Podcast Summary: The Art of the Brand

Episode: Why Trend Forecasting Is Dead
Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Camille Moore and Phillip Millar (Third Eye Insights)

Episode Overview

This lively episode unpacks the fading relevance of traditional trend forecasting (like Pantone’s Color of the Year) against the backdrop of today’s rapid-paced, influencer-driven, data-fueled brand landscape. Hosts Camille and Phillip cover a broad spectrum: Pantone's fading influence, the rise of crowdsourced platforms like Pinterest, shifts in consumer behaviors, notable brand news (Lululemon, Shopify, Prada, MAC, McDonald's), and lessons from memorable Christmas branding moments. The episode is infused with holiday nostalgia, critical industry insights, and practical takeaways for modern brand strategists.

1. Pantone’s Irrelevance in Modern Trend Forecasting

Timestamps: 02:51 – 06:20

• Key Point: Pantone's "Color of the Year" has lost its role as an authoritative trend driver.
  • Camille: “Pantone does nothing from a trend perspective... it’s no longer driving trends.” (03:26)
  • The hosts note this year’s “Cloud Dancer” (an off-white) is unremarkable and universally present.
• Brand as Buzz: Pantone survives more on ritual and licensed products than innovation.
  • “Pantone has now, like, white labeled their name, and they were, like, on journals. … That is when, you know, the brand has truly died.” (04:08, Camille)
• Speed of Culture: Trends now move much too fast for yearly forecasts.
  • Phillip: “The world has moved so fast that things can't stay relevant for a year... it should be a month.” (04:23)
• Who Sets Trends Now: Trends are shaped by “influencers and celebrities” — not brands or standard-bearers like Pantone. (05:00)
• Power of Crowds: Trend authority has shifted from experts to the “wisdom of crowds,” with Pinterest’s data-driven reports cited as vastly more predictive and relevant.
  • “The arbiter of truth is this Pinterest kind of, like, wrap up… It’s based on data of what people are planning to do.” (06:20, Camille)

2. New Ways of Identifying Trends: Pinterest & The Wisdom of the Crowd

Timestamps: 06:20 – 08:43

• Pinterest’s 2026 Trends: Examples include “Cabbage Crush,” “gummy” (jelly-like) aesthetics, “scent stacking,” and a revival of “doily aesthetics.”
  • Camille: “When you start getting into these ‘brand stacking’ moments… That’s what generates millions and millions of women buying a product of yours.” (10:48)
• Insight: Rather than monolithic trends, micro-trends and stacking (layering products, scents, or aesthetics) now drive engagement and sales.
• Notable Quote: “Stop being afraid of the idea of some loser in, like, the middle of nowhere not agreeing with you... People want to hear what you have to say.” (09:11, Camille)

3. Brand Identity & Generational Shifts

Timestamps: 12:33 – 15:22

• Heritage/Tradition Trends: The rise of “doily aesthetics” and broader return to “trad”—Gen Z’s nostalgia for meaning, craftsmanship, and objects with lasting significance.
  • “Gen Zs grew up in a time where everything was so novel... So this idea of them being able to buy something that's old… is actually what's desirable.” (13:36, Camille)
  • “There's an absence of meaning in the world.” (15:01, Phillip)
• World Building: The importance of emotional resonance and storytelling in contemporary brand strategy.
  • “It's almost become like the drinking game of the moment in branding, every time you hear world building, take a shot.” (14:15, Camille)

4. Brand News & Case Studies

4.1. Lululemon’s CEO Steps Down

Timestamps: 16:26 – 26:18

• Viral Critique: The hosts jokingly imply their critical content about Lululemon’s NFL collab influenced internal debate and possibly the CEO shakeup.
• Brand vs. ROI: Massive revenue growth under the outgoing CEO, but brand "cool factor" and clarity eroded.
  • “Sometimes ROI can be the death of what made you great in the first place…” (19:38, Camille)
• Audience Drift: Lululemon’s core audience diluted, with product focus shifting toward children, mimicking troubling trends observed at Sephora and Starbucks.
  • “When the brand goes to the kids, it doesn’t have that cool factor…” (20:15, Camille)
• Loss of Essence: Lululemon transformed from athletic-first to generic athleisure, losing its core narrative and staff culture.
• Parallels & Warnings: Yeti’s focused market vs. Lululemon’s overexpansion. Kit N Ace versus Lululemon: stagnation vs. lack of focus.

4.2. Shopify’s “Agentic Storefronts” and the AI Commerce Wave

Timestamps: 30:04 – 38:44

• AI Integration: Shopify enables seamless connection of online stores with AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot), automating discovery-to-purchase flow.
  • “We're getting closer to having AI agents do the entire purchase funnel transaction.” (31:50, Camille)
• Changing Attribution: Brands can now track sales directly generated through AI queries.
• Evolving Trust: Discussion on consumer comfort levels, privacy, and building AI “relationships.”
  • “I want to be able to say, hey, can you go pick up this list of groceries… There’s a trust element I haven’t seen yet.” (32:03, Phillip)
• Skepticism of Content Authenticity: 20%+ of viral social content is now deepfake or AI-generated, with growing dangers around misinformation.
  • “Pay attention. These videos that get you upset… a lot of them are AI now masquerading as real.” (34:20, Phillip)
• Shift from SEO to AIO (AI Optimization): Outdated SEO strategies are replaced by optimizing for AI discovery and interaction.
  • “If you’re a company… still spending serious money into SEO, how outdated that is.” (36:44, Camille)
  • "You have to double down on your own personal content creation. ...AI will be able to pick out AI; see what real humans are." (37:30, Phillip)

