By Tom Milne, Account Director at SEEN Connects
In a culture-first and trend-driven social landscape, reactive content offers brands a rare opportunity: to show up in real time, join conversations as they unfold and demonstrate cultural fluency. From trending audios and stitches to pop culture tie-ins, these real-time opportunities let brands showcase cultural understanding.
Success is not found in chasing every trend. It’s about choosing the right ones. The most effective brands use reactive content to amplify their identity. It’s less about blending in, and more about showing up in a way that feels true to your tone, community and voice.
Understanding your audience is crucial here. Know what they value, how they speak, and what excites them. A well-chosen reactive moment isn’t just entertaining, it can build loyalty, trust, and genuine engagement when it aligns with your community’s expectations.
Be spontaneous yet structured
Reactive content hits the mark when it feels spontaneous, but it needs to be built on structure. By setting up a robust process for monitoring opportunities, you can filter based on a brand-specific criteria for what fits.
SpaceNK get this right as its content taps into trending audios but never at the cost of its premium, curated feel.
Trending moments can be time-sensitive, and your brand can lead the way by jumping in early. Create a rapid review process for reactive posts so you can get the content live within hours. Think of it as a fast lane, not a detour, from your regular content calendar.
Having a flexible production model also helps. Pre-built templates, access to creators, and alignment with legal or brand teams can reduce friction. The goal is to create an environment where reactive ideas aren’t blocked by slow internal processes. Speed, paired with brand clarity, is a competitive edge.
Be reactive yet recognisable
Even if you’re hopping on a viral sound or meme, make sure your audience knows it’s you. Use consistent brand fonts, colour overlays, or audio tags.
Scrub Daddy masters this with its product mascots and animated skits. Every piece of content feels distinctively theirs, even when playing with playful trends.
But reactive content doesn’t have to be brand-only. Tap into your influencer network to stitch trending moments, collab post reactions or commentary that feels native but aligned. Influencers can act as your brand’s cultural translator, increasing your relevance with audiences.
John Lewis recently launched “Friends of John Lewis”, a creator-led series challenging creators to turn social or product-led content around in 72 hours to deliver content that’s reactive, relevant, and designed for virality and brand visibility.
Be playful yet personal
Audiences reward creativity. When you jump on a trend, add commentary or a twist that reflects your brand voice.
Niche humour and platform-native behaviours can help personalise pop culture moments when they speak directly to your community.
Take Tortilla UK. They hit the right balance by combining Gen Z humour with team-led content that feels funny, fresh and unmistakably Tortilla.
Don’t be afraid to add heart or opinion either. Reactive content doesn’t always have to mean funny or flashy. Sometimes a sincere, timely take can cut through just as powerfully. The trick is to remain authentic to who you are, while still being in tune with the cultural moment.
Be yourself
Reactive content isn’t about being everywhere, it’s about showing up in the right moments, in the right way. When done well, it lets brands participate in culture without losing their identity.
With a clear strategy, streamlined process, and creative bravery, brands can be both trend-savvy and authentic. Because in today’s fast-moving digital space, relevance isn’t just about speed, it’s about showing up as yourself.
