Let’s Put It In Proper Context

How trends form our identity and the networks we subscribe to.

So I was reading this article for our weekly newsletter at Translation trying to piece together ideas for my assigned section. While scrambling against the deadline, per usual, I actually found myself getting deeply invested in the topic at hand: decoding the nature of trends within society through the scope of identity, which is an integral part of my role at work.

Here at Translation, a Brooklyn-based independent creative agency known for pushing culture forward, I’m a member of our Context Planning team, a discipline unique to our company that informs the way we work both internally and externally. Our discipline blends creative and strategic thinking to shape our approach to releasing work that’s inspired by culture so that it transcends transnational marketing and truly resonates with the culture.

If we break down the word “context” itself, it stems from the root words con and textere, which translate to “together” and “weaving” respectively. Context planning is the art of weaving together creative detail with cultural nuance to help choreograph the way we take a campaign to market. From devising a purposeful comms plan to casting the right people who personify a brand’s message to aligning with cultural moments where and when the audience will be most receptive, we strive to blur the lines between culture and commerce.

With a year of experience under my belt, I’ve learned to naturally analyze all aspects of brand campaigns and content rollouts, now that I understand what happens behind the scenes. I became fascinated with the phasing, timing, and production of my favorite rollouts, which I intend to apply to my own artistry as well. With this being my first job out of college, I am grateful to be positioned at a company that sees me beyond my job title. At Translation, we are valued for our identity, our perspectives, and our unique passions, which we call our Minors, in order to bring our true selves to the table. Majors refer to our job title and role at the company, while our minors speak to our passions and how we contribute to culture.

By being so invested in this line of work while continuing to ground myself in the city that never sleeps, the concepts of identity, community, and networks prove to be fundamental to the ever-evolving process of self-discovery in this season of my life. Before I get too deep and this turns into a journal entry, I will say that this process is ultimately what inspired me to dive deeper into the topic at hand: identity.

The Source of Social Terminology

In the article above, I was specifically sparked by the term “nomenclature”, which describes the process of naming things. We’ve been doing it since the dawn of time to help make sense of our world. However, nomenclature indirectly birthed the concept of subcultures and the means of identity which serve as the foundation for the beliefs we subscribe to today. Whether we’re talking about our physical appearances, passionate interests, or methods of thinking, these identities each contribute to the simple yet complex nature of our existence.

As we peel back the layers, there’s so much depth beneath the surface. If we’re talking philosophically, folks like Socrates and Plato set the precedent for what it means to define things in the first place. Why, how, and what is even happening?

If we push forward, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X inspired movements related to identity, fueled by the tensions created by opposing limited mindsets. We’ve seen this transpire in a multitude of ways including religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, politics, etc.

These preconceived notions translated seamlessly into the digital space we call the internet, because… well, we created it. It’s the same reason why these questions are being brought to the surface within the metaverse and Web3. Networks formed IRL have transferred into the digital space by means of our shared networks, rituals, artifacts, and languages — in other words, through the cultures we represent. They just behave in different ways on each platform.

For example, Black Twitter will always come together whenever we feel called to provide top-tier comedy or instantaneous social commentary during live events.

Alternatively, Instagram has become home for personal blogging, allowing folks to get a peek into how we’re living — even though we tend to only show the best parts. They are all backed by an internal network and way of showing up that is inspired by the world we’ve come to know beforehand and informs how we continue to develop in the future.

Now, TikTok? That’s a different story. Not only has this platform significantly shrunk our attention spans, but it has also shaken up the way we approach advertising. It essentially opened the door for anybody to become an influencer. To create freely and cultivate spaces for more people to resonate with each other. If somebody just so happens to capture your attention for the half-second you spend on each swipe, they have the chance to make an impression. But what is it that makes you keep watching? What makes you swipe? What makes spending time on this platform worthwhile?

Creating Space to Resonate

It’s all in the algorithm. This mystical system works to curate a personalized experience around the things we watch and enjoy the most. When I used to be addicted to TikTok, my feed was filled with fitness, music, comedy, and sports. This makes sense because this is what my real life consists of, too.

The most captivating gems on TikTok are inspired by sounds that will ring in your ear all day and that encourage you to bring it up awkwardly in the workplace, in school, or wherever you may be. We even share TikToks with our friends in hopes that they will enjoy it, too. This endless pursuit of the next laugh, the next sense of inspiration, or the next mini-hit of dopamine is easy to get lost in, but it’s all rooted in the pursuit of strengthened connections and further self-discovery. The aforementioned article points to the psychological term “random reinforcement” as the root cause of this sense of addiction.

“It means sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And that’s how these platforms are designed … they’re like a slot machine.”

The creators, influencers, and consumers on these platforms are all products of the world we live in. Therefore, we all subscribe to something. We are all nodes within multiple networks that continue to shift, expand, and intersect.

The aspects you like about their content are either a reflection of something you align with or something you aspire to instill within yourself. I’ve grown to understand that we are all simultaneously creators and consumers at our core.

By consuming information and content that resonates with us, we often take bits and pieces of that information and apply them to our own lives. It’s a daily practice, whether intentional or unconscious.

The Root of Our Connection

At Translation, we lean into culture to understand the fleeting nature of trends, the identities that catalyze them, and the networks that weave it all together (cue in the power of Context). But it shouldn’t serve as the only basis of our work.

Guided by the belief that we operate at the convergence of culture, tech, and storytelling, we’ve established ourselves as the leaders of cultural affluence.

When you operate from a space that is mindful of other people’s emotions, and the shared experiences that spark them, the work comes naturally. It’s received as genuine. If it gets the people talking, it’s a job well done. Instead of being solely concerned about what’s trending, what’s in or out, what’s hot, and what’s not… we just continue to fuel the conversations.

Trends will never die, and we shouldn’t pray for their demise. The nature of nomenclature is essential for defining where our cultural segments intersect.

Trends inspire conversation, connection, and the codes that guide our lifestyles. We can either ride the wave or make waves. If we decide to go with the flow, it must be current. Informed by the past, mindful of the future, but grounded… Here now.

Let these trends, subcultures, and networks serve as a guide to better understand the cultural landscape. Because no matter what we subscribe to or what trends we adopt, one thing we will always have in common is the shared emotion evoked from being a participant in the culture. That’s where the real power is.

IV

A special shoutout to Shanice Graves and my Context team for the inspiration.