Should Brands Utilize Trending Content Elements for Their Short-Form Advertisements?

Marketers have been allocating a greater portion of their advertising budget toward short-form social media channels. One notable characteristic distinguishing these platforms from conventional ones is the incorporation of trends in branded ads (e.g., a trending sound or platform filter/effect). This study was conducted to examine the effect of trending content elements in ads on consumer engagement with those ads. The authors collected 750 short-form advertisements and coded them based on various factors such as whether the ads used trending content elements. An OLS regression was run to test the effect of trending content elements and other ad factors on consumer engagement. The study finds empirical support for the positive impact of trending content elements on consumer engagement. Moreover, it uncovers the moderating influence of product type on this relationship. The paper also delves into crucial aspects of the advertisements, including caption length, ad duration, and visual presentation.