Trends vs Fads in Marketing

✍️ By Shawn Bearman | The Coach's Coach | Join World Referral Network for FREE

Law #21: Acceleration — Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends
(From The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing)

Not all growth is equal.

Some things rise fast…
and disappear just as quickly.

Others build slowly…
and last.

The challenge is knowing the difference.

The Temptation of Speed

Fads are attractive.

They spike quickly.
Grab attention.
Create urgency.

And from the outside, they look like opportunity.

So businesses jump in.

Trying to capture the momentum before it’s gone.

But that’s the problem.

It will be gone.

The Pattern That Matters

Fads move like explosions.

Fast up.
Fast down.

Trends move differently.

They start quietly.
Build gradually.
Then accelerate.

And once they take hold, they last.

Because they’re rooted in real behavior—not temporary excitement.

The Strategic Mistake

Most businesses treat fads like trends.

They invest too heavily.
Expand too quickly.
Assume the growth will continue.

And when it doesn’t…

they’re left adjusting to a drop they didn’t expect.

The Smarter Approach

Don’t chase what’s rising fast.

Watch what’s building steadily.

Ask:

Is this a reaction… or a shift?
Is this attention… or adoption?
Is this temporary… or structural?

Because real trends don’t need to be forced.

They gain strength over time.

What This Looks Like in Practice

A fad says:

“Jump in now before it’s too late”

A trend says:

“This is becoming part of how things work”

One creates urgency.

The other creates stability.

And the businesses that last…

align with what’s stable.

The Discipline That Wins

It takes patience to follow a trend.

Because early on, it doesn’t look impressive.

It looks small.
Slow.
Sometimes even insignificant.

But that’s where the advantage is.

Because by the time it’s obvious…

it’s already crowded.

The Reality That Changes Everything

You don’t build a business on spikes.

You build it on momentum that compounds.

And that only happens when you align with something that’s growing naturally—not artificially.

Because in the end…

fast growth gets attention.

But sustained growth builds something that lasts.

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