Practical Sales Training™ > How To Get Attention > Trend Jacking
Trend Jacking
What Is It
Everyone’s talking about the same thing online today. So a smart brand jumps straight into that conversation instead of waiting on the sidelines.
That’s Trend Jacking. A brand or individual joins a popular online trend or cultural moment. The goal is attention, relevance, or riding the wave of what people already discuss. It could be a meme, a viral challenge, a news story, or a hashtag. Think of the how it started versus how it’s going trend, which filled feeds with before-and-after comparisons. The key is jumping in while the trend is still hot, using your own take to connect with your audience.
Why Does It Work
It works because attention is already focused on the trend. People are scrolling, sharing, and engaging with content that follows a familiar format. So joining the conversation makes your content feel current and far more likely to get seen.
Trend Jacking lowers the barrier to engagement too. It’s instantly recognisable, often funny or emotional, and easy to take part in. It also humanises your brand, showing you’re not just selling, you’re participating in culture.
How Can You Use It
Watch For The Right Trend
Keep an eye on trending hashtags, viral formats, or big cultural moments. Then add your own spin that relates back to what you actually offer.
Move Fast
Move fast once you spot the right trend. Speed, relevance, and tone all matter. So if it fits your voice and audience, jump in while it’s still gaining momentum.
Tie It Back To Your Brand
Use images, humour, or contrast to stand out from everyone else joining in. Always make sure it ties back to your brand message or values. That way, the moment does more than just borrow attention.
When It Works Best
This works best when the trend genuinely fits your brand’s tone. So the join needs to feel natural, not forced, or the audience notices the mismatch instantly.
When It Becomes Dangerous
It becomes dangerous when you jump on a trend that clashes with your values. The same goes for a trend that arrives too late to feel relevant. So a stale or tone-deaf attempt can do more damage than staying quiet ever would.
Common Mistakes
Reacting Too Slowly
Reacting too slowly. By the time you post, the trend has often moved on, so speed matters as much as the idea itself.
Forcing The Connection
Forcing a connection that isn’t really there. If your brand tie-in feels stretched, the audience sees straight through it.
Copying Without A Twist
Copying the trend exactly instead of adding your own angle. A flat imitation gets scrolled past, so the twist is what earns the attention.
Trend Jacking – An Example
Lego’s Take On “How It Started”
How it started, how it’s going is one of the best examples of this trend, and Lego’s take on it is a genuinely funny version worth studying.
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