In the golden age of marketing tools, tactics, and trends, there’s always something new competing for a CMO’s attention. One week it’s Threads. The next it’s AI-generated snackable content. Blink twice and your team is pitching a branded Roblox activation. Meanwhile, your core strategy is somewhere under a pile of Slack threads labeled “URGENT.”
Enter the modern-day marketing plague: Trend FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). And if you don’t recognize it yet, you might already be infected.
The Algorithm Doesn’t Care About Your Strategy The social media algorithm wants engagement, not enterprise growth. It rewards hot takes, novelty, and volatility. But your board wants predictable pipeline and brand equity.
The best CMOs resist the urge to chase trends for the dopamine. Instead, they treat platforms like tools—not toys.
Chasing Everything Means Owning Nothing When your marketing team pivots every month to ride the next viral wave, what are you actually building?
A confused audience?
A chaotic backlog?
A burned-out team?
Focus is a competitive advantage. Not every trend deserves your time. Be selective. Let your strategy dictate your tools—not the other way around.
Create a “Shiny Object” Filter Before you greenlight that VR influencer pilot with zero proven ROI, ask:
Does this align with our core goals?Can we measure impact meaningfully?Are we chasing the trend or solving a customer problem?
If it doesn’t pass the filter, don’t fund it.
Trend Testing Isn’t the Problem—Lack of Discipline Is Great CMOs do test new channels. But they do it with discipline:
Limited budgets
Clear hypotheses
Defined exit criteria
This turns experimentation into a strength, not a distraction. It keeps your strategy clean and your CFO calm.
Your Brand Is Built on Consistency, Not Chaos Brand gravity is earned through repeated, reliable experiences—not random stunts. The more consistent your message, the faster people trust it.
The trend-hopping CMO builds noise. The strategic CMO builds meaning.
Lead With Vision, Not Trend Anxiety Marketing will always evolve. But great CMOs don’t flinch at every platform shift or pixel trend. They lead with clarity, focus, and long-term vision.
Because while trends are temporary, a smart strategy is timeless.