Brat summer, the viral trend originated by British pop star Charli XCX, ended abruptly in early September when she tweeted, “goodbye forever brat summer.”

Now that brat summer is over, what’s next for autumn? More importantly, should brands keep trying to chase the next microtrend?

Brat summer in a nutshell

Brat summer started as a microtrend, but soon became an undeniable cultural moment.

After Charli XCX’s June 2024 album Brat hit the charts, the specific shade of lime green used on the cover was suddenly everywhere. Fans around the world embraced the bold, messy, rebellious ethos behind being “brat.” Songs like “360” and “Apple,” which inspired 1.6 million videos on TikTok, dominated user-generated content.

Even US presidential candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris got on board. However, for some, the Harris campaign incorporating the brat aesthetic into their social media presence signalled the beginning of the end for brat summer.

What’s next for autumn?

After the phenomenon that was brat summer, is it even possible for one trend to rule the pop culture landscape in the same way?

As brands look towards the next big thing, several publications have suggested “demure fall,” a quieter, more modest response to the boldness of brat summer. Although Jools Lebron’s original video that popularised “demure” has over 52 million views, the Google search data indicates that this trend is already on its way out.

Other media outlets feel that brat is here to stay, extending into brat autumn, or that brat summer could merge with spooky season to become scary brat season.

Demure fall vs. brat autumn

The speed at which trends now peak and collapse has been accelerated by the viral nature of platforms like TikTok. Brands that jump on a trend at its peak may find themselves creating content that is already outdated.

In fact, Google Trends data shows that worldwide searches for demure and demure fall have been declining after a brief surge in August.

By contrast, searches for brat autumn took off more recently, with a spike in mid-September that has yet to taper off completely. Searches for spooky season, an offshoot of Halloween, surge around this time each year, and are currently heading towards their peak for 2024.

Many fans on TikTok are embracing brat autumn, including this video with 3.9 million views that suggests that brat autumn and spooky season can coexist.

Should brands chase every trend?

The question for brands is whether participating in these short-lived microtrends is worth the investment. While jumping on a trend can boost visibility, it also risks alienating a core audience that values consistency and authenticity over trending content.

With the first of October just around the corner, the safest bet for most brands is to focus less on microtrends like “demure” and instead centre their marketing and content strategy around adapting consistent cultural touchpoints without the risk of becoming irrelevant within days.

For example, think about how your brand can take ownership of autumnal and Halloween-themed content this year, or which upcoming horror movies you can target with your paid media strategy.

Authenticity over trends

Ultimately, customers care more about authenticity than trend-hopping. Whether it’s brat autumn, demure fall, or spooky season, the best strategy for brands is to remain true to their identity.

The fast pace of microtrends may create moments of viral success, but a solid, consistent brand presence is what will build a lasting connection with your audience.