What people search reveals what they actually care about. Here's what the trends tell us—and what it means for brands and marketers.
Not what people say in surveys—what they actually search at 2am. No social desirability bias.
Cultural shifts show up in search before mainstream media. See what's rising before it peaks.
When PR says a brand is "exploding" but search is flat, you know the story is manufactured.
No expensive research panels. Real-time data. Democratized market intelligence.
How cultural vibes rise and fall
📊 What the data shows: Aesthetic trends now have 12-18 month lifecycles, down from 3-5 years a decade ago. TikTok accelerates everything. 'Quiet luxury' went from niche to mainstream to passé in under 18 months.
🎯 Brand Takeaway: Don't chase aesthetics—by the time you've executed a campaign, the trend has peaked. Build a timeless brand identity and only adapt surface elements.
Marketing Implications:
The battle for your lunch order
📊 What the data shows: Instacart's pandemic spike was 3.5x normal—then collapsed to below pre-pandemic interest. DoorDash won the consolidation. Grubhub is slowly disappearing despite being a first mover.
🎯 Brand Takeaway: Every delivery app is now a retail shelf. Your packaging, naming, and brand story must work in a 2x2 inch thumbnail.
Marketing Implications:
How search interest reveals real usage
📊 What the data shows: ChatGPT's search volume dropped 42% from peak but actual usage is higher than ever. Search shifts from 'what is this' to direct usage. Claude is the only tool still climbing—growing on quality.
🎯 Brand Takeaway: AI isn't the enemy—it's the new creative intern. Let AI analyze; let humans narrate. If your audience can tell an algorithm wrote it, you've lost.
Marketing Implications:
By the time your campaign launches, the trend may have peaked. Build timeless brands with adaptable surface elements. Speed to market matters.
Delivery apps are the new shelf. Thumbnail-first design isn't optional. First-mover advantage is worthless without sustained investment.
AI-generated content is table stakes now. Differentiation comes from human judgment, voice, and creative direction—not the tools themselves.
I wrote about how AI and analog are colliding in modern branding—and why the future looks a lot like the past.
Read: The Rebrand of Branding →Source: Google Trends • 5-year lookback • Relative scale (100 = peak interest for each term)
Last Updated: November 2025 • Refreshed quarterly
Disclaimer: This analysis was created by me with assistance from AI tools. These are my personal interpretations of publicly available data—not professional marketing advice. Trends data shows relative search interest, not absolute volume. There may be errors or misinterpretations. Your mileage may vary.
Built by Jamie Williams