Once upon a time, influence had a single face.
It belonged to the editor: the glossy-page gatekeeper who defined what was aspirational and what was not. Brands waited for her approval, and consumers followed her lead. Then, as social media cracked open the walls of the publishing world, that influence migrated. The influencer took the stage, armed with a ring light and relatability. We no longer looked to editors for validation, we looked to creators for belonging.
But the cycle is shifting again.
We’re now in the era of the consumer. The muse is no longer on a pedestal or in a press kit, rather she’s in the comments, in the group chat, in the algorithmic corners of TikTok. The most powerful influence isn’t broadcast from the top down; it’s grown from the inside out.
FROM VIRALITY TO BELONGING
For nearly a decade, virality was the north star of marketing. The bigger the reach, the better the story. But “mass viral” doesn’t mean “mass impact” anymore.
As social platforms evolve and attention fractures, we’ve entered a new cultural economy – one built not on mass audiences, but on micro communities. Tiny, self-selecting groups bound by shared interest, identity, or aesthetic language.
It’s why #PerfumeTok, #SkinTalk, and #BookTok can each spark their own economy. It’s why niche communities on Reddit, Discord, and Substack can drive more lasting influence than a million-view post on TikTok’s For You Page. The algorithm has shifted from “who can see it” to “who cares about it.”
Micro communities are the new mass media: smaller in size, denser in influence. What connects them isn’t virality; it’s values. They’re built on the kind of emotional ownership that turns consumers into co-authors of a brand’s story.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MUSE
The muse, too, has evolved.
First came the editor, who told us what was beautiful. Then came the influencer, who showed us how to achieve it. Now comes the consumer, who decides what beauty means for themselves and for everyone else watching.
We’re seeing this evolution in real time:
- Refy turned its loyalists into ambassadors, flying its community to brand trips once reserved for influencers; flipping the power dynamic from audience to collaborator.
- Cocokind invited real consumers to NYFW, positioning them not as spectators but as the faces of the brand’s philosophy.
- Glossier, Rare Beauty, and Starface have all built ecosystems where the community isn’t just an audience, but a creative department. The comments section is now the focus group, the campaign moodboard, and the heartbeat of brand strategy.
These brands aren’t chasing the next viral moment. They’re designing for belonging.
COMMUNITY IS THE NEW ALGORITHM
Mass virality creates spikes. Community creates systems.
The future of marketing belongs to brands that build with their audience, not at them. Instead of aiming for millions of fleeting impressions, they aim for thousands of meaningful interactions; because resonance is the new reach.
That looks like:
- From campaigns to ecosystems: create worlds people can join, not just content they can scroll past.
- From influencers to advocates: work with micro creators who have credibility in their communities – the ones who translate culture, not just trend-hop.
- From moments to movement: build ongoing, participatory narratives that make consumers part of the brand’s unfolding story.
- From visibility to value: measure success in engagement depth – saves, shares, sentiment, and loyalty — not just in reach.
Because the truth is: culture doesn’t really “go viral” anymore. It travels – through networks of trust and shared identity.