What Viral Trends on TikTok Teach Us About Innovation
I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn (more than I care to admit). It’s a world saturated with corporate jargon and buzzwords, and “I’m excited to announce…” posts. I commit all three felonies, btw. But, one in a while, my brain just wants to rot. As such, my thumb hits TikTok, and I descend, doom scrolling into mind numbing oblivion. Viewed academically though, TikTok is a jolt of cultural electricity.
The platform’s 1.6 billion‑strong user base is a real‑time focus group, and for a growing share of younger audiences it’s overtaken Google as their default search engine ¹. There’s just so much content on the platform, with about a billion videos added today. That makes TikTok far more than a brain rot paradise; it’s a living laboratory for innovation. Its algorithm rewards agility and drives unparalleled visibility, pushing brands and creators to experiment constantly. And, I think the trends on TikTok can teach organizations about innovation, culture and foresight.
The Algorithm Is the New R&D Lab
TikTok’s discovery engine works differently than the search‑optimised platforms that came before it. When a sound clip or meme is popularized, millions of people jump on it within hours. Consider the “Soft Slowed” audio trend, a track used to inject nostalgia or intimacy to videos. Or “The Algorithm Doesn’t Hate You…”, a playful text overlay that creators use to discuss everything from dating to work culture. Another viral question is “Is It Too Late to Start?”, a YouTube trend spilling over into TikTok that prompts users to share experiences of launching new careers, podcasts or creative projects late in life.
Each of these micro‑movements reveals something important about innovation:
Rapid iteration – Content trends move fast; creators jump on a meme, remix it, and often retire it within days. This kinda feels like agile product development, where teams prototype, test and pivot rapidly. Interestingly enough, the best performing posts on TikTok aren’t always polished; they’re authentic and iterative.
Data‑driven creativity – TikTok’s algorithm actually doesn’t hate you. But you might not be interacting with it correctly. It rewards engagement signals and pushes content that resonates. Organizations can treat social responses as feedback loops—like digital “minimum viable products”—and tweak messages or products based on audience reactions.
Democratised R&D – Much like UGC (user generated content), trends are user generated too. Recall, in June 2024, “Hawk Tuah” seemingly came out of Hailey Welch’s mouth one day and now she has a Wikipedia page and her own pump and dump alt-coin controversy. This just means that ideas come from everywhere. Some random kid in Virgina could have a creative spin on a sound, and this sound could end up informing how a global brand presents itself. Innovation isn’t top‑down; it’s emergent.
Authenticity as an Innovation Catalyst
Over 71% of TikTok users say authenticity motivates their purchasing decisions ². That statistic should give any marketer or strategist pause. Traditional innovation processes often put distance between a brand and its audiences; TikTok obliterates that distance. Two virality trends highlight why:
The Reality Of – creators begin videos with “The reality of …” then reveal the messy chaos that is building a business, working in tech or living as a creator. It’s not all glitz and glam, and yet this level of transparency isn’t a choice. It’s demanded; audiences reward vulnerability with loyalty.
Just Copy Me – an emerging trend encouraging people to emulate the exact playbook a creator uses to make money. While it might sound antithetical to innovation, it underscores the open‑source ethos: knowledge sharing inspires new ideas. Democratizing a process comes with copycats, but they’ll also adapt and improve on it if they’re smart. I don’t think any idea is original. Not even FACULTY was a truly original concept; we analyzed the failures of Jean Paul Gauthier’s makeup for men than launched in 2004.
Authentic storytelling is the creator world’s equivalent to prototyping in design thinking. By showing the sobering realities of their processes, creators invite feedback. Businesses should have a similar mindset: share prototypes, pilot ideas with real customers and welcome constructive criticism (e.g., building in public). Being too polished may be hurting your chances at market dominance.
Remix Culture and Micro‑Storytelling
TikTok thrives on remix culture. Duets, stitches and audio remixes allow anyone to build on existing content. The content gurus are saying that the most effective formats will include bite‑sized stories designed to stop a scroll. Short‑form storytelling isn’t just about brevity; it’s about clarity. When your message must land in 15 seconds, you distil it to its essence.
