OK COOL: If you’re not reading the comments, you’re missing the most important focus group of our time.
September 12, 2025
Strategic and social creative agency, OK COOL’s, 2025 trend report has discovered brand’s new power. One that’s tricky to control but a leading factor in how brands are shaped. Comments.
The report. Let Them Eat Lore, is OK COOL’s yearly deep dive into online culture, designed to decode the internet’s biggest conversations and uncover what really motivates audiences. This year’s central finding is clear – the comment section has become the new cultural epicentre. Once an afterthought, comments are now where influence is built, language is rewritten, and brands are made, or unmade.
Based on a survey of 2,700 respondents across Europe, North America and Australia, supported by cultural observation across platforms, the report captures the internet’s defining shifts. Key themes include the rise of comments as content, the growing influence of private group chats, the renaissance of alternative platforms such as Reddit and Substack, and the continued tension between AI and human authenticity.
91% of respondents say they lurk in the comments, and almost 3 in 10 contribute actively. 65% believe strangers in the comments are funnier than any creator, showing how commentary itself has become an extension of content, sparking jokes, memes and even feedback loops on products.
1/3 of respondents said culture now happens exclusively in private chats, with 77% using Close Friends or Finstas to share unfiltered and often NSFW sides of themselves with “the real ones.” These closed spaces are replacing the public feed as the places where influence is built and ideas are shared.
The gravitational pull of culture is shifting away from legacy platforms. Reddit, the fastest-growing social media platform of 2025 according to eMarketer, thrives on authenticity and “primitive” conversation styles. 2/3 of respondents consider Substack to be a social platform in its own right, reshaping how niche communities build influence. Even LinkedIn is emerging as an unlikely home for cultural commentary, moving beyond its B2B roots.
AI also features heavily in this year’s findings. Rather than displacing creativity, it is providing inspiration. Gen Z are remixing AI point-of-view trends into authentic, funny formats, turning a “historical POV” into videos about fake tan at midnight, for example. The clear conclusion is that AI can spark ideas, but human commentary still wins.
The report also tracks the evolution of creators. The era of flat influencers is over. Creators are now acting as conceptual artists, podcasters and curators of commentary. The so-called TikTok-to-podcast pipeline reflects how creators convert fleeting community attention into long-term cultural authority.
There are some surprising shifts too. 1/3 of respondents openly describe themselves as “haters,” but in a light-hearted and cathartic way that reclaims authenticity. Reddit, historically seen as “unsexy,” has undergone a glow-up as a hub of grassroots influence. And memes are consistently outpacing marketing: the audience knows it is funnier than brands, and takes pride in it.
Some brands are already showing how to respond well to these developments. Jet2 Holidays has seen its jingle reclaimed as a meme and turned into DJ sets. The Ordinary has called out the cost-of-living crisis directly, reinforcing its brand purpose. Burberry has reinterpreted heritage through contemporary British culture, while Telstra has reframed telecoms relevance through surrealist content, and MAC Cosmetics has leaned into comedy-led campaigns tailored to internet party girlies.
The findings reflect the biggest cultural shifts of today: distrust of traditional media, the rise of niche and alternative platforms, demand for raw authenticity, and growing creator power. They also connect directly to wider industry changes. Legacy platforms are losing dominance, brands are under pressure to be part of a dialogue not a monologue, and the adoption of AI is colliding with consumer appetite for human creativity and sentiment.
The practical message of the report is simple: if you’re not reading the comments, you’re missing the most important focus group of our time. For brands, the findings highlight the need to mine the comments for strategy, product development and campaign ideas. Private spaces such as group chats and Close Friends should be treated as real indicators of influence, rather than polished public feeds. It also means moving away from an obsession with brand safety, and instead showing up where culture really lives. Above all, brands need to be comfortable with co-creation, remixing and handing over some ownership to audiences.
Annie House, head of strategy, OK COOL, stated, “Let Them Eat Lore is an ode to the level of excellence and creativity the audience has delivered, and in turn are now demanding. When the cultural tone is being set by the people, proving your irrelevance is the only real risk. The annual report is our moment to dissect culture, reflect on the evolution we’ve seen, and codify the taste of our audience – all with the aim of eradicating average content and conversation.”
Liz Stone, co-founder and global chief creative officer, OK COOL, added, “We’ve always believed culture lives in the comments. This new wave of sharp, unfiltered commentary proves that audiences still value human sentiment over brand sentiment or AI. For brands, this means shifting focus from polished statements to genuine participation. They need to pay attention to the humour, honesty and creativity audiences are showing every day, and be prepared to join in on those terms. That’s where cultural relevance is being won and lost.”
Jolyon Varley, co-founder and global head of brand, OK COOL, concluded, “Our trend report is the purest expression of our creativity and cultural awareness every year. It gives brands a clear line of sight into how culture is evolving online, and where they need to show up if they want to matter. This year, the lesson is clear: stop broadcasting, start listening. Brands that are willing to hand over control, play in the comments and allow audiences to co-create will be the ones that earn lasting cultural impact.”
Methodology: Research conducted by OK COOL from June–August 2025. Survey of 2,700 respondents across multiple generations: 45 percent Millennials, 33 percent Gen Z, 16 percent Gen X+, six percent Gen Alpha. Geographies: 58 percent Western Europe, 21 percent North America, 13 percent Australia/New Zealand, six percent South America, two percent Asia/Eastern Europe. Supplemented with qualitative insights from comment sections, group chats, community conversations, external data sources, and OK COOL’s campaign experience with global brands.
