Have you Seen These 4 Viral Posts?
Many brands strive towards creating viral posts, but is going viral all it’s hyped up to be? Not to mention, once you go viral, what’s next? We picked 4 current viral trends and posts and discussed the pros and cons. Take a look below.
Do you have a Stanley Cup?
@danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle
We’re sure you have heard of the Stanley Cup. What you may not know is that they’ve been on the market since 2016. Previously known as Quenchers, they received minimal attention while marketing to outdoor enthusiasts and workmen.
In 2020, they gained popularity on social media, resulting from rebranding and a change in marketing tactics that saw the company go viral. In the last year, their mentions were up 900%, largely due to one viral post about a Stanley Cup surviving a car fire and still having ice in it, evidence of the cup’s durability and superior insulation.
Today, Stanley Cups are still a part of current trends and have seen a 275% year-over-year increase in sales.
Pros
- They are one of the most popular cups worldwide since going viral
- They have experienced a record increase in sales
- Stanley Cups have an enthusiastic cult following
Cons
- Long waitlists for product fulfilment. Waitlists were reported to be 150,000 at one point.
- They need to produce the same type of content to keep trending or divide their brand up to match the new demand from the target audience.
- Managing customers’ high expectations associated with viral products.
- Stanley Cups need to partner with influencers for ads to keep the online conversation relevant and trending.
The recent surge in media coverage surrounding Stanley cups has brought heightened attention to a recent controversy involving claims of lead in the product.
Emotional Wellbeing with Elmo and Sesame Street on X (Twitter)
Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?
— Elmo (@elmo) January 29, 2024
Sesame Street icon Elmo may have bitten off a little more than they could chew after a recent viral post on X (Twitter). The post itself saw the muppet inundated with tens of thousands of replies which were overwhelmingly sad, where users shared their emotional struggles.
While the account did post a supportive post the following day in an attempt to comfort, it does raise some pros and cons about this type of post going viral.
Pros
- With the epidemic of mental health hitting a peak, this type of viral post does shed light on the importance of mental health.
- It opens a conversation about mental health and checking in on your friends.
Cons
- Elmo isn’t a mental health professional. Is the brand now expected to fill the role of health professional?
- This raises issues with community management and the importance of building a strong community that engages in and relates to your brand instead of just having many followers.
- Where does the brand responsibility end? Should they redirect their audience towards mental health professionals and not directly advise them.
The Mob Wife Aesthetic
The Mob Wife aesthetic is an emerging trend on social media platforms. This newest obsession started gaining popularity through January and is rivalling previous trending aesthetics, like TikTok’s much loved ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. So, what does this mean for brands?
Pros
- Trends allow us to create a unique perspective in the world with an audience ready to buy.
- New trends are an opportunity for brands to shake up their products to appeal to the market.
Cons
- Trends are often of the moment, so brands run the risk of jumping on a trend that doesn’t take off or lose traction quickly.
- Brands that don’t align with the trend may lose out to competitors who do align.
- Brands could face backlash due to the problematic idolisation of organised crime groups like the mob.
Red Herring Digital’s Viral Facebook Post
Recently, Red Herring Digital got a taste of going viral, with our very own post getting 1.7M views. While it feels good to get an influx of likes, what is this doing to our brand in the long run?
Pros
- Our Red Herring Digital page got more likes.
- This reel proved we could create content that many people outside our industry resonate with.
- It kickstarted the Facebook algorithm to push our subsequent videos.
Cons
- We now have people following the page that expect funny tennis adventure footage and don’t know much about us as an agency.
- It didn’t reach our target audience.
- We had a lot of trolling in the comments, which is what was driving engagement.
- It didn’t perform as well on Instagram.
Going viral has its pros and cons. While it’s rewarding to see your social media posts achieve new levels of success, virality may not be as hyped up as it is made out to be.
However, experimenting with content is beneficial as it shows who’s following your brand’s content, provides the opportunity to review what is and isn’t working and see if you’re targeting the right audience with your content.
Want to take your socials to new heights? Let’s make it happen.
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