Your Brand’s Fast Reaction Isn’t Impressing Anyone: Two-Thirds Prefer a Post That Adds Value

U.S. adults prioritize relevance and value when evaluating company participation in current events, with clear boundaries emerging around different types of topics and posting behaviors.

A September 2026 survey of 250 U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 examined public expectations for company participation in trending topics and current events. Conducted through Pollfish on September 29, 2026, the survey used post-stratified respondent weights to approximate the U.S. adult population within that age range. The weighted mean respondent age was 40.8 years. A weighted 96.2% of respondents reported using social media at least weekly. All percentages presented reflect weighted results unless otherwise noted.

Respondents identified several factors as important when evaluating whether a company should post about a trending topic or current event. The highest-rated factor was whether the topic affects the company's customers, with 91.0% rating this important or very important. Close behind, 89.4% said it was important or very important that the company has a real connection to the people or community involved, and 88.7% said the company should know a lot about the topic.

Additional factors received substantial support:

Demographic patterns in these factors were modest. Younger respondents (ages 18-34) rated having something original or entertaining to add as important or very important at 84.2%, compared with 81.2% among ages 35-54 and 67.0% among ages 55-64. Women were more likely than men to rate having a real connection to the people or community as important or very important (94.2% versus 84.5%).

The survey asked respondents to rate how appropriate it is for companies to join conversations about seven types of topics. Industry-related and community topics received the broadest acceptance:

Age differences were pronounced for several topic types. Among respondents ages 18-34, 84.4% considered company participation in entertainment and popular culture appropriate or very appropriate, compared with 78.7% of those ages 35-54 and 52.2% of those ages 55-64. For political events, 69.8% of those ages 18-34 considered participation appropriate or very appropriate, compared with 51.3% of those ages 35-54 and 19.7% of those ages 55-64. Internet jokes or memes showed a similar pattern: 67.3% among ages 18-34, 48.7% among ages 35-54, and 26.3% among ages 55-64.

Gender differences also emerged. Men were more likely than women to consider participation in political events appropriate or very appropriate (61.9% versus 41.3%) and in emergencies or tragedies (84.7% versus 70.4%).

Respondents identified seven factors that would make a company's post about a trending topic or current event feel forced or out of place. The most widely cited factor was when the post seems mostly designed to get attention, with 84.5% saying this would make the post feel forced or out of place a lot or somewhat. Other frequently cited factors included:

These patterns held relatively consistently across demographic groups, with most subgroup differences falling within a narrow range.

Two scenarios tested how respondents evaluate trade-offs between topic connection and substance. In the first scenario, a company has only a loose connection to a trending topic but has valuable information or advice to share. In this case, 55.7% rated such participation very or somewhat appropriate, while 12.6% rated it very or somewhat inappropriate. Another 18.8% selected neither appropriate nor inappropriate, and 7.8% said it depends.

Acceptance varied by age. Among respondents ages 18-34, 58.9% rated this scenario appropriate, compared with 58.1% of those ages 35-54 and 45.3% of those ages 55-64.

The second scenario reversed the trade-off: a company has a strong connection to a trending topic but has little new or useful to add. Here, 48.9% rated participation very or somewhat appropriate, and 18.6% rated it very or somewhat inappropriate. Another 22.5% selected neither appropriate nor inappropriate.

Age differences were larger in this scenario. Among respondents ages 18-34, 66.2% rated participation appropriate, compared with 39.8% of those ages 35-54 and 36.8% of those ages 55-64.

When asked to choose between two companies posting about the same trending topic-one posting quickly but adding little new information and another posting later but sharing valuable information-66.3% preferred the more useful post. Only 8.9% preferred the faster post. Another 10.3% said they had no preference, 9.1% said it depends, and 2.4% said they would prefer neither company post.

Regional variation was present. In the Midwest, 79.4% preferred the more useful post, compared with 67.8% in the Northeast, 64.4% in the West, and 59.8% in the South.

The survey presented five statements reflecting different views on when companies should join trending topics and current events. The most frequently selected response, chosen by 37.2% of respondents, was that companies should only post when the topic is relevant to them and they have something worthwhile to add.

Another 29.8% said companies should participate when they have something of value to contribute, even if the topic is not directly relevant to the company. Together, these two responses accounted for 67.0% of weighted responses and both placed emphasis on the quality of the company’s contribution.

An additional 18.8% said companies should only post when the topic is relevant to them, regardless of whether they have anything new to add. Another 9.9% said companies can participate even when the topic is not directly relevant, as long as the post fits the situation. Only 4.4% said companies should usually stay out of trending topics and current events.

Responses that explicitly required relevance to the company accounted for 56.0% of weighted responses.

Age differences were also present. Among respondents ages 55–64, 43.6% selected the response requiring both relevance and a worthwhile contribution, compared with 36.7% of those ages 35–54 and 34.3% of those ages 18–34.

Gender differences followed a similar pattern. Among women, 42.5% selected both relevance and a meaningful contribution, compared with 31.9% of men. Men were more likely to say that having something of value to add was sufficient on its own, at 36.8% compared with 23.0% of women.

Regional differences were also observed. In the Northeast, 49.0% selected both relevance and a meaningful contribution, compared with 39.8% in the Midwest, 32.9% in the South, and 31.6% in the West.

The survey included 250 U.S. adults ages 18 to 64. After weighting, 36.9% of respondents were ages 18–34, 41.9% were ages 35–54, and 21.2% were ages 55–64. The weighted gender split was 50.8% women and 49.2% men.

Respondents came from across the United States, with 20.2% in the Northeast, 20.5% in the Midwest, 42.6% in the South, and 16.5% in the West. The sample was also highly active on social media: 86.8% reported using social media daily or almost daily, and 96.2% used it at least weekly.

The original Pollfish results are available here.

The survey was conducted through Pollfish, an online survey panel, on September 29, 2026. The sample consisted of 250 completed responses from U.S. adults ages 18 to 64. The median survey completion time was 114 seconds, and the mean completion time was approximately 127 seconds.

Pollfish applies post-stratified weights to approximate the demographic composition of the U.S. population within the surveyed age range. All substantive percentages in this report use those weights. The sum of respondent weights is approximately 250.

Because the survey was conducted through an online panel rather than a probability sample drawn directly from the U.S. population, a conventional probability-sampling margin of error has not been assigned. The survey design does not support causal claims about why respondents answered as they did.

Demographic subgroup results are descriptive weighted estimates. Unweighted subgroup bases vary substantially. Smaller demographic groups, individual income ranges, and geographic subgroups have greater sampling variability than full-sample results. These subgroup findings should not be presented as precise estimates of population differences without additional statistical analysis.

The survey asked about hypothetical scenarios and general attitudes. It did not measure actual behavior or reactions to specific company posts. Question wording, response options, and the order of questions may influence how respondents answered. The survey population was limited to U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 who use online survey panels; results do not represent individuals outside that population.