Why Brands Fail at Spotting Trends (and How to Stay Ahead).

Image sourced from Pinterest (original creator unknown)

We've all seen brands catch onto a trend late (or worse duplicate without an original take), and by the time they launch the consumer has already moved on.

Most times brands fail because they're waiting to react to competitors and chase whatever they see like brands do; they're reacting and moving in on trends too slowly or it's purely a lack of forecasting & they just don't have the necessary strategies in place.

This then results in a waste of marketing spend, incredibly short hype & thus irrelevant launches. Ultimately costing the brand and setting it back.

The good news is that trends don't just appear overnight - I know it's hard to believe in this fast-paced digital era. But trends build as signals across consumer behaviour, culture, social and tech. And the brands that are on top are the ones that anticipate these rapid changes, the ones with strategies and foresight to succeed - not chase.

This is where the importance of Trend Intelligence as a strategic function comes in, and not just "scrolling TikTok" for trends. T.I. is the process of systematically collecting and analysing data in order to identify emerging patterns, forecast future trends & shifts, and develop strategic decisions. It's the difference between your business staying ahead of competitors and being a late adopter.

Image sourced from Pinterest (from Loro Piana Campaign)

Think of the 'quiet luxury' wave in fashion. While most brands scrambled to get into it & copy The Row and Loro Piana aesthetics, foresight showed it wasn’t about beige sweaters, it was about a cultural pivot toward subtle status, conscious consumption and longevity in your wardrobe. Brands that understood this deeper shift (and aligned product quality, pricing, and messaging) weren’t just chasing a look - they were working on future-proofing their relevance. That’s the difference foresight makes.

Look at a brand like PrettyLittleThing that tried to pivot into 'quiet luxury' at the tail end of the trend, the backlash was almost immediate. They had established an audience that was loyal to them for their bold, sexy and accessible styles that in turn rejected the sudden shift. Why? Because foresight shows that quiet luxury isn't just an aesthetic to adopt - of tailored pieces & beige colour palettes. It's rooted in cultural values of restraint, subtlety, quality & longevity. PLT had already established its presence with its existing audience, well on the other side of this spectrum.

The Lesson: without foresight through trend intelligence, brands risk not just missing a trend, but alienating the very customers who made them successful.

This is exactly what we help brands avoid here at Babe in Business. We turn cultural signals into strategy for success; so you don’t waste time chasing trends that don’t fit, or risk alienating the very customers who built your brand.