Viral for the right reasons: what knowing your audience actually looks like

We always hear about the cringe-worthy viral brand moments, but what we hear less are the positive ones that work, connect with consumers, and actually convert.

If you’re planning social moments for virality and looking at what’s really left its mark on the culture this year, you’re bound to see a few major flops. That’s not the kind of virality we’re talking about, though it might be what comes to mind.  

We’re going to touch on the campaigns that went viral for the right reasons, all of which come back to the fact that they know their audience. We’re also going to review what it means to be a brand that really knows your audience, and how to leverage that knowledge for viral moments that resonate.  

Aiming to go viral for the sake of getting more eyes on your brand can be a slippery slope. You can risk skewing your message, being unclear in your value prop, and in the worst cases, as being purely click or rage baiting.  

For best results, viral content should be viral because of its relevance, authenticity, and differentiation. Keep reading for a few of our favorite examples of viral brand moments done right and real-world testing can help you pull it off, too.  

Adidas x Satisfy Running: ‘The Circle Pit’ 

Adidas and Satisfy collaborated as hosts of a highly viral racing event called “The Circle Pit”.

The event, which was held in a closed continuous loop, was set to live hardcore music performed by artists with no lack of stage presence in the middle of the Arizona desert. They filmed it, created some really fun content with the footage, and it was everywhere. The attendees were runners, skateboarders, and musicians with a sense of style that reflects that of the Adidas x Satisfy performance sneaker collaboration that the event was made to promote. The design of the running sneakers are described as being “inspired by mismatched skate shoes,” a design choice which speaks to the carefree, skatepark-esque aesthetic of the event itself.

Satisfy is a brand that knows its audience. They lead with intention and frame their product as buying into a lifestyle, as being part of something bigger than oneself. The spirit of community building is baked-in to the brand — with a print magazine featuring interviews with unconventional runners and distressed t-shirts that proudly declare the wearer as a “Running Cult Member”, Satisfy is not like mainstream performance wear brands. They’re self-aware, winky, and speaking to athletes who are more than their sport. And that’s what made their collaboration with a household name brand like Adidas all the more exciting. To people outside the core audience it seemed silly, corporate, and desperate. But to the people who fit inside the Venn diagram of running, hardcore, and skating – it was a raucous, “lucky to be there” kind of party that took on a life of its own. A rare sponsored event that really understood the things that make them tick, set the tone, then let them take it where it naturally went. It was a complete success.

E.l.f. hosts Survivor 50 watch party 

Nostalgia marketing has evolved beyond simple retro aesthetics.

Today's most effective campaigns blend past iconography with modern relevance to reach both older audiences and younger ones discovering a brand's heritage for the first time. 

Winning brands use nostalgia across four main levers: product rereleases (limited-edition packaging, discontinued item comebacks), visual identity (retro logo revivals, vintage color palettes), cultural IP (licensing classic shows, films, or music), and experiential marketing (pop-ups designed to replicate past eras). The most sophisticated campaigns layer multiple levers simultaneously. 

Nintendo's NES Classic sold over 2 million units in its first holiday season, even though the same games were available digitally for a fraction of the price. The object itself was the product, but nostalgia is what carried value for consumers. 

Is memory lane a dead-end? 

E.l.f. Cosmetics, having recently come off a flop of their own, was able to course correct.

They collaborated with Reality Bar, a reality TV watch party event series, to create an event around the iconic reality show Survivor for a viral moment of community in Los Angeles. Attended by superfans and promoted with paid ads featuring Gen-Z favorite creators like Delaney Rowe, the event and surrounding digital moments around it were all over socials. Similarly to Satisfy, they had an “e.l.fmmunity” challenge where the winner of a mock survivor competition won a Survivor necklace made out of E.l.f. products.

Survivor is having a cultural resurgence; with this season being the 50th on-air, celebrity contestants like Billie Eillish and Mr Beast, and more young people watching (and posting about it) than ever, E.l.f. made a highly strategic choice with this partnership.

E.l.f. products are primarily known for their affordability and relative quality compared to higher-end brands, making them a go-to brand for the trend-conscious Gen-Z, the same demographic that’s always in the news for craving community. By bridging the gap between what would otherwise be a solitary activity and joining in the fun of a major cultural moment like the 50th season finale of Survivor, E.l.f. connects authentically with their consumers much the way one would with their real-world community.

Brita’s ‘unhinged’ social media strategy  

Brita is moving a little differently on their Instagram than you might expect. 

As a water filter company, their product isn’t exactly primed for the dopamine-addicted excitement-fueled social feeds of today. That’s why they’ve leaned into the same absurdist humor that gets young people LOL-ing in the comments.

Captioned in Comic Sans, dancing animated sharks sing silly songs off-key about staying hydrated in a modern context.

Going viral isn’t always good news. But with the right foresight, viral interactions between brand and consumer can generate valuable gains like consumer loyalty, new conversions, and even more valuable and at times pleasantly surprising insights on who your brand resonates with.

What the brands responsible for these viral moments have in common is a tangible connection to their consumer: who they are, what they care about, and not only what they’ll show up for, but what they’ll be a part of. What’s key is that the virality of these moments didn’t start in-person, but rather online and in-feed — where modern consumers live. It’s where they get to know each other, it’s where they’ll get to know your brand, and most importantly, it’s where your brand will get to know them.