5. Brand Campaigns, Outrage, and Smart PR

5.1. Prada’s Sandal “Scandal” and Opportunity

Timestamps: 40:10 – 45:16

• Incident: Prada faced criticism for showcasing the Indian “Kolhapuri” sandal on international runways, accused of cultural appropriation.
• Smart Response: Prada pivoted, creating a limited-edition, India-manufactured sandal at a $930 price point, partnering with Indian government agencies.
  • “They took a moment of controversy and turned it into an opportunity to sell product.” (42:07, Camille)
  • Phillip: “It was a masterclass in dealing with some controversy and reacting intelligently and making money off it.” (45:16)
• Discussion: The hosts note the lack of transparency about who benefits from the profits but admit the PR was clever, even if not deeply ethical.

5.2. MAC & Chapel Roan Collaboration

Timestamps: 46:33 – 50:07

• Overview: MAC Cosmetics teams up with indie artist Chapel Roan, creating friction with fans after she previously denounced brand deals.
• Is it On-Brand?: Camille defends the deal as authentic and brand-aligned, while Phillip is more skeptical about motivations.
  • “This, to her credit, is 100% in line with the world that she's been building… There isn't a version of Chapel Roan that it doesn't feel like entirely Mac.” (48:19, Camille)
  • “It just goes to tell you… it's about the paycheck.” (47:29, Phillip)

5.3. McDonald’s AI Christmas Ad Backlash

Timestamps: 50:26 – 58:18

• The Story: McDonald’s Netherlands drops an AI-generated ad showing Christmas chaos at home, suggesting people find respite at McDonald’s. Rapid social backlash followed, and the ad was pulled.
• Debate:
  • Phillip: "The commercial is actually kind of funny… not unlike what's been done in the past… people start posting right away… wait to criticize it because it benefits their audience…" (51:17)
  • Camille: “The issue with AI is that it allows decisions to be executed very quickly without much weight… it doesn't at all feel like McDonald's…” (52:50)
• Lessons: The risks of ‘cheap’ AI creative, the importance of on-brand storytelling, and not overreacting to online outrage unless it reflects genuine audience sentiment.

6. The Power of Christmas Branding—Nostalgia & Emotion

Timestamps: 58:34 – end

• Holiday Case Study: Deep dive into why Christmas is a goldmine for brand storytelling and memory creation.
  • “Christmas is such an interesting holiday… a month of creating a feeling that leads up to a finals, which is Christmas day.” (64:15)
• Emotional Storytelling: Brands like Coca-Cola (“inventors” of modern Santa), Chevrolet (tearjerker family spots), John Lewis (Britain’s specialists in emotional mini-films), and Sainsbury’s (WWI Christmas truce) are cited as masters.
  • “Coca Cola did what brands do best… didn’t chase the culture but trained it. So Coca Cola is in fact in charge of the Santa we know today.” (67:06, Camille)
  • “John Lewis… they had a bunch of really good commercials... The long wait from 2011 was really cute.” (70:10, Camille)
• Key Lessons:
  • True connection comes from capturing universal experiences (family, nostalgia, surprise, sacrifice, togetherness).
  • “Create stories that make meaning about your product.” (71:17, Phillip)
• Practical Takeaway: Brands should evoke feeling, not just sell features; “if you can evoke emotion without needing to burn too many calories to figure out what’s happening, that’s when you really connect.” (71:54, Camille)

7. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Taking a Stand:
  • "People want to hear what you have to say. Stop being afraid of the idea of some loser in the middle of nowhere not agreeing with you." – Camille (09:11)
• On Brand Death:
  • “It’s brand death by a thousand cuts.” – Camille (54:13)
• On Trend Authority:
  • “We don’t trust experts the way we used to because there used to be limited funnels of getting information.” – Phillip (06:03)
• On Content & Community:
  • “You have to create a system in your business that allows it to be found… it'll be through real community engagements, real people talking about you.” – Phillip (37:30)

8. Episode Flow & Tone

• Vibrant and candid: The exchange brims with playful banter, personal anecdotes, and occasional sharp critiques.
• Highly referential: Personal experiences and wide-ranging case studies ground the insights.
• Practical, not just theoretical: Deep dives into “why” trends happen, not just “what” happened.

9. Segment Timestamps Reference

• Pantone & Fast Trends: 02:51–06:20
• Pinterest, Crowd Wisdom, Brand Stacking: 06:20–12:33
• Heritage/Tradition Aesthetics: 12:33–15:22
• Lululemon CEO Fallout: 16:26–26:18
• Shopify & AI Storefronts: 30:04–38:44
• Prada Sandal Scandal: 40:10–45:16
• MAC x Chapel Roan: 46:33–50:07
• McDonald's AI Christmas Ad: 50:26–58:18
• Christmas Branding Masterclass: 58:34–end

10. Final Takeaways

• Annual trend reports are obsolete—brands must engage dynamically and harness data-driven, community-informed insights.
• Crowd-powered platforms like Pinterest and influencer culture now outpace institutional prediction in setting trends.
• AI is revolutionizing not just marketing, but commerce and content verification; brands must adapt or become obsolete.
• Emotional storytelling—especially during anchor occasions like Christmas—remains the most powerful brand builder.
• Those who “own” a cultural moment (like Coca-Cola with Santa) set the rules for everyone else.