Trend Watch: Drone Deliveries Soar and Warheads Get Boozy

The internet is never boring. And if Facebook’s recent blackout taught us anything, it’s that you never know what’s coming (or what will be the next big hashtag).

While there’s no way to predict what the future will hold with 100% certainty, you can effectively spot trends on track to make a lasting impact on your industry.

Using Similarweb Research Intelligence, we dug deep into the top web trends dominating the internet right now.

Read it here first as we explain how these trends will affect your industry at large and shape consumer behavior in the months to come.

1. Drone delivery takes off

Talk of Pizza Hut and Amazon deliveries via drones have been floating around for a while, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, this shift started to become a reality. With online shopping the preferred method for most consumers today, whether it be for groceries, home goods or clothing, drones will have a huge impact on the future of logistics and eCommerce.

In fact, as the demand for lightning-fast, remote powered deliveries rise, drone delivery service Wing (operated by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) has recorded strong growth in the last 24 months.

Year-to-date (January 2021 – August 2021), the website experienced a 12% year-over-year (YoY) jump in the U.S. market, and an incredible 111% YoY surge in visits from Australia.

Bottom line: Drones’ impact could fly

The drone industry is expected to increase eCommerce revenue by almost 25% over the next decade and save online retailers some $50 million in delivery costs. Needless to say, this is a shift consumers and businesses alike should keep on their radar ahead.

2. ‘Self-pointing Spider-Man’ wins the internet

It’s now more important than ever for modern brands to be perceived as relatable and speak their target audience’s language. This is key for brands to connect their audience in a truly genuine way, particularly on social media. For those on social media these days, that universal form of beloved communication is the meme.

With the introduction of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) earlier this year, which allows the public to buy memes with a digital certificate of ownership, the cultural significance of memes has soared.

Using the keywords analysis feature for the search term meme, Similarweb shows that the classic ‘Self pointing Spider-Man’ meme (usually used when two contesting parties don’t recognize their own similarity) is the most widely used meme in the world, with an average of 286,420 searches a month, growing consistently month-over-month (MoM).

Bottom line: Memes matter

Understanding which memes resonate with your audience can help you tap into their psyche and take your content strategy to the next level.  Want your audience to relate to your business? Find out what memes they’re sharing now.

3. Warheads get a boozy makeover

Traffic spikes can be related to a number of different factors, some of which the brand may not even be responsible for. Clever media tactics can help make products part of a consumer’s everyday lifestyle, which nurtures consumers before they can easily convert on integrated eCommerce sites like individual websites or third-party sellers like Amazon.

Although Warheads didn’t have an official partnership with betterhelp.com, a popular online counseling service, after being featured in a TikTok on the benefits of sour candy for panic attacks, Warheads experienced a significant brand lift after the trend began – and resulted in an upsurge of over 2,239% in revenue on Amazon.

Insights by Kaitlyn Boehm via Shopper Intelligence

In addition, Warheads has been able to capitalize on trends outside of its traditional product category. The company’s parent company, Impact Confections, partnered with Artisanal Brew Works to launch a new sour spiked-seltzer line.  With this move, the company is tapping into a new audience. At the same time, the hype around the drinks also brings attention to Warheads’ candy products.

As a result of this expansion into nontraditional markets, Warheads main candy product saw the rate of conversion climb higher. This could indicate that with the right attention there is still a large audience of untapped potential for the brand.

Bottom line: TikTok talks

As social media outlets like TikTok continue to reach over 28 million users per day, there is unlimited potential to broaden your customer reach. The audience is there, you just have to find the right way (or the right TikTok trend) to reach them.

4. Bob Ross’s “happy accident”?

As documentaries “exposing” the brands we all have known and love become more common, it could be assumed that negative press would equal negative repercussions to the bottom line. But, this is not always the case.

The Bob Ross Inc, which was made famous by Bob Ross’s show, The Joy of Painting, produces everything from art supplies and books to DVDs. The company has proven strong against scandal with a 176% increase in Amazon revenue following the release of its scandalous Netflix documentary.

In light of a bombshell documentary that “painted a different experience” of the beloved painter’s legacy, amazon.com gained, seeing product views jump 46.4% and units sold run up 80.2% MoM.

This upswing in revenue, even with the news that the late Bob Ross was allegedly cheated by his own business partners, holds up the theory that “all press is good press” and a brand’s strength even in times of turmoil.

Bottom line: Almost all press is good press

The expression “all press is good press” holds true. While this isn’t always true, we see in the case of Bob Ross that businesses can learn to capitalize on potentially scandalous situations by using chatter online to their advantage. We’re waiting to test this theory more and see the impact of the LuLaRoe documentary.

Insights by Kaitlyn Boehm via Shopper Intelligence

Eye trends first

That’s a wrap on this edition of trend spotting with Similarweb.

With digital behavior constantly changing and consumer preferences fluctuating, navigating the digital arena can be tricky. But when done right, you can spot the trends ahead of your competitors and win where it matters most.

With Similarweb Research Intelligence, you can track market shifts as they happen, so that you can better prepare for what’s coming next. We’ll get you started with what to monitor ahead, but the rest is up to you.

by Molly Winik

Senior Content Marketing Manager

Molly has 8+ years of experience in marketing, content creation, and PR. Her work has been featured on Mention, The Times of Israel, and Culture Trip.