This article first appeared in Ad Age written by, Harry Wright, Strategy Director from our London studio.
But will it go viral? That seems to be the prevailing question plaguing strategists and creatives at the moment.
It’s easy to understand why so many brands long to go viral. The dizzying heights of global awareness, the smug satisfaction of seeing your activation being passed around the WhatsApp group like a Chris Eubank meme and the metrics … oh, the metrics.
However, the problem with a viral moment is that, ultimately, that’s all it is, a moment. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s shallow and short-lived. It entertains, but it doesn’t drive long-term behavior change or preference. That’s what relevance is for.
Relevance is what makes a brand feel like it belongs in consumers’ lives, not because it shouts the loudest, but because it shows up in the right way at the right time with the right tone. Hype creates momentary noise; relevance creates lasting meaning.
To be relevant is to understand the world as your audience sees it. It’s not just about having a good product or service, it’s about fitting into the cultural, emotional and situational context that people are already living in. It means speaking their language, addressing their pain points and showing you get it without needing to overexplain.
Relevance is built into the margins through tone, timing and nuance. It respects attention instead of hijacking it. And crucially, it’s earned. You can’t manufacture relevance in a brainstorm or bolt it onto a trend. It has to grow organically from real understanding and care.
In an age of endless content, click-chasing campaigns and manufactured virality, relevance is a competitive advantage. It’s how brands move from being seen to being felt. And when you strike that chord, your audience won’t just notice you; they’ll remember you.
Here is a four-step guide to achieving brand relevance:
Stop transmitting and start receiving
No one wants to talk to the person who loves to talk about themselves. The same is true for brands. If you spend all your time and marketing budget pushing your products and services or shouting about your sustainability credentials, people will switch off. The first step toward relevancy is to realise that none of this is about you.
Bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity
Once you start actually listening, you can uncover the inherent needs and ambitions of your target audience. These are the deep-rooted desires and aspirations that shape their lives, decisions and attitudes on a day-to-day basis. If you can provide your audience with opportunities to get closer to achieving these aspirations, you have a better chance of becoming an integral and relevant part of their lives because they’ll want to keep coming back to your brand to keep getting closer to achieving their goals.
Provide access consumers can’t get anywhere else
Access is essential to bridging that gap between ambition and opportunity. Create unique experiences, both in the real world and online, that provide your audience with the tools, guidance and community they need to edge closer to their goals. This will create deeper emotional bonds by demonstrating that you truly understand them on a personal level. Not only that, but you’ll prove that you’re willing to put their needs before your brand objectives. And how can they not love that?
Create environments that facilitate deeper connections
It’s far easier to achieve your goals when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals. So, if you can be seen as the brand that brings people together, forging communities of ambitious and supportive people who are dedicated to helping each other to achieve their goals, you can drive unprecedented levels of engagement and loyalty by becoming the focal point that your audience turns to find meaningful connections and purpose.
Relevance may be less sexy than hype, but it’s far more powerful, because it’s based on real human insights and behaviors. By understanding what people feel, what they need and what choices they make without thinking, you’ll make customers for life, not just for the moment. Above all else, you won’t look so desperate for attention.
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