The shift has been building for years, fuelled by a potent cocktail of politics, creators and fandoms. But over the past 12 months, it finally crossed the threshold.
Think that’s overstated? Just look around.
Creators spinning conspiracies about “missing” votes that never existed, a government agency named after cryptocurrency born from internet satire, a woman who rode her viral moment to fame only to launch a meme coin that left wallets lighter – and that’s just the recent highlight reel.
The truth is, these moments could’ve erupted at any point this year. Why? Because in 2024, internet culture didn’t just reward controversy – it demanded it.
Whether its embracing creators who treat misogynistic rhetoric as a badge of honor, defending a rapper’s baseless accusation of impropriety against a rival, or dicing headfirst into the chaotic gold rush for alternative currencies, people believe what they’re motivated to believe.
And honestly, who can blame them?
Now more than ever, social media algorithms reward the loudest, most divisive voices, creating a precarious feedback loop where virality routinely eclipses substance. For creators (and therefore the marketers who back them), its a high-stakes dynamic: the same radicalizing forces shaping audiences are shaping them too. The more outrageous the content, the bigger the reward, turning shock value into an irresistible – if unsustainable – strategy in the race for attention.
Marketers have been observing this shift for years, but they’re far from fully prepared. Right now, they’re just at the foothills of a transformation that demands a decision: embrace the chaos, dive into memes, fandoms and creators, or keep it at arm’s length and risk being seen as outdated, contrived and irrelevant.
Either way, the stakes have never been higher. Wade into social issues, and they risk getting swept into culture wars. Clumsily riff on the “mustard” meme and they’ll face the wrath of vociferous hip-hop fans. Mistake the “brat girl” viral trend for another and risk coming across as contrived – or worse, outdated.
“I’m working with brands on this very thing – i.e how they show up at the top for the funnel,“ said Douglas Brundage, CEO of brand studio Kingsland. “It’s what gets our attention. They’re going to have to start determining where their red lines are because the platforms clearly aren’t going to do it for them.”
The question for marketers like this now isn’t just how to navigate this chaotic dynamic – it’s whether they can leverage the shifting landscape without getting swallowed by it.
Sometimes, this means taking a stand, as Sticker Muke’s rivals did when the company’s CEO publicly supported President-elect Donald Trump, prompting competitors to voice opposing views and see a bump in customers looking for a better ideological fit.
Other times, it means taking a quieter approach – perhaps partnering with the growing ranks of creators positioning themselves as apolitical to sidestep the chaos entirely.
That latter point may define next year’s winners. After all, the marketing playbook is packed with advice on when and how to be edgy. But perhaps the real risk – the one that separates winners and losers from the rest – is knowing when to stay out of the fray. Sometimes, restraint isn’t just safe – its strategic.
“One of the signals I’m seeing is a shift from marketers taking a clear stance on the how they communicate their values around a purpose to now saying ‘let’s do cute’ or let’s be nice’,” said Tom Sweeney, head of creative strategy at FanBytes by Brainlabs.
But don’t mistake this restraint for risk aversion. Marketers aren’t backing away from boldness – they’re recalibrating their strategies. The goal now isn’t to avoid risk altogether but to navigate a cultural minefield with precision, staying relevant without being reckless.
“We need to stop treating memes like fleeting trends,” said James Kirkham, head of brand at soccer-themed messaging app Cleats Club. “They’re the lingua franca of modern audiences. They’re how we share ideas, signal belonging and make meaning. If you’re not designing campaigns with memes in mind as a brand, you’re designing for irrelevance.”
Adidas gets this, continued Kirkham. Known as a paragon of cultural cool, the brand leaned into meme territory with a collaboration featuring The Simpsons’ Homer fading into the bushes – a literal meme turned into a Stan Smith trainer. Meme products are officially a thing, Kirkham continued.
And when its not inspiring products, internet culture is shaping everything else. Take Netflix’s marketing philosophy; every show needs a “meme moment”, a book designed to let social media do the heavy lifting. Or the “very demure, very mindful” TikTok trend, a simple joke that spiraled into a viral marketing sensation.
Whether it’s a visual gag, an absurd tagline or a quirky prop, marketers are designing for memefication – baking internet culture into the DNA of their campaigns to ensure they resonate in a world where memes and controversy are the currency of relevance.
“Marketers, if they weren’t already, are now thinking about their brand’s personality with the same nuance they’d use to craft a character in a novel,” said Brundage.
Maybe, Bud Light was on to something when it hired a chief meme officer four years ago.
That’s the tricky thing about this shift: on the surface, it can sound contrived at best, absurd at worst. Brands with personalities. Memes. “Brat summer” trends. Creators with more influence than news publications. It all feels hyperbolic.
But scratch the surface, and the picture is far starker. Brands with personalities aren’t just gimmicks – they’re closer to culture than the naysayers think. The so/called “brat summer” trend? It’s a mirror into how some young women aspire to live. And as for those creators with media-shaking influence, that’s not even a debate – they hold the kind of sway many news organizations would kill for.
“There’s a permeable barrier between what people are experiencing online and in the physical world – its just one reality,” said Natalie Silverstein, chief innovation officer at Collectively. “As a result, marketers are being even more thoughtful about their strategies in so far as what it means to adopt the language and culture of it.
Subcultures aren’t niche anymore – they’re the culture. And for marketers, that changes everything.