Strategic and social creative agency, OK COOL’s, 2025 trend report has discovered brand’s new power. One that’s tricky to control but a leading factor in how brands are shaped. Comments.
The report. Let Them Eat Lore, is OK COOL’s yearly deep dive into online culture, designed to decode the internet’s biggest conversations and uncover what really motivates audiences. This year’s central finding is clear – the comment section has become the new cultural epicentre. Once an afterthought, comments are now where influence is built, language is rewritten, and brands are made, or unmade.
Based on a survey of 2,700 respondents across Europe, North America and Australia, supported by cultural observation across platforms, the report captures the internet’s defining shifts. Key themes include the rise of comments as content, the growing influence of private group chats, the renaissance of alternative platforms such as Reddit and Substack, and the continued tension between AI and human authenticity.
91% of respondents say they lurk in the comments, and almost 3 in 10 contribute actively. 65% believe strangers in the comments are funnier than any creator, showing how commentary itself has become an extension of content, sparking jokes, memes and even feedback loops on products.
1/3 of respondents said culture now happens exclusively in private chats, with 77% using Close Friends or Finstas to share unfiltered and often NSFW sides of themselves with “the real ones.” These closed spaces are replacing the public feed as the places where influence is built and ideas are shared.
The gravitational pull of culture is shifting away from legacy platforms. Reddit, the fastest-growing social media platform of 2025 according to eMarketer, thrives on authenticity and “primitive” conversation styles. 2/3 of respondents consider Substack to be a social platform in its own right, reshaping how niche communities build influence. Even LinkedIn is emerging as an unlikely home for cultural commentary, moving beyond its B2B roots.
AI also features heavily in this year’s findings. Rather than displacing creativity, it is providing inspiration. Gen Z are remixing AI point-of-view trends into authentic, funny formats, turning a “historical POV” into videos about fake tan at midnight, for example. The clear conclusion is that AI can spark ideas, but human commentary still wins.
The report also tracks the evolution of creators. The era of flat influencers is over. Creators are now acting as conceptual artists, podcasters and curators of commentary. The so-called TikTok-to-podcast pipeline reflects how creators convert fleeting community attention into long-term cultural authority.
There are some surprising shifts too. 1/3 of respondents openly describe themselves as “haters,” but in a light-hearted and cathartic way that reclaims authenticity. Reddit, historically seen as “unsexy,” has undergone a glow-up as a hub of grassroots influence. And memes are consistently outpacing marketing: the audience knows it is funnier than brands, and takes pride in it.
Some brands are already showing how to respond well to these developments. Jet2 Holidays has seen its jingle reclaimed as a meme and turned into DJ sets. The Ordinary has called out the cost-of-living crisis directly, reinforcing its brand purpose. Burberry has reinterpreted heritage through contemporary British culture, while Telstra has reframed telecoms relevance through surrealist content, and MAC Cosmetics has leaned into comedy-led campaigns tailored to internet party girlies.
The findings reflect the biggest cultural shifts of today: distrust of traditional media, the rise of niche and alternative platforms, demand for raw authenticity, and growing creator power. They also connect directly to wider industry changes. Legacy platforms are losing dominance, brands are under pressure to be part of a dialogue not a monologue, and the adoption of AI is colliding with consumer appetite for human creativity and sentiment.
The practical message of the report is simple: if you’re not reading the comments, you’re missing the most important focus group of our time. For brands, the findings highlight the need to mine the comments for strategy, product development and campaign ideas. Private spaces such as group chats and Close Friends should be treated as real indicators of influence, rather than polished public feeds. It also means moving away from an obsession with brand safety, and instead showing up where culture really lives. Above all, brands need to be comfortable with co-creation, remixing and handing over some ownership to audiences.
Annie House, head of strategy, OK COOL, stated, “Let Them Eat Lore is an ode to the level of excellence and creativity the audience has delivered, and in turn are now demanding. When the cultural tone is being set by the people, proving your irrelevance is the only real risk. The annual report is our moment to dissect culture, reflect on the evolution we’ve seen, and codify the taste of our audience – all with the aim of eradicating average content and conversation.”
Liz Stone, co-founder and global chief creative officer, OK COOL, added, “We’ve always believed culture lives in the comments. This new wave of sharp, unfiltered commentary proves that audiences still value human sentiment over brand sentiment or AI. For brands, this means shifting focus from polished statements to genuine participation. They need to pay attention to the humour, honesty and creativity audiences are showing every day, and be prepared to join in on those terms. That’s where cultural relevance is being won and lost.”
Jolyon Varley, co-founder and global head of brand, OK COOL, concluded, “Our trend report is the purest expression of our creativity and cultural awareness every year. It gives brands a clear line of sight into how culture is evolving online, and where they need to show up if they want to matter. This year, the lesson is clear: stop broadcasting, start listening. Brands that are willing to hand over control, play in the comments and allow audiences to co-create will be the ones that earn lasting cultural impact.”
Download Let Them Eat Lore at okcool.io.
Methodology: Research conducted by OK COOL from June–August 2025. Survey of 2,700 respondents across multiple generations: 45 percent Millennials, 33 percent Gen Z, 16 percent Gen X+, six percent Gen Alpha. Geographies: 58 percent Western Europe, 21 percent North America, 13 percent Australia/New Zealand, six percent South America, two percent Asia/Eastern Europe. Supplemented with qualitative insights from comment sections, group chats, community conversations, external data sources, and OK COOL’s campaign experience with global brands.