Don’t Chase Trends—Catch Them
- jessie545
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
You need to be paddling before the wave arrives.
What do menopause, cryptocurrency, COVID-19, and streaming wars all have in common? They are all topics that have had major trending moments in the media over the past few years. Perhaps you recall these topics being omnipresent in the media, or even tried to pitch yourself as a contributor when they were in vogue. Whether it was one of these examples or another headline, chances are you have experienced a common PR challenge: trying to ride a media trend only to find that your expertise doesn’t translate.
Pickles or politics
I recently looked up from my phone and declared, “Pickles are about to be trending in the media.” My husband, in the driver’s seat, let out a slight chuckle, but as we pulled up to the red light, he looked over and saw my expression. “Oh, you’re serious?” he questioned. As I began to lay out the evidence, he realized I was quite serious: Elle Decor published an interview with Pamela Anderson, launching her line of rose-infused spicy pickles. There was another piece in Livingetc, where a journalist shared her excitement over IKEA’s pickling collection after she took up the food preservation method as a hobby over the summer. If that wasn’t enough, Food Drink Life boldly declared that dill pickle has officially emerged as the new foodie trend. While it’s one thing for a handful of food and lifestyle outlets to feature the same topic, what really sent up my antenna was an article in the Wall Street Journal, a primarily business and finance outlet, which featured the briny cukes.
Whether it’s pickles or politics, great publicists observe trends in the media before you do. And we can learn from that as we think about future pitching, why you aren’t getting coverage, or why that coverage might suddenly stop.
When a trend aligns perfectly with your expertise and takes over the conversation in the media, it’s natural to assume that pitching and landing coverage will be effortless. Then you’re left confused when no one is interested. What’s the disconnect between a topic you’re perfectly poised to speak on, being featured everywhere from spanning news, podcasts, and print, and yet no one is returning your inquiry? Chances are, you waited too long; you noticed the trend at the same time the rest of the world did, and by that point, the media outlets had already booked the experts they needed.
Paddle before the wave arrives
What many people don’t realize is that if you wait until a topic is “on trend,” there’s a chance you’re too late. It’s a PR professional’s job to notice a trend before it goes viral and then find ways to connect your expertise or products to that topic. Your connections alone won’t land you features. Without a strong understanding of how to link your voice to the trending topics and stories, the media wins you are looking for will always feel out of reach. Once you grasp the nuances of the media, including how to spot a trend before the media becomes inundated with the topic, you will hold the keys to becoming a part of the narrative. When you can spot a trend on the horizon, you can make sure you don’t miss the moment.
Think of a trend like a wave on the ocean, and yourself as a surfer. To surf, you have to start paddling the wave arrives so you can match the wave’s speed and catch it. The same principle applies to pitching; when you know how to read the media landscape, like the ocean, you’ll know when to start pitching so you have enough momentum to catch the trend at the perfect time.
Katie Lockert is a travel and food journalist who has contributed to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and many other top-tier publications. She recently shared on her Substack what she looks for when receiving or pitching trend articles:
“Numbers data or evidence that this is, in fact, a growing trend (the most important thing!)
Multiple examples of this trend around the world, or wherever the trend is happening (for example, the U.S. or Europe)
A “why now” angle. Why is this important now, or what is the reason behind this new trend?”
Understand a trend’s rhythm
Each of these tips is not just great information to include in a pitch, but a signal to watch that a trend is on the upswing, and it’s time to start paddling. The goal is to capitalize on that trend’s 15 minutes of fame. Your publicist wants to get you connected to the trend when it’s hot. However, it’s also their job to notice when it starts to cool so they can guide your pitching strategy and connect expertise to another angle or topic. Whether that’s catching the next trend or returning to an industry-specific outlet that always needs your insights, this allows you to stay relevant and prevents you from turning into another flash in the pan.
Understanding the rhythm of a trend and how the media operates is crucial to creating an effective pitching strategy. Publicists constantly have their eyes on the news and media landscape, subscribing to multiple publications across topics and industries, allowing them to spot when a trend is forming long before the public does. So when they come to you and say, “Hey, pickles are trending!” it’s not guesswork or random; their skills are in positioning your expertise where it belongs: front and center in the media.
