What do Twilight, TikTok, & Taylor Swift have in common?

They’ve all had an undeniable cultural impact, in one way or another.

True cultural relevance isn’t something you can manufacture. It’s something you can only earn by knowing what direction the world is moving in. And, for brands, staying relevant isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a survival skill.

In today's newsletter:

• 7 ways to build a culturally relevant brand (psst—it goes way deeper than just being up on the latest social media trends)

• How to become a brand your customers can't live without (make yourself part of their daily routine & hook them for life!)

• Trend plug - How far are you willing to go?

• Ask the Editor - How do I get my followers to sign up for my course? 

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

'It’s Britney, Bitch,' in 2007.

Twilight in 2008.

TikTok in 2020.

Pete Davidson and his trail of lovers in 2022.

Hollywood strikes, Barbenheimer, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance in 2023.

Kamala and Trump in 2024.

I don’t need to explain the sheer impact any of these had on society at the time.

This is cultural relevance.

But what does it mean for a brand to achieve this level of relevancy?

According to ADWEEK, cultural relevance 'refers to a brand state when people feel compelled to talk positively about that brand and advocate for it, at any time (and not only during the campaign cycle) because it deeply connects with them within the context of what is happening in the world.'

And how does a brand embed itself into the culture like this? By creating an authentic connection that makes their community feel seen as they are.

We must understand, read, and analyse the cultural shifts that happen around our consumers.

Then, we've got to tailor our messaging to achieve reach, relevance, hype and depth.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

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How to Become a Brand Your Customers Can't Live Without

Spotify, Flo, Google, Microsoft 365 – what do these brands have in common?

Aside from being uber-successful multi-billion-dollar businesses, that is.

The answer, which is also largely the reason behind such success, is the way these brands have seamlessly integrated themselves into our daily lives.

We hardly give a second thought to when we use them, as they facilitate our daily routines.

I like to think about brands like this as if they were contact lenses. They improve the quality of my life so much that now I literally couldn’t live without them.

Because of this, products like this are generally called 'facilitators', but brands can also position themselves to do the same. How? By facilitating valuable experiences and becoming a habitual part of your customers lives.

When make your brand a habit, you create a level of customer loyalty that can last a lifetime.

Because the thing with habits, is they’re notoriously hard to break.

But how do we even begin to think about creating this level of connection?

To be a habit-forming brand, your product or service needs to solve a daily need or pain point.

Products and services that enhance convenience or meet daily needs are, of course, more likely to become habitual.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

Trend Plug - How Far Are You Willing to Go?

TikTok has finally discovered the power of interpretive dance, with this new trend using it as a bargaining tool to win some type of reward.

Today's trend originated from one TikToker who made her roommate's boyfriend perform an interpretive dance in order to stay the night. 

Now, TikTokers are using this trend to make other people embarrass themselves for different reasons. Most of the videos to this sound are, 'making my bf do an interpretive dance to [insert reward here]'. 

But there are some other very funny versions, such as, 'literally no one forced him to do this,' or 'me doing an interpretive dance so we can order uber eats (i live alone).'

How to jump on this trend:

Use this trending sound, pick your target. The result of the 'challenge' isn't the point, so the dancing doesn’t have to be good or bad. That said, the more extreme in either direction makes for a better video. Use on screen text explaining who the person is and what they're trying to win with their interpretive dance. 

A few ideas to get you started:

• Making my team perform an interpretive dance to go on their break

• Me doing an interpretive dance for my client so they'll agree with my idea

• My colleague doing an interpretive dance to get their leave request approved

-Carter, Intern

Today on the YAP podcast…

Want even more ‘YAP’ing? Check out the full podcast here.

Ask the Editor

Q - I've been promoting my course for people struggling with ADHD on IG but I'm not getting any interest. What am I doing wrong? - Emmaline

Hey Emmaline!

If you aren't getting leads, I'm going to guess you're coming across a little too salesy in your content OR you don't have good product-market fit. Organic content's for building a relationship with your audience. If they feel like you're trying to sell them something, they'll tune you out real quick.

If I were you, I'd pull back on promoting your course. Instead, create content around the actual course content. This will draw in people who are interested in the topics your course covers.

Then engage with your audience in the comments to keep building those relationships. In those conversations, you can figure out whether your course content addresses the actual challenges your audience wants help with. You may discover you need to adjust what you're offering!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

For the group chat

😲WTF: RIP Liam Payne 💔
✨Daily inspo: my new fav quote
🎧Soooo tingly: CLAY ASMR
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: SIZZLING BAKED POTATOES 😋

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