How to Ride the Pop Culture Wave Without Wiping Out

By: Ella Mertz

When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement broke the internet, brands everywhere saw an exciting opportunity to connect with millions of fans. Within hours, jewelry companies were showcasing engagement rings, brands were crafting clever memes, and local businesses were finding creative ways to reference Swift's lyrics in their messaging.

Pop culture moments offer incredible potential for genuine brand connection. The key to successfully utilizing these cultural conversations is knowing when they naturally align with your brand's story and when they might be better left to others.

The 24-Hour Rule

Before you draft that Swift-themed social post or pitch that Kelce-inspired promotion, give it 24 hours. Ask yourself: Does this actually connect to what our brand stands for, or are we just chasing engagement?

Take the recent The Summer I Turned Pretty phenomenon. The show didn't just spark conversations about teen romance; it created a whole aesthetic movement around coastal summers, vintage jewelry, and coming-of-age nostalgia. Brands that succeeded weren't the ones posting Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah memes. They were the jewelry brands showcasing delicate layered necklaces, the coastal hotels highlighting their "Cousins Beach vibes," and the fashion retailers curating summer collections that captured the show's dreamy aesthetic.

Building Your Trend Response Kit

Smart PR teams don't wait for viral moments to happen; they prepare for them. Here's what should be in your pop culture playbook:

• Brand voice guidelines for trending topics (What's on-brand? What's off-limits?)

• Quick approval process for time-sensitive content

• Template language for common scenarios (celebrity engagements, TV show premieres, award shows)

• Visual assets that can be quickly customized (think neutral graphics, versatile layouts)

When to Jump and When to Pass

Not every trending moment deserves your brand's attention. Swift's engagement announcement generated massive conversation, but so did countless other celebrity moments that brands wisely ignored. The key is understanding your audience and your brand's relationship to the cultural moment. The most effective pop culture PR happens when brands use trending topics to tell their own story more compellingly. They understand that the goal isn't to ride the wave, it's to use the wave's energy to propel their authentic message further.

The Real Strategy Behind Pop Culture PR

Pop culture will always move at lightning speed, but the brands that consistently succeed in these moments focus on genuine connection over viral chasing. When you encounter your next big cultural moment, ask yourself: How can this help us tell our story better? Because in a world full of trending topics, the brands that stand out are the ones that use pop culture to amplify what makes them uniquely valuable.