Day One FM Anu Lingala on “Trend Bipolarity” and How Brands Kneecapped Cool
Nov 4, 2025
Anu Lingala, a trend strategist and founder of WHAT'S ANU, brings her expertise to the conversation about cultural shifts. She dives into her groundbreaking theory of 'trend bipolarity,' explaining how modern trends now cluster around opposing poles. Anu also discusses the demise of the cool factor, arguing that chasing virality is counterproductive for brands. With insights on how financial pressures impact quality and authenticity, she highlights the need for brands to return to core values while recognizing our complicity in the commodification of culture.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Signal Versus Trend
- Trends differ by timescale: viral moments are not the same as long-term cultural shifts.
- Ladder signals to macro drivers to judge whether a meme matters or is just noise.
Use Drivers To Vet Trend Signals
- Use driver frameworks (social, technological, economic, environmental) to organize trend signals.
- Ladder micro-signals to macro trends to decide whether to act on them.
Why 'Cool' Collapsed
- 'Cool' originally fused earnest political expression with artistic detachment.
- Commodification separated aesthetic detachment from sincerity, hollowing out real cool.