The first filter for fastvertising isn't creative potential, but the seriousness of the event. Brands must determine if it's appropriate to make light of a situation. Pop culture is relatively safe territory, while politics, disasters, and conflicts are high-risk zones to be avoided.

The power of reacting to a cultural moment lies in its perceived spontaneity. If a brand attempts this too often, consumers will see it as a calculated marketing ploy rather than a genuine response. The strategy must be reserved for select moments to remain effective.

Brands jumping on viral memes may see a temporary spike in views, but it's a hollow victory. Consumers remember the trend itself, not the brand's participation in it. This common social media tactic fails to build brand equity or impact the bottom line.

Brand campaigns reach the 95% of buyers not currently in-market. Instead of relying on vanity metrics, Square ties this investment to business outcomes by tracking the subsequent lift