Only a fraction of TikTok trends last beyond two weeks, Publicis Groupe finds

Nearly half of trends on TikTok disappear within five days, and only a small minority remain relevant beyond two weeks – yet those that endure are the ones shaping culture across borders, according to a new study by Publicis Groupe APAC.

The report, “Globalisation of TikTok trends: How culture travels, transforms and connects”, analyses millions of data points across seven markets – including Indonesia, Thailand, the US and Japan – to understand why some trends scale globally while most fade quickly.

Its central finding is clear: longevity, not initial virality, determines cultural impact. While TikTok’s rapid content cycle sees trends rise and fall within days, those that spread across three or more countries are typically rooted in shared emotions, everyday behaviours or repeatable cultural cues.

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These trends are not necessarily the loudest or fastest-growing, but they are the most adaptable – allowing communities to reinterpret them across different cultural contexts.

Southeast Asia leads in trend circulation

The study highlights Southeast Asia as one of the most interconnected regions for trend propagation, with ideas moving quickly between markets such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam despite language differences.

Campaigns seeded in one Southeast Asian country have a 60-70% chance of gaining traction in neighbouring markets within days, underscoring the region’s importance as a launchpad for scalable content.

By contrast, Japan behaves as a more self-contained ecosystem, while Western markets – including non-English-speaking ones – tend to cluster and share trends more fluidly.

Simple formats outperform complex messaging

Another key insight is that trends built on strong visual formats – such as repeatable transitions, audio cues or templates – consistently outperform message-led campaigns.

These formats lower the barrier to entry, making it easier for users to participate and remix, which in turn accelerates distribution and extends a trend’s lifespan.

The report also reinforces the role of creators as the primary drivers of trend longevity. Rather than being dictated by brands, trends gain traction when creators adopt and adapt them, turning single ideas into evolving cultural movements.

This shifts the marketer’s role towards enabling participation – through flexible creative frameworks and clear but adaptable brand guidelines.

“At Publicis, we see that culture on TikTok doesn’t spread by chance – it scales through participation. This white paper decodes why some ideas persist, and how participation turns cultural momentum into lasting brand impact,” said Sapna Nemani, chief solutions officer, Publicis Groupe Asia Pacific.

Shant Oknayan, vice president, global business solutions at TikTok, added: “On TikTok, creativity travels further and faster when powered by people. This white paper celebrates the unique alchemy between community creativity and cultural momentum, giving brands a blueprint to understand not just what trends spread, but why they resonate, empowering them to co-create with communities and convert cultural relevance into growth.”

The findings point to a shift away from reactive trend-chasing towards building systems that identify and activate persistent cultural signals early.

This includes investing in real-time trend monitoring, aligning content strategies with regional “cultural corridors”, and designing campaigns that prioritise participation over control.

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