Trendjacking: What is it, Why it Matters, and How it Can Help Make Moments for Your Brand
The media landscape is both crowded and ever-changing. With newsrooms shrinking, journalists pressed for time on tight deadlines, a focus on increasing clicks and a move away from traditional or “old” media – getting your brand’s voice heard amid the noise and breaking into the conversation can sometimes be a challenge.
But, rather than try to swim against the current, it’s important to learn to flow with it. That means finding the white space in the news each week – or each day – where your brand ha something unique and interesting to say about whatever is making headlines. In PR, this process is called “trendjacking,” whether it’s offering expert analysis, a contrarian point of view or context and background on the story at hand, or something else that adds to or advances the story. Below, are a few key tips about why trendjacking should be a tool in any PR pro’s tool belt, and how to make the most of it for your clients.
Brevity is Key
Like the Axios HQ smart brevity communications formula, brevity is key to trendjacking. As a former journalist, I can tell you TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) is real and one of the first things that led to me rejecting a pitch was that it was too long.
There is a time and place for a longer conversation or email with a journalist, but to be flip – trendjacking ain’t it.
With trendjacking, you’re mainly speaking with reporters who are in the middle of breaking news situations or are working on a large news story (trend), and they are sourcing quotes from a lot of experts. That means they’re looking for something concise that offers a unique perspective. So, it’s important to keep it short and sweet.
Research, Research, Research
Research, research, research… Did I mention research?
Hot take: a great pitch is 70% research, 30% writing.
As a PR pro, reading the news and being on top of the latest current events and trends can be your superpower. That’s because what you do before you start pitching and before that big news story hits, is just, if not more, important than the pitch itself.
So, what does that look like in practice? It’s all about reading the news every day, being completely read-in and up to date on your clients, their industries and the conversations happening around them. This will all make it easier to spot the trends that are a fit for your subject matter experts, and for you to jump on them quickly to secure coverage. At Greenough, we like to think of this as an “always-on” approach, and one that we put into practice on a daily basis.
Stay Flexible
You’ve been waiting for that big upcoming policy to be formally announced, you prepared in advanced by having client-approved commentary in hand and you’re ready to pitch… when another big breaking news stories happens and the policy you wanted to talk about doesn’t get any attention from reporters.
So, what can you do? Backup plans are great, but sometimes you also have to be flexible and make sure you’re able to pivot. Who knows – maybe that big breaking story is an even better fit for your client.
The news changes and a reporter’s focus can shift – from day to day, or even, from hour to hour. That’s why it’s also important to stay flexible in your trendjacking – be ready to pivot to a different angle or another story entirely or simply try another approach.
Keep it Hot, Fresh, New
To borrow an analogy from Rob Thornton of IDEA, news, and by extension, trendjacking, is a bit like pizza – it’s best served when it’s “hot, fresh and new.”
During my time as a journalist, the “hot, fresh, new” criteria was one my colleagues I used to assess whether a story made it into the newscast, and it’s one I always return to in my conversations with reporters in my current role in PR. I do this by asking myself the following questions:
- Am I offering something useful to the journalist?
- Why should they cover this now?
- Why should anyone care, and why does what the subject matter expert have to say matter to them and their readers?
- Why is this newsworthy?
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Can breaking news situations and trendjacking be stressful? Sure, but it can also be really fun!
With trendjacking, your clients, and by extension you, get to be part of a big news story, you get a quick hit of adrenaline and dopamine, and you get the chance to make your clients happy. What’s not to like?
Want to better understand how trendjacking in traditional and new media could support your brand’s external communications efforts? Reach out to our team to learn more!
What our clients say
Ameresco
Leila Dillon, SVP, Corporate Marketing and Communications
It's clear that the Greenough Communications team has a deep understanding of the clean tech and climate transition spaces. Within the first month of working together, they were able to land interviews with The Washington Post, The New York Times and Canary Media, just to name a few! Since working together, we've seen our media coverage and quality increase significantly across the board. We value Greenough's partnership are looking forward to our continued work together.
Boston Micro Fabrication
Laura Galloway, Marketing Director
As a small marketing team, having an agency partner that feels like a true extension of my team is invaluable. The Greenough Communications team is professional, responsive and has taken the time to understand our business, putting our brand in front of the customers who matter for our growth. I’ve been very happy with our first year of partnership and look forward to future success.
Acrolinx
Mariana Just, Vice President, Marketing
We started working with Greenough Communications over a year ago, and it's been a fantastic journey. They really understand who we are at Acrolinx and what we want to say. Their ability to amplify our message in a crowded AI space has been impressive, delivering solid media results in the outlets that matter, securing the AI Breakthrough Award, and boosting our executive team's social media presence. As we continue our partnership, we're excited about expanding our reach and market presence, building upon our refreshed positioning and messaging with Greenough's expertise guiding us every step of the way.
IQE
Steven Curwood, Director of Corporate Marketing
At IQE, one of our goals is to demystify the vital role compound semiconductors play in the industry and the future of innovation. As we aim to broaden our brand's reach in the U.S. market, finding an agency that understands our technology and the intricacies of our work is crucial. Greenough Communications stood out as that agency from the start. In the short time we've worked together, they've already validated our choice with opportunities in key media, including CNBC, NPR, and the U.S. trade media that will move the needle for our brand and message. There's much ahead for us, and we're excited to have the Greenough team by our side.
Arbella Insurance
John Donohue, CEO
Our Greenough team has excelled in learning our business and our challenges and has been extremely effective in developing and executing a PR strategy that helps drive our success.
Wolters Kluwer Health
André Rebelo, Global Marketing Communications & Public Relations
Our Greenough team has been a strategic asset in sustaining targeted growth in our PR and external communications. The team really operates like an extension of our internal team, aligned and effective. They've deftly balanced the needs of multiple sub-groups' objectives and needs, getting great results in the publications our customers read.
GlobalFoundries
Laurie Kelly, Chief Communications Officer
Greenough Communications has been more than just a PR agency for us at GlobalFoundries; they've been true partners. From navigating our IPO to driving impactful education campaigns like the one leading up to the passage of the CHIPS Act, they've been instrumental in showing the world our leadership role in this new technology era. Their knack for building connections with the industry and our team, including our executives, has been impressive. Every year, we throw new challenges their way, and they keep delivering. As we move ahead together, we're excited to keep pushing the boundaries, sharpening our brand narrative, and taking our brand awareness to the next level.
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