Let’s be honest. The most viral posts on the internet don’t look like ads. They’re not polished. They don’t follow brand guidelines to the letter. And they almost never have a logo in the corner.
That’s exactly why they work.
Campaign Content vs Culture Content
To grow on socials, brands need to understand the difference between two types of content and why they serve different, but equally important, purposes.
✨ Campaign content is controlled, branded, intentional.
This includes: Product launches, paid ads, brand storytelling, seasonal promos, evergreen testimonials or company updates.
It’s strategic. Polished. On-brand.
Campaign content helps reinforce trust, communicate key messages, and drive conversion. But it rarely goes viral because it often feels like an ad.
✨ Culture content is looser, faster, more relatable.
This includes: Memes, trends, reaction content, Behind-the-scenes or day-in-the-life posts, raw humour, internet references, skits, community replies and reposts.
It might be rough around the edges or totally off-brand in appearance. But it earns attention by blending into the scroll. It feels like something made for the internet – not made by a marketing team.
Culture content invites people to engage. It builds brand relevance. It’s less about selling and more about connecting.
Why Pretty Doesn’t Always Perform
The most polished post on your calendar is not always the highest performing one. Not because it’s poorly designed, but because it doesn’t suit the environment it lives in.
Virality comes from relevance. It comes from saying something that people already relate to, showing up in a way that fits the platform and prioritising the audience before the brand.
Let’s be honest – when was the last time you shared a brand post? It was probably the one that made you laugh, feel seen, or want to tag a friend. That’s culture content in action.
Find Space for Both In Your Strategy
Not every post should look like a brand ad. Because not every post is an ad.
Campaign content builds credibility. Culture content builds reach. One nurtures your existing audience. The other introduces you to new ones.
If you're only posting content that follows the rules, you’re missing the posts that make people care.