Lil’ Signals: How to Build a Brand That Gets Shared, Not Skipped

👋🏽 Hey There

Lil’ Signals is your go-to newsletter for decoding the cultural currents shaping our world.

Powered by Nichefire’s cutting-edge technology, we break down trends, tell compelling stories, and share actionable insights on how to tap into the power of cultural listening.

Stay ahead of the curve—one signal at a time.

In this edition, we’re diving into how top brands are mastering the art of being shared, not just seen. From Duolingo’s dramatic owl stunt to Kendrick’s meme-fueled halftime performance, 2025’s biggest cultural moments are reminding marketers that timing, tone, and participation still rule the game.

But these weren’t just viral stunts; they were strategic plays built on real-time awareness. And that’s the difference between campaigns that land and campaigns that spread.

In a world where virality is engineered and trend cycles move at warp speed, teams can’t afford to rely on outdated dashboards or static reports. They need systems (like Nichefire) that can spot cultural shifts the moment they happen—and translate that noise into action.

That’s why in this week’s Cultural Listening 101, we’re breaking down how our new automated reporting experience helps brands turn cultural signals into business strategy. You’ll see how teams are tracking everything from niche flavor trends to social sentiment spikes—and using those insights to shape everything from product drops to campaign timing.

Because in 2025, cultural listening isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s your competitive edge.

Let’s dive in!! 🎯

Table of Contents

• Storytime

• Cultural Listening 101

• Content Engines

• Top Cultural Trends

• Lil Surfing

StoryTime

Storytime: The Playbook Behind Virality in Q2

We’re only a few months into the year, but some campaigns have already etched themselves into the culture. 

They didn’t just land, they spread. 

Because in 2025, it’s not enough to be seen. 

You have to be shared.

From a brand mascot’s “death” to a halftime show that sparked a thousand memes, the best marketers this year are proving one thing: speed, humor, and cultural fluency still win. 

Here’s what the smartest brands did—and how you can use the same playbook.

1. Duolingo: The Death (and Resurrection) of Duo

Duolingo’s social team didn’t just create content. 

They created a storyline.

In February, the language app updated its icon to show Duo—its now-iconic green owl mascot—with cartoon X’s over his eyes. 

Then came the announcement: Duo was dead. 

The internet spiraled.

What followed was a multi-stage cultural moment. 

People mourned. 

Memes flew. 

Then came the twist: he wasn’t dead after all. It was a stunt.

Duolingo’s in-house team saw an opportunity in an app update and built an entire campaign around it. 

The cherry on top? 

They timed the final reveal to hijack Super Bowl weekend, sparking a second wave of viral engagement, without spending a dollar on a commercial.

This wasn’t about perfection. 

It was about cultural instincts, speed, and creative confidence.

Takeaway: 

Duolingo didn’t just jump into the conversation. 

They built one. 

They understood their brand voice, and trusted their team to use it with irreverence and emotional punch.

2. Kendrick at the Super Bowl: A Masterclass in Brand Timing

Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance of “Not Like Us” was the cultural flashpoint of Super Bowl LIX. 

But the biggest winners weren’t on stage—they were in the replies.

Apple Music dropped a single text post with the lyric “They not like us.” 

Over 270,000 likes.

Heinz teased a “Mustaaaard” collab to match producer Mustard’s appearance.

United Airlines spun a joke about Kendrick’s camera twirl into a luggage meme that pulled six million views.

No slick production. 

No celebrity cameo. 

Just real-time cultural fluency.

Takeaway: 

The brands that win aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets. 

They’re the ones with the clearest permission to move fast and act like people, not billboards.

3. Reformation x Devon Lee Carlson: A Case Study in Shareable Style

Reformation’s March collaboration with influencer Devon Lee Carlson wasn’t just a product drop; it was a moodboard brought to life.

From Y2K-inspired silhouettes to iconic names like the “Cher Mini Dress” and the “Lizzie Tee,” the campaign hit all the right nostalgia buttons. 

But it was one specific reference that sealed the deal: a modern twist on the yellow dress from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

reformation

2M followers

View more on Instagram

That visual alone launched a thousand TikToks.

This wasn’t just about tapping into a trend. 

It was about understanding how people want to share, and giving them something they feel cool reposting.

Takeaway: 

Nostalgia, influence, and sustainability don’t need to compete. When done well, they can compound. Reformation created content that was aesthetic, emotional, and culturally on time.

The Signal: What These Campaigns Have in Common

Each of these campaigns took a different path, but the principles underneath are remarkably consistent.

