Why knowing when to sit something out might be one of the smartest decisions in marketing
Oct 20, 2026
There is always something happening. And is it just me, or are brands increasingly determined to have something to say about ALL of it? Perhaps I’m just particularly aware of it, given that my day job involves being immersed in what’s happening around us.
And so the marketing calendar goes… from skiing season to Valentine’s Day, the first hint of spring, Mother’s Day and Easter. Then comes the Met Gala, Wimbledon, Glastonbury, the first proper glimpse of sunshine and every brand suddenly declaring it summer. Throw in the latest Netflix obsession, awards season, pumpkin-spiced everything, Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas campaigns and whatever happens to be trending on TikTok this week.
And with every cultural moment comes another opportunity for brands to join the conversation. Or, perhaps more accurately, another “pressure” to do so.
I can’t be alone can I in thinking we’ve reached a point where it feels as though brands are just expected to have an opinion, a campaign or at least a cleverly timed Instagram post for just about everything.
But does being part of the conversation actually make your brand more relevant?
After nearly two decades doing this, I’m just not convinced.
There’s a difference between being culturally aware and trying to be culturally relevant.
We’ve all seen it. A brand jumping on a trending meme that has absolutely nothing to do with its product. A tenuous sporting reference shoehorned into a campaign. A social post that feels as though someone in the marketing department has been told they simply must do something for the occasion.
Sometimes it works brilliantly. Other times, you can almost feel the effort behind it.
And I think that’s where the distinction lies. The brands that do this well aren’t necessarily the ones reacting to everything. They’re the ones that understand which moments make sense for them, their audience and their identity. When there’s a natural connection, the result can feel clever, timely and entirely on brand. When there isn’t, it can feel like marketing for the sake of marketing - and can we all agree, we’re just a little tired of all the noise? I’m even starting to see the same posts now on repeat constantly about how to grow your Substack in the next four weeks, 10 days, before Christmas. Ergh.
Not every conversation needs another voice. Not every trend needs to be a copy paste.
There’s truly something refreshing about a brand these days that knows when to sit something out.
It’s confident. It has a clear understanding that staying relevant doesn’t require being constantly visible.
So, before jumping on the next cultural moment, it’s worth asking a few simple questions…
Does this actually mean something to our audience?
Is there a natural connection to what we do?
Can we contribute something interesting, rather than simply adding to the noise?
And, perhaps most importantly, would we still want to say this if everyone else wasn’t talking about it?!
If the answer is no to any of the above - leave it well alone.
Of course, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t say that brands shouldn’t be paying attention to the world around them. Culture influences how we think, what we buy and the conversations we have. Ignoring it altogether would be equally short-sighted.
BUT there’s a big old difference between understanding culture and feeling obliged to participate in every part of it. For me, the most memorable brands have always been the ones with a strong enough identity to be selective. They know what they stand for, they understand their audience and, when they do join a conversation, they bring something recognisably their own.
Because ultimately, being everywhere isn’t the same as being remembered.
And sometimes, the smartest thing a brand can do is say nothing at all.
