Why Brands Need To Tap Into Internet Culture

You’re probably sick of hearing the phrase “very demure” by now. But if there is a demuretsy content you should sit through, let this be the last one because we are about to dissect what this trending phenomenon tells us about internet culture.

In particular, why brands need to embrace the internet culture in all its unhinged glory.

What is “very demure, very mindful”?

First of all, congratulations on your healthy relationship with the internet. If you don’t already know, the phrase, “very demure, very mindful”, was popularised by creator Jools Lebron on TikTok who debuted this phrase in a video about her office make-up look. Zillennials immediately gave the phrase their stamp of approval and adopted it into their lexicon, flooding every comment section and feed with the phrase.

Not long after, brands lined up to jump on the demuretsy bandwagon—some gave their own spin on the trend, whilst others like Colour Wow and Patrick Ta went the extra mile and produced videos with Lebron herself.

But why were brands eager to jump on this trend?

Beyond the reach and likes, partaking in internet trends is a form of social currency. Brands are rewarded with something far more valuable than superficial numbers, they’re given a community who—if the brand keeps up this effort—might turn into long-term fans. With that comes conversions and ultimately, sales. Cha-ching, right?

But here’s where brands tend to mess up: blindly jumping on trends is not going to magically get you a community, neither is capitalising off it. Much like IRL relationships, online communities are also built off trust and sincere connections. Brands need to speak their audience’s language and understand their humour to connect with them, and the only way to do so is to immerse themselves in the (internet) culture.

Take a look at Duolingo, for example. The language-learning app secured over 5 million followers on TikTok within its first year of posting by creating unhinged content filled with internet references like The Bear, BRAT Summer, “Mama, a girl behind you”, and more. Marc Jacobs, on the other hand, has become Gen Zs favourite designer brand by leveraging the creativity and relatability of content creators with CGC (creator-generated content).

It is important now more than ever for brands to engage with internet culture. As Gen Zs’ trust for brands begin to decline, partaking in online culture is a strategic way to humanise the brand and connect with your audiences.