Tracking the Trends: How Our Q2 Predictions Are Playing Out

Each month, we ID five new trends influencing brands and businesses in our trend report, What’s Next, Now. But we can't just stop there — we also keep our eye on our picks to track where they go and how they develop. We’re confident enough to admit that not all of our predictions come true. But when they do …

Check out how some of our top Q2 trends evolved:

It's Reddit's World, and We're All Living in It

One of April’s standout trends was the rise of Reddit. From an emergency communication tool, to inspiration for the next Hollywood drama, to everyone’s favorite search engine, brands are catching on to Reddit’s multi-faceted success and joining in on the fun. Now, Reddit is seeing the fastest ad revenue growth of any major social media platform. And in June, the brand hired its first ever Chief Communications Officer to help navigate its growing influence. 

One unexpected place Reddit is making an impact? Web traffic. With the rise of AI, brands and news sites have seen dramatic drops in search-driven website visitors. But as people look to Reddit as a new search alternative for real-time, real-human opinions, those searches are translating to site visits. 

Some of this traffic occurs organically  — 40% of all Reddit posts mention a product or brand. But savvy social media teams are also exploring ways to get in on the conversation. SEO marketers have more than just search engines and AI bots to worry about. Is “Reddit Optimization” going to be our next buzzword?

Who Wants to Be the Next Influencer?

Our May report covered the influencer trip reckoning. Rather than planning lavish getaways for social media stars, brands are turning down the flash and pomp for something more authentic. For some companies, this looks like creating customer-centric experiences and using fans as their go-to spokespeople. For others, brands themselves are taking the spotlight.

The New York Times recently highlighted how brand social media managers and content creators are making influencer-style videos in-house. In this way, the brand (and its employees) become the influencer. The goal is for these ads to not seem like ads, and instead blend in with your constant scroll of content. 

Rise of the Robotaxis

We also highlighted Waymo’s evolving reputation in May. The autonomous taxi brand is shaking off some of its PR woes and growing in popularity and ridership. Waymo did hit a bit of a bump in the road when people started setting the cars on fire, but despite this, it’s still full speed ahead. Recently the company kicked off road trips — basically test drives — in Philadelphia and New York City. Service in New York City will be a major milestone for Waymo to clear, as the city has strict laws against autonomous driving and a longstanding love for its yellow taxis.

Since May, a new competitor has entered the AV scene. Tesla’s Robotaxi rollout hasn’t gone particularly smoothly — it’s faced accidents, confusion, and pushback from Tesla’s anti-fanbase — but we still see the fleet continuing to grow, and more competitors entering the market. 

Bonus: YouTube Takes on Live Sports

In March, we predicted YouTube would make a move into live sports, the only category where it hasn’t yet taken the crown. Now, the content giant will stream its first ever life NFL game this September.

Our Cultural Crystal Ball

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