Advocacy Trends 2025: Why Community Is the New Brand Growth Driver

Advocacy Isn’t New, But Most Brands Are Still Playing Catch-Up.

The smartest brands have always put Advocacy first.

The rest are chasing trends, followers, and short-term hacks.

Brand Advocacy isn’t a novel concept.

Brands like Patagonia, lululemon, and Gymshark have been living by these principles for years – building strong communities, embedding Advocacy into their DNA, and growing sustainably because of it.

But most brands? They’re still chasing vanity metrics, viral moments, and quick wins.

A strategy that no longer works in today’s market.

The Reality Check:

We're Consuming More, But Connecting Less.

Social media has never been louder – but real engagement is disappearing. Consumers are watching more and interacting less, turning public feeds into passive consumption hubs rather than spaces for connection.

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The Opportunity...

While traditional engagement is in decline, the power of Advocacy has never been stronger.

Today, new trends are emerging that give brands innovative means to activate and scale Advocacy in meaningful, lasting ways. These trends don’t replace Advocacy principles, they amplify them; helping brands build deeper connections in a landscape where real engagement is becoming harder to earn.

This is the shift: from chasing engagement to building true brand champions.

To Deep-Dive Into These Insights…

Get your team together for a deep dive into the latest Advocacy and social trends with Verity Hurd.

This fast-paced 40-minute session is all about sparking discussion, uncovering opportunities, and exploring how your brand can leverage these shifts for long-term growth.

The 3 Trends Defining Brand Advocacy in 2025:

1. The Creator Ecosystem

The influencer model is evolving. Brands need to embed creators – nano-influencers, superfans, employees – into their DNA, shifting from paid promotion to co-creation and Advocacy-driven partnerships.

2. Designed Connections

Viral trends peak in 3-5 days. Brands that build Advocacy focus on emotional, shareable brand moments; like surprise customer campaigns and hybrid IRL-digital experiences.

3. Off-The-Grid Communities

Consumers are retreating to private, highly engaged spaces like Discord, WhatsApp, and paywalled communities. Brands need to host, not just participate, in these spaces.

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