The End of Virality as a Strategy
- Daniel Love
- Jan 21
- 4 min read
Issue #16
For years, marketing teams chased viral campaigns. One big hit. One lucky algorithm moment. One post that “breaks the internet”. In 2026, that thinking feels outdated.
Successful companies should be aware of a simple truth: reach without reaction does very little. Virality brings attention, but rarely long-term engagement or interaction. Likes and views don't equal sales.
Smaller, more engaged audiences consistently outperform mass reach. An independent brand in London with 20,000 highly engaged followers can drive more sales and loyalty than a viral reel seen by two million people who forget it tomorrow. Many businesses already understand this, with core customers seeing — and engaging with — relevant products or content.
The key, as always, is balance. You need to create enough buzz to get to a certain follower count for initial engagement, growth, and outreach. However, once you reach a certain point, the focus should instead be on maintaining that audience. Keeping people coming back. Regularly putting your product or offering at the front of customers' minds.
Build slow, recognisable worlds. Create content that's niche. Engage with your audience. Encourage shares, reply to comments, answer questions, and follow your followers. Speak to the people who already care, instead of shouting at everyone. It's also important to note that algorithms tend to reward consistency rather than spikes.
At the end of the day, consumers are more likely to trust brands that feel familiar, not viral.
Any Publicity is Good Publicity
Ynyshir
Gareth Ward's celebrated two Michelin-star restaurant, Ynyshir, received a scathing score of one out of five in a food hygiene inspection late last year. The media getting hold of the information last week resulted in a storm in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
On paper, it looks bad. In reality, it sparked a wave of attention that most restaurants can only dream of.
A fast-moving story, newspaper headlines, and social media debates were followed by food critics, chefs, and loyal diners stepping in to defend the venue. They pointed out its highly controlled, unconventional way of preparing food, explaining that the rating reflected process and paperwork, not poor standards or unsafe dining.
The conversation shifted. People talked about why Ynyshir does things differently. About creativity over conformity. About a restaurant that refuses to operate like everyone else. For a niche, high-end establishment, this kind of attention matters. It doesn't need mass approval. It needs the right people to understand it.
This is where the idea that “any publicity is good publicity” becomes more nuanced. Negative headlines can damage brands that rely on trust at scale. But for creative or luxury businesses with a strong point of view, controversy can sharpen identity.
Ward and Ynyshir aren't out to please everyone. And the press storm made that clearer than any marketing campaign could.
GenAI
2026 Predictions
Generative AI is now embedded in day-to-day work across many organisations. The conversation has moved beyond what’s possible to what actually works. So, what’s in store this year? Here are three 2026 predictions:
1. AI fatigue and ROI pressure replace hype
As budgets tighten and experience grows, GenAI initiatives will be judged on measurable outcomes, not potential. Fewer pilots will survive, and leaders will become more selective about what they scale or stop.
2. AI slop and echo chambers flood content
Content volume will surge, but quality will lag. Polished, repetitive, low-insight output will dominate, prompting more individuals and organisations to actively call out and resist AI-driven sameness.
3. Authentic communication becomes the differentiator
When everyone can produce fluent content, perspective, judgment and lived experience stand out. Trust, storytelling and personal brand, especially the ability to interpret and challenge AI outputs, will matter more than ever.
The Literary List
Our January Reads
The retailer’s Chapter 11 filing — and $1.75 billion in new financing to keep operating while it restructures — came as a relief to many in the industry. But keeping the doors open is a low bar to clear; there are still unanswered questions about the luxury department store model’s future.
The Business of Fashion, By Cathaleen Chen
The director of the Studio Museum chooses some of her most beloved books about the neighborhood—both as a place and as an anchor for Black cultural consciousness.
The New Yorker, Book Currents
A Memoir of Sorts. Margaret Atwood has written some of the most shocking, outlandish and influential novels of all time, but Book of Lives tells her most unconventional story to date: that of her own life. Atwood writes about her childhood spent in the forests of northern Quebec, the cruelty she encountered at school and her time in 1980s Berlin, and demonstrates how these experiences, among countless others, shaped her writing. This is a fiercely funny, captivating memoir that is as compulsively readable as Atwood’s fiction.
Penguin, By Margaret Atwood
Let’s Connect
If you’re considering a rebrand, website refresh, or strategic campaign, now is the moment to act. Let’s craft experiences and identities that are remembered.
Until next time,
Daniel
Brand Consultant | Content Editor | Digital Developer
© 2026 by Daniel Love Ltd
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