A Look at the Most Unhinged Marketing Trends: WOOF Edition

There’s a fine line between being relatable and being... well, uncomfortably online. And lately? The internet is giving major "main character syndrome"—especially in the world of marketing.

While these are pretty raw and real, we’ve rounded up a few cringe trends that are making us hit the mental unsubscribe button:

The On-Camera Breakdown We get it—you want to connect on an emotional level. But the waterworks-for-clicks approach? It’s giving a trauma dump, not brand trust. Go cry in your closet off camera and then give us a real deal story on the situation instead of tear dumping on your followers (while they are still around.)

Over-Edited Everything We love a good aesthetic. But when every single frame is overly saturated, jump-cut to death, and set to the same trending audio... it stops being scroll-stopping and starts being scroll-right-past. A little harsh? Maybe, but we’d rather look out for you.

Fake Urgency, Real Ick “Only 3 spots left!” (But somehow still running the same ad three weeks later?) We see you. And so does your audience. It’s inauthentic and rehearsed… and also kind of a lie so we are definitely adding this one to the list and keeping it there.

The Inauthentic BFF Vibe Talking to your phone like you're FaceTiming your bestie can work—if it's actually your brand voice. But when it feels forced? Your audience knows. You might as well sit down with your bestie and show us the real deal.

The LinkedIn Overshare™ Do we need a full play-by-play of your divorce, job loss, or spiritual awakening in a post about Q2 results? Probably not. What we do need… authentic posts that are relevant to your industry and who you are.

So what should we be doing?

Keep it real. Tell better stories. Focus on connection, not performance. A little pizazz? Sure. But your brand doesn’t need a filtered meltdown to stand out.

So what should we be doing?

Lo-fi > Over-produced That raw, “shot-on-iPhone” vibe? It’s working. And it's way more trustworthy than a heavily edited reel that feels like a trailer for a Netflix doc. This gives people an idea of what your daily life actually looks like and what point you’re trying to get across without all the fluff.

Strategy > Buzzwords Calling something a strategy doesn’t make it one. Back it up with intention, data, and actual goals, or just call it a post. Strategy is what we do every day so if you’re looking for help here, we know a guy (or gal).

Real > “Authenticity” Theater Don’t tell us you’re being authentic—just be real. Share your perspective, your voice, and your weirdness. If you’re trying to convenience us that you’re being authentic, odds are, you’re doing the complete opposite.

Selling ≠ Shouting Nobody is on all the time. Your audience isn’t either. Let’s normalize not selling in every single post. Teach. Entertain. Serve. Then sell. You have to work for the sale, not yell at people until they are sick of hearing you.

We’re all for pushing boundaries—but there’s a difference between bold and performative. Let’s agree to make content that actually connects.

What cringe trend are you pretending you never tried?

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