tie your brand to every trend nor would you want to (fast food chains certainly didn’t want to be tied to viral images of employees doing disgusting acts to food in the kitchen). You do, though, want to search out trends that would be positive for your brand, trends that you can speak on as an expert, and trends that augment your business objectives.
According to NBC, archery was the most watched event of the first few days of the Olympics. Any idea why? Just think of all the recent media highlighting this ancient sport. The heroine in the best-selling novel series “The Hunger Games” uses a bow to win a rather chilling competition, Disney’s newest princess in the movie “Brave” yields the bow and arrow to win her own hand in marriage, a queen in the “The Chronicles of Narnia” chooses the bow for her weapon, and the elf prince in “The Lord of the Rings” and a superhero in “The Avengers” are both expert archers.
With so much attention surrounding the activity, it’s easy to understand the resurgence in archery interest. I haven’t touched a bow since I won second place in my Girl Scouts summer camp archery contest when I was 10, but I’ve even been itching lately to go try out a range again.
Taking aim and hitting the target
How can archery brands use this trend to strengthen reputation as industry experts and generate new business leads?
1) Feature products or services related to the trend
Many of these newest media releases star strong female leads using the bow and arrow. An archery school in New Hampshire has seen the rise in women taking classes, and the testimonials speak to how women have been influenced by the heroines in the new books and movies. If the brand offers a bow and arrow specifically made for women, feature that product in a new women’s-only archery class.
2) Brand a product or service using the trend
In the “Hunger Games,” heroine Katniss Everdeen grabs the attention of potential sponsors by hitting targets dead-on, such as shooting the apple out of a roasted pig’s mouth in a group of people from about 100 yards away. Offer an archery class named “Katniss-Style Shooting” focused on striking difficult targets.
3) Partner with events about the trend
With the 2012 Summer Olympics in full swing and viewer ratings in the millions, having a brand’s bow in front of such a large audience is phenomenal. However, the Olympics can be hard to break into and a bit of a stretch for smaller brands. Look for events, too, that aren’t overrun by sponsors and need the expertise, such as professional organizations’ shooting competitions or local recreation departments’ summer camps.
What current trends could your brand benefit from and how are you using them to get ahead?
