Interpreting the Popularity Index
The Spate Popularity Index is a proprietary, standardized metric that shows how popular a trend, category, or brand is relative to all other topics in the same space. It combines data from Google searches, TikTok views, and Instagram posts to give a unified view of consumer interest across platforms, adjusting for differences in growth and platform behavior over time and allowing for apple to apple comparisons.
Rather than looking at one platform’s data in isolation, the Popularity Index answers:
"How established is this trend or brand in the market right now?"
Intepreting Popularity - What Different Levels Mean
Popularity Level | What It Indicates | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
Very High / High | Trend is widely recognized | Retail strategy, mainstream innovations, claims validation |
Medium | Gaining awareness or momentum | Near-term launches, marketing tests, early retail pilots |
Low / Very Low | Emerging or niche | Early innovation, whitespace exploration |
How to Use the Popularity Index in Practice
To make the Popularity Index actionable, pair it with trend growth or brand performance over time. This helps teams understand current scale and momentum — crucial for prioritization.
Trend Growth:
- Low Popularity + High Growth → Early opportunity / emerging trend
Signals rising consumer interest before the trend reaches mainstream adoption. - Mid Popularity + High Growth → Sweet spot for innovation and marketing
Indicates strong momentum with room to win through differentiation and scale. - High Popularity + Slowing Growth → Crowded space / table stakes
Awareness is high, but growth is stabilizing as competition intensifies. - High Popularity + Declining Growth → Risk of saturation
Strong awareness persists, but future growth may require repositioning or innovation.
Brand Performance Over Time:
- Low Popularity Index + High Growth → Early traction for the brand
Signals a growing consumer interest that hasn’t yet reached broad awareness. - Mid Popularity Index + High Growth → Strong momentum
Indicates the brand is gaining meaningful visibility and demand. - High Popularity Index + Slowing Growth → Established but stabilizing
The brand has strong awareness, but growth may be leveling off. - High Popularity Index + Declining Growth → At-risk performance
Awareness remains high, but consumer interest is softening.
Putting It Into Everyday Workflows
For Innovation Teams:
Spot trends before they hit mainstream, validate ideas with consumer intent, and build pipelines around rising demand.
For Strategy & Insights:
Benchmark trends and brands against category peers, understand cross-platform signals, and track relative consumer engagement.
For Marketing & Social:
Tailor campaigns to trends with proven consumer interest, and align messaging with where audiences are most engaged.