Innovation leaders can learn from this constraint.
Hundred paged decks and verbose strategy documents often muddy the core idea. Forced brevity can surface the most compelling insight (maybe make a TikTok instead of the long executive summary?). And the act of remixing someone else’s idea parallels the way cross‑industry innovation happens: lessons from logistics inspire hospital operations, for example. In Innovation academia, we call this a precursor exercise—insights from other industries and analogous contexts that provoke new thinking around a shared challenge others have responded too. TikTok normalises that behaviour by rewarding those who build on others’ creativity rather than clinging to proprietary inspiration.
AI‑generated videos and music are also rising. I think it’s safe to say that brands will increasingly use AI to scale content production and personalization. Tools that auto‑generate scripts, voices or music can help small teams with A/B testing fast, and cost effectively. That being said, it’d be wise to remember that the human element remains key. AI should augment curiosity, not shift your unique story or distinctive voice.
Edutainment and Lifelong Learning
TikTok isn’t just brain rot and really niche memes; it’s a growing “Learn on TikTok” ecosystem. Educational content that blends expertise and humour continue to gain traction. The same platform that surfaces unboxing reactions also hosts micro‑tutorials on Python, personal finance and mental health.
Edutainment matters for innovation because curiosity thrives in informal learning environments. The more accessible knowledge or capabilities are, the more likely people are to experiment. For companies, this means thinking beyond formal training and certifications; consider short internal videos, interactive Q&A sessions and peer‑to‑peer skill‑sharing. Encourage your team to learn in public: document experiments, share losses and celebrate small wins. This isn’t failure, it’s just research!
Purpose‑Driven Storytelling and Societal Values
TikTok’s 2025 trend categories include purpose‑driven storytelling and community‑centric commerce ³. Users reward brands that align with societal values like sustainability, diversity and mental health. The idea of “De‑influencing” is also growing. Audiences want truth and transparency, and these de-influencers calling out overhyped products and promoting mindful consumption is a strong reminder of that.
For innovators, this means integrating purpose from the beginning. “How” a product contributes to society is often times more important than it’s launch party. TikTok’s virality can help amplify initiatives, and you’re better of framing them with sincerity. Building trust with transparent communication therefore, should be part of your strategy, not an afterthought.
Some (Practical) Takeaways
Monitor and decode trends – Assign someone on your team to track TikTok trends weekly and translate them into insights for your team. Emerging memes or sounds, as weird as they may be, might be indicative of consumer anxieties or desires.
Prototype publicly – The platform’s quick feedback loop means you can test messaging or product concepts. Do it. Launch a rough idea in a short video, gather comments, refine and relaunch. It’s like A/B testing on steroids.
Blend entertainment with insight – People retain information better when it’s fun. Combine expertise with humour or storytelling to make complex ideas digestible.
Stay human – Authenticity and vulnerability are the currency of TikTok, and it’s got equal value in the companies and teams that win. Show your work, your process and your missteps. Show what makes you uniquely human.
Embed purpose – Align your innovation efforts with social values. Consumers reward brands that are transparent and responsible.
Conclusion: Radical Curiosity in a TikTok World
TikTok is a mirror reflecting cultural values and an incubator for ideas. Its trends reveal how quickly creative concepts spread and mutate; they show that authenticity drives engagement and that learning is increasingly bite‑sized and communal. For innovators, the platform’s frenetic energy underscores a timeless truth: curiosity is the engine of progress. If this is true, radicalize this.
Our work as innovation and strategy leaders is not to chase every viral meme but to understand the underlying behaviours that fuel them. TikTok might be a precursor for what winning looks like today: Tap into remix culture, embracing transparency, and aligning your products with broader values. The result will be an organization that move at the speed of culture while staying true to its mission.
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Work Cited
Business of Apps. “TikTok Revenue and Usage Statistics (2025).” Business of Apps, 25 Feb. 2025.
TikTok for Business. “Want to drive sales on TikTok? Take cues from creators.” TikTok for Business Blog, 20 June 2022.
TikTok (Newsroom Canada). “TikTok What’s Next 2025 Trend Report.” TikTok Newsroom (Canada), 8 Jan. 2025.