You’ve read an article. You’ve watched a short-form video on social media. You’ve asked your AI chatbot of choice. And you think you’ve found the marketing silver bullet. Whether we’re talking to prospects, answering social media messages, or taking questions at an event, we encounter it: people chasing marketing trends fail without understanding marketing fundamentals. Learn the failure points of these marketing trends and how you need to understand the fundamentals to see if they will work for you.
Some Examples of Marketing Trend Failures
We’re all excited when we see marketing work for a brand, and the business owners among us immediately start thinking about how to apply it to their own business, often with mixed results. Here are a couple of prominent examples in recent history:
- All that glitters isn’t gold. Remember all that gold glitter in 2025 around Taylor Swift’s album? Many other brands tried to ape it for their own marketing, leading not only to everyone looking the same but also to consumers quickly getting sick of it.
- Panic in the disco (branding). A more recent example is Spotify’s temporary rebranding of its logo into a disco ball for its 20th anniversary. Some loved it, some hated it. But because it got clicks, other brands joined in, and they only got hate (seriously, think before you change your logo).
AI Acceleration of Marketing Trend Fails
We’re also seeing more marketing trend failures, not fewer, under AI. AI is a tool, and the most prominent models aren’t designed to push back against bad ideas. Instead, it’s providing users with the tools to go from seeing a marketing trend to executing it without any consultation. No graphic designer to make sure the branding makes sense (or is even good). No copywriter to point out poor wording choices based on your brand or target clients. Just click, copy, paste. if you don’t know marketing and don’t have a marketer in the loop, you might not be producing good marketing, just marketing slop.
Before You Chase Trends, Start with Marketing Fundamentals
We understand the appeal of action in marketing. If you don’t have ongoing marketing, anything feels like a win, even if it’s just throwing it at the wall to see what sticks. But this costs both money and reputation when done wrong. Instead, work your way up through the fundamentals first, including:
- Understand Where You Stand: You need to do marketing analysis to understand your position. This includes your industry, local competition, and your consumers. This is the first step in a marketing plan.
- Polish Your Brand: You only get to make a first impression once. Your “brand” is this impression, from your logo to your color selection to your website copy. It’s not only important that it’s good, it matters that it’s consistent.
- Start With Your Website: Before social media, advertising, or email marketing, you need a good website. If you have a current one, you may need an update to keep up with the times and your changing customer base.
- Be Present Online: Anywhere your customers look for you, including social media platforms, review sites, and industry-specific listings, you need to be there. Online presence and reputation management are key parts of a brand.
- Coordinate Marketing: When you do start marketing initiatives, it’s vital to coordinate everything. Not only should you be speaking with the same voice from platform to platform, but you also need to make sure lead generation is set up properly.
It’s a lot of work to start with the fundamentals and build up, but you don’t have to do it alone. Working with us here at Vision means you can not only have comprehensive marketing options and in-depth marketing plans but also a sounding board for any trends you see (and you’ll get a nuanced response). Want to talk? Contact us today. Want more advice? Check out the rest of our Vision blogs, our enVisioning Success podcast, and our downloadable Marketing Strategies Playbook.
