In July, Brazilian social media was taken over by an audience phenomenon, the ‘love strawberry’: a delicacy consisting of a strawberry with chocolate coating and the appearance of a ‘candy apple’. Brands and users wanted to ride the wave and take advantage of the trend. However, experts warn about potential problems with the trend.
According to Thiago Andrade, social media manager at KAKOI Comunicação, leveraging trends is almost a must, but care must be taken with the entire ecosystem involved, especially how the company communicates:
“First, it’s necessary to respect the company’s brand voice. If it has never made jokes or leveraged other trends, there’s no point jumping on the love strawberry bandwagon and then going back to speaking as if it had never done so. Respect for the audience and the previously developed strategic plan is essential,” says Andrade.
Another point of attention, according to the expert, is the expectations created. When a trend is at its peak, social media algorithms present the content to thousands of people who don’t know the brand or company—this can be favorable or a trap:
“Imagine a snack bar, for example, that has been communicating by making jokes and leveraging the trend but doesn’t sell the love strawberry. Depending on the content’s quality, it will reach thousands of people who don’t know the company and may think it does sell the product. When the user impacted by the post and the algorithm contacts the company and discovers the negative response, the outcome will be worse. Reviews that will damage the company’s reputation—so strategy is crucial,” emphasizes the manager.
According to ifood, Brazil’s largest delivery platform, In July alone, over 524,000 units of the sweet were delivered, representing an increase of more than 2,490% compared to the previous month. That is, about two units of the dessert are sold per order.
