Micro-trends = chronically online behavior 🙅♂️
Plus: Eau de Pizza, brand wars, and the AI tool we never knew we needed.
Welcome back, Scanner!
Winter is ending, the birds are chirping, and the signals are flowing – spring must be on the way. But before we can dance through a field of flowers, we likely have a few more cold snaps ahead. While we wait it out, what could be better than curling up with 1-3 drinks and a fresh edition of SCAN 👀 CLUB? We’ll wait.
Before we dive in, consider this your reminder to add your POV in the comments below! When you read through these signals, consider what’s changing, why it matters, and what could happen next? We want to hear what these signals mean to you, so keep the comments coming, and we’ll meet you in the chat!
Okay, let’s go.
📅 CURRENT
RPLY Wants to Help You Hit Inbox Zero
What’s changing?
A new app on the market could help notification hoarders achieve inbox zero on iMessage. RPLY is an AI tool that identifies missed texts and suggests responses to help you prevent unintentionally ghosting your besties. The AI assistant can respond to messages that haven’t received a reply in over 24 hours. It’s the brainchild of Molly Cantillon, a 21-year-old Stanford dropout and creator of NOX. According to Cantillon, RPLY aims to help people handle what’s referred to as “text debt” (the mental toll of not knowing if you replied to a message). RPLY analyzes your text history to craft replies that align with your writing style, a feature that’s said to create natural-sounding responses.
Why does it matter?
AI has been used as a tool for communication by customer service and marketing teams for a while now, but this move into personal relationships and personal communications feels significant. Leaning into this idea of “text debt” is an interesting way for a brand to explore how our digital lives create a heavy mental load (instead of alleviating it). The app seems to help, but it could also simply be a bandaid for a real issue – and using more tech to navigate these tech-related behaviors is a bit of a double-edged sword. We are seeing people reject AI images, video, and customer service bots, so how will it work being inserted into personal communication? Will friends understand? Will it feel more dismissive and create more “debt?”
What could happen next?
If AI becomes more of an intermediary between us and our personal relationships, how will those relationships shift? Will there be new rules for text etiquette? Texting has changed significantly since it was introduced, and our unspoken rules around slang and shorthand change constantly (think of the classic smiley face emoji or how Gen Z stopped using capital letters). How could this type of AI alter our relationship with what we consider authentic? For most of us, our personal relationships are an untouched space for authenticity, but will that change? What other technology could be introduced to take over the tactical work of our daily lives? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Scan-o-meter: 📅 📅 📅 / 5
😲 SURPRISING
If You’ve Dreamed of Smelling Like Pizza: Now Is Your Time
What’s changing?
For Valentine’s Day this year, Domino’s released Eau de Passion, a perfume “inspired by the alluring and irresistible scent of a Domino’s Pepperoni Passion, with notes of spice, pepper, and a woody, warm, comforting base.” The perfume comes in a pyramid-shaped bottle that is made to look like pizza slices. Papa John’s has also gotten in on the craze, creating a limited-edition bath bomb inspired by its Garlic Dipping Sauce for fans who want to “bathe” in the signature scent. Papa John’s sent the bath bomb to random fans who posted about loving the brand on social media.
Why does it matter?
While most of us would probably argue we don’t want to dip ourselves in garlic, it is a cheeky reminder of how our brands play on the senses. It’s a silly marketing stunt that makes a larger nod to how marketers can approach world-building. Remember the Saltburn candle? Or the mayo perfume? Yep. Brands are diving into the olfactory world in weird and wonderful ways, and they’re getting attention for it.
What could happen next?
What might we see if this signal accelerates? More sensory stunts from brands? Or new ways for customers to show their brand loyalty (like home objects, accessories, clothing)? Will lighthearted marketing get more spotlight, allowing space for play and the unexpected? Should we keep a close eye on April Fools’ Day this year? What about parody marketing? Will brand collaborations that feel wholly unexpected and bizarre (but kind of make sense the more you think about them) continue to take off? Time will tell.
Scan-o-meter: 😲😲 / 5
🎯 SPECIFIC
Is This the Death of the Micro-Trend?
What’s changing?
Does following micro fashion trends = cosplaying social media? It may feel like an odd question, but a new video by @eugbrandstrat makes this exact point. In the video, Eugene Healey, brand strategy consultant and Lecturer, states that following micro trends has become “low-status behavior.” Between “cooking” personal style, creating an influx of waste, building an anxiety response about falling behind the trends, and algorithms increasingly favoring extreme content, consumers are feeling fed up. Healey notes that most people IRL do not look like the fashion photos seen on social media, and spotting these trends on the street now shows how online someone is (in contrast to the desire of many to have real, shared moments).
Why does it matter?
It’s a fine line to walk, trying to stay relevant to the pulse of social media trends without coming across as unoriginal. All of our SMMs in the chat know this all too well. On the one hand, following trends can allow content to blow up with how algorithms (TikTok’s especially) currently function. On the other hand, digital audiences seem to be signaling that they want to see something new, real, and different. As marketers, particularly social media marketers and creators, how do we toe the line between these needs? If your content is very trend-driven, how confident are you that people who aren’t chronically online actually understand it? And how are you differentiating your content from other brands or creators jumping on the same trends?
What could happen next?
If this signal escalates and aligning with trends of any sort becomes more cringe-worthy, how do brands create original content that still gets results? In the future, will algorithms start to favor unique content? What could this mean for fashion, art, and design? Can social media really exist without micro-trends? How could this signal change how creators get and keep followers' attention? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Scan-o-meter: 🎯🎯🎯🎯/ 5
🔍 TREND REPORT IRL
Updates from our Trend Forecast
We recently launched our second Trend Report! As the year goes on, we’ll continue investigating signals that further the conversation around our forecast. Here’s what we’re watching this week:
People want shared moments: Olipop and Poppi’s brand war creates a moment of monoculture.
People want ease: BuzzFeed wants to make the internet “fun” again.
People want realness: Gen Z hates using capital letters.
Want more trend news? Check out What (Digital) Audiences Want In 2025!
🎙️ NEW ON BIG THINGS
🤔 BEFORE YOU GO
To help keep these signals top-of-mind, we share 1 question to ask yourself (or your team) in each edition. Your question to mull on this week is:
See you next time 👋
Forest scent 😌
Building an experience around scent has been a trend I’m seeing with some brands. A la Merit and how they rolled out their signature scent. How fun is it to find ways to describe scent through a screen