1. Built for Participation
Whether it was memes, duets, UGC, or filters—these campaigns were designed for remixing. They didn’t just grab attention; they handed it back to the audience and said, “Your turn.”

2. Culture Before Commerce
None of these campaigns led with product. They led with relevance. They met audiences where they already were—in the jokes, aesthetics, and conversations that defined the moment.

3. Speed Over Polish
No drawn-out briefs. No overproduced hero ads. Just teams who were empowered to move quickly and make something that felt alive, not corporate.

What This Means For You

If you’re building brand strategy inside a CPG company, retail brand, or restaurant chain, here’s your takeaway:

Your audience doesn’t need more content.

They need more context.

They want to be in on the moment, not just sold to after the fact.

That means you need a few key things:

• A cultural radar (or a tool like Nichefire) to track real-time shifts
  

• A creative team with permission to move without friction
  

• A willingness to test, experiment, and occasionally embrace chaos
  

The next viral moment is already brewing somewhere online. 

The only question is, will your brand be ready to participate?

Lil’ Takeaway 

Virality isn’t luck. 

Its structure. 

It’s listening deeply, moving quickly, and building campaigns that feel less like ads and more like invitations.

Whether you’re selling canned water, airline tickets, or digital language lessons, if you’re not building for the share, you’re already behind.

This year’s best brands aren’t trying to be seen. 

They’re trying to be shared. 

And the ones that win? 

They feel like part of the internet’s story, not the ones interrupting it.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or Twitter—I’d love to connect.

Let’s explore the power of culture, one signal at a time.

Cultural Listening 101

Cultural Listening 101: From Signals to Strategy—Inside Our New Reporting Experience

This week, I want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at something we’ve been quietly refining at Nichefire: our new automated reporting system—a game-changer for turning cultural signals into business decisions, faster.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that reporting is a crucial piece of the cultural listening puzzle. It’s not just about spotting trends—it’s about understanding them in context, and making sure those insights reach the right people inside your organization.

That’s exactly what we’ve optimized with this new release.

Let’s say you’re tracking a topic like iced coffee. With Nichefire, you can spin up a dedicated dashboard around that topic and start receiving automated reports at whatever cadence works best for you—daily, weekly, monthly. But what’s really powerful is what happens next.

Our system surfaces the micro-signals bubbling up inside a topic: new behaviors, emerging language, flavor preferences (like the current rise of cherry lattes), and even aesthetic shifts. These aren’t just noise—they’re the cultural breadcrumbs that could evolve into macro movements. Think of it like catching a trend before it becomes a trend.

With the redesigned reporting layout, you now get:

• A cleaner, more visual Moments Matrix that instantly shows what’s rising, sustaining, or fading.
  

• A clickable path to explore each signal further, right back to your dashboard.
  

• A quick view of your Top 5 Rising and Top 5 Sustaining trends within a category.
  

But here’s the best part: this isn’t just about data. It’s about storytelling.

Whether you’re a brand strategist at a coffee chain or a CPG exec looking to ride the next wave of consumer behavior, our new reports help you translate signal into strategy. For example, noticing the popularity of cherry latte flavors could inspire a new seasonal drink, a content campaign, or even packaging refresh.

This reporting system gives your team the ability to move with culture, not chase it. And because it’s automated, it keeps the signal flowing even while you’re focused on execution.

We're rolling out this new feature soon, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

As always, if you want a personal walkthrough or want to hear how other teams are putting this into practice, reach out. Let’s explore what cultural listening can unlock for you.

Until next time, stay curious and stay ahead.

Reach out for a walkthrough and start making cultural listening work for you.

See you next week for another installment of Cultural Listening 101.

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Content Engines

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Top Cultural Trends

Stay Ahead with Nichefire
In this new section, we’re diving into Nichefire’s unique tools to explore the top cultural trends shaping our world.

This week, we break down key insights from the Movements Matrix, spotlighting high-growth and emerging trends across 47 cultural categories

• Spot Emerging Trends: Discover niche opportunities before they hit the mainstream.

• Actionable Insights: Leverage cultural data to make faster, smarter decisions.

• Comprehensive View: Analyze trends across 47 pre-trained cultural categories.

Lil’ Surfing 🌊

Just interesting articles I find on “The Internets” 😜

African American Affinity for Pepsi

25 HRS AND 4 MINS IS CRAZY

💬 Your journey into the world of cultural insights starts here!

Thank you for being part of the Lil’ Signals community. Together, we’ll decode the world, one signal at a time.