How To Adapt Your Tech To Lean Into Consumer Trends

While some trends are short-lived (hopefully the days of mustache finger tattoos are forever behind us), others have lasting power and sway over consumers. 

According to Salsify’s “2025 Consumer Research” report, 34% of all shoppers have purchased a viral or trending product within the last year. 

Consumers enjoy participating in trends because it indicates that they’re active participants in the zeitgeist — savvy to what’s “cool.” Smart brands leverage technology to tap into these cultural moments and connect with shoppers. 

Discover how top brands are leveraging consumer trends with technology, along with expert tips for emulating their successful strategies. 

Smart Brands Lean Into Consumer Trends With Technology 

Here are three examples of leading brands that have successfully adapted their technology to play into consumer trends.

Pinterest x e.l.f. Cosmetics Use AI To Help Shoppers Find Their Color Season 

Are you a clear spring or a deep winter? The ’80s trend of determining your season, or complementary colors for your skin tone and features, has made a resurgence.

Visual discovery engine Pinterest and the popular cosmetics brand e.l.f. teamed up to create an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, color-matching tool called “color e.l.f.nalysis.” 

“‘color e.l.f.nalysis’” is about breaking down beauty barriers and making personalized color analysis accessible to every eye, lip, and face — for free,” Patrick O’Keefe, chief integrated marketing communications officer at e.l.f. Beauty says. 

While some consumers might worry that a virtual color analysis tool would take business away from professional color analysts, O’Keefe has a different perspective. “This tool, developed in collaboration with Pinterest and real-life color experts, complements — not replaces — the human touch,” he says.

Shoppers’ AI Sentiments 

Although some shoppers are hesitant to use AI (primarily boomers), many are adopting it in their daily lives and are looking to their favorite brands to do the same. 

Salsify consumer research reveals consumers’ growing fondness for AI-powered shopping experiences:  

• 17% of shoppers purchased a product because an AI shopping assistant or chatbot recommended it.
• 17% of shoppers purchased a product online after using a virtual try-on or placement preview tool — up 9% from 2024.
• 50% of shoppers say AI tools like chatbots and gift guides would improve holiday shopping.

How Brands Can Use AI To Cater to Consumer Trends 

Consider how your brand can use AI to cater to consumer trends. For example, could you use generative AI (GenAI) to create personalized product detail pages (PDPs)? Or create an AI chatbot that helps shoppers find clothing in their color season? 

AI, especially when integrated with a product experience management (PXM) solution, can help you stay on top of trends. 

“A comprehensive PXM solution provides the governance and structured workflows needed to make AI-powered content scale safely and effectively,” Rob Gonzalez, chief strategy and innovation officer and co-founder at Salsify, says in his guide, “Becoming an AI Leader.”

Additionally, PXM provides brands with the flexibility to launch product catalog variants, limited editions, or seasonal collections without requiring manual channel updates.

Cheetos x ‘Wednesday’ Use Video Advertising To Capture Attention 

Netflix’s “Wednesday,” a spinoff of “The Addams Family,” has teamed up with snack brand Cheetos to promote the show’s return with a “cheesy” marketing strategy.

In one of Cheetos’ video ads, the Thing, beloved character and Cheetos’ new “spokeshand,” wreaks digital havoc, crawling across other Times Square ads and leaving orange, dusty fingerprints in its wake. 

Source: Cheetos’ YouTube

Cheetos and Netflix are tapping into the excitement around the show’s new season with this entertaining collab; they’re even releasing a spooky, limited-edition snack, per Allrecipes. 

How Brands Can Use Video Ads In Their Marketing Strategy 

Video ads are a growing marketing channel. But make no mistake, they aren’t like the infomercials of yore. They’re short, attention-grabbing clips designed to captivate audiences. 

Captivation is especially important for Gen Zers: “Wednesday’s” Jenny Ortega says, “With Gen Z, it’s hard to grab their attention. You can’t show them stuff that they’ve already seen,” per Movieweb. 

According to Statista, digital video ad spending totaled more than $191.3 billion in the U.S., and Wyzowl reports that “89% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.”

Salsify holiday consumer research reports that 10% of shoppers turn to TV and video ads for gift inspiration, especially Gen Xers (12%), Gen Zers (11%), and millennials (10%).  

Consider how you can use video ads in your marketing strategy. Are you releasing a new product that you can make a fun trailer for social media? Can you partner with an unexpected spokesperson to convey your message? 

PXM can be especially helpful for syndicating automated content to push trend-based messaging across hundreds of retailer sites simultaneously. Regardless of your approach, have fun with it. 

Sun Bum’s Gamified Loyalty Program Takes Loyalty to a New Level 

Shopper loyalty is hard-won and easily lost, especially during times of economic turmoil. But Salsify consumer research shows that “87% of customers have paid more for a product because they trust the brand.” 

Brand trust is built with high product quality and value (69%) and good brand reputation (69%). 

Sun Bum is building customer trust and loyalty through its digital loyalty program, cheekily named “The Bum Club,” that boasts nearly 15,000 members. Shoppers can earn bananas (points) by placing an order or participating in one of the prescribed fun activities. 

These points can be exchanged for discounts or “epic rewards,” such as a year’s worth of sunscreen or your face on a Sun Bum billboard. There’s even a tiered system for redeeming points. 

Participants are allowing Sun Bum to collect zero-party data, “a method of collecting shopper preferences and information directly (and willingly) from shoppers by using quizzes, questionnaires, and other engaging methods in exchange for a personalized shopping experience.”

Thirty-four percent of shoppers find sharing this info for a personalized experience valuable, according to Salsify consumer research. 

This creative approach to building loyalty appeals to consumers because it shows that the brand is willing to go above and beyond to create an engaging experience. 

How Brands Can Build Customer Trust by Following Trends 

Brands must approach trends thoughtfully because consumers know when they’re phoning it in. 

Authenticity is the name of the game. Brands can’t shy away from sharing their values, especially since 61% of shoppers prioritize their values over price when choosing holiday gifts, according to Salsify's holiday consumer research. 

If there are trends that align with your brand's values — such as sustainability efforts — amplify your brand’s messaging around these topics to help build trust. 

PXM can also help build consumer trust through centralized product information management (PIM) and rich media deployment that create high-quality shopping experiences. 

Adapt Your Tech for Consumer Trends 2025 and Beyond 

Pinterest, e.l.f., Cheetos, Netflix, and Sun Bum have all shown their commitment to being a part of the cultural zeitgeist. They know what’s hip, and they’re not afraid to participate in the conversation. 

Brands that successfully adapt their technology to keep up with consumer trends while maintaining authenticity will come out on top.