The Barbie movie might have come out over a month ago, but her hot-pink mark can still be seen on everything from social media scrolls to physical products, brand collabs and beyond. No doubt that the massive budget helped propel Barbie to the top of the cultural pyramid, but it's not just about money – it's about magic. Lucy Robertson, social marketing agency SEEN Connects' Head of Brand Marketing, dives into what has prompted today's explosive fandom, and how brands can authentically harness this hype.
The last time I dressed up for a trip to the cinema was 2001.
My hair was freshly crimped, my mum had fashioned a cape out of a black bin bag and a carefully selected twig from the garden served as a makeshift wand. Like an early pioneer of Secret Cinema, I took my one-night role of Hermione seriously – joining the hordes of other kids masquerading as Hogwarts students for the night to watch Harry Potter on the big screen.
Fast-forward to July 2023. I’m in head-to-toe pink in the queue for popcorn. “Hi Barbie!” a fellow Barbie calls out to me. “Hi Barbie!” I dutifully retaliated. I’ve had songs from the soundtrack saved to my Spotify playlists for weeks. I am well and truly embedded into the fandom, and for the first time in over 20 years, a simple trip to the cinema has transformed into an immersive experience.
I know – let’s firstly address the $150M-sized elephant in the room. Barbie was a flawless execution on how to cut through to all consumers, from the mainstream to the niche – whilst this wasn’t an example of low-budget marketing, it most certainly was a masterclass in generating hype across every touchpoint.
And Barbie isn’t alone. 2023 has felt like wave after wave of hype culture moments – all with their own associated products, memes, trending sounds, trademarked phrases and endless internet discourse.
From sold-out Adidas Sambas, to learning Beyonce + Blue’s Renaissance choreography, even to Threads’ big bang launch, how did 2023 become the year hype culture took over – and how can brands and marketers harness this to generate reach that feels relevant?
Let’s look at why we buy into trends – and, more importantly, why we contribute to the discourse on them. Hype culture enables us to feel like we’re part of a community. Gen Z considers community more important than any other generation, and it’s no coincidence that it’s this generation steering everything from TikTok micro-trends to larger fandom movements. This is the generation that has the power to turn a 15-second TikTok sound into a chart-topping hit.
Online community isn’t just important in generating brand love – it’s there to drive conversion, too. 81% of Gen Z and 68% of millennials say being part of a brand’s online community makes them more likely to purchase from said brand too – from a song download, to an arena tour ticket.
Look no further for proof than #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt – the hashtag with 66B views and counting – and whilst we also saw a wave of “de-influencing” this last year, this trend in itself felt like a guise for pushing products outside of the mainstream; simply #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, but in a newer, trendier form.
With such a focus on generating hype and virality, it can be difficult for marketers to navigate measures of success that feel realistic (remember that elephant in the room I mentioned)?
So, how do you harness hype that feels meaningful and relevant to your brand? What rules can you apply to your campaigns, regardless of budget?
Identify the communities you want to infiltrate and find their spearheads.
Knowing where your target audience is playing and how to reach them is key. Ticking off solid content creation skills, a strong engagement rate and CTR is no longer enough - brands need to source the influencers informing the trends, not just adopting them. At SEEN Connects, we use data tools and sentiment tracking to identify the “rising stars” amongst each online community whose trust factor generates buying power.
Don’t include “virality” as a metric of success.
In recent months we’ve received more briefs with “going viral” as the KPI. Virality is the by-product of capturing a zeitgeist but might not actually ladder back to real ROI. Be clear about what you want to achieve - set realistic benchmarks and think about your overall business objective. Are you looking for new customer acquisition? Why not consider a limited-edition drop in collaboration with an influencer having their moment. Is this more about driving website traffic? Set up a network of always-on influencers who can each credibly speak to your brands USPs, ensuring your paid media campaign complements the same objective. You need to see a piece of branded content 11.4 times before you convert, so remember that virality cannot be achieved overnight.
Focus on long-term impact over short-term buzz.
To do this, remember why hype is important to your consumer in the first place – it’s all about community. Create a space for your network to feel seen and heard, whether that’s running a series of intimate in-person events; inviting influencers to be part of focus groups, or even positioning your fans and creators as faces of. Find those who speak the language of your target demographic – and listen to them.
Whilst we’ve all felt the Barbie effect and beyond this year, spend only equals impact if the other ingredients – and these guidelines – are in place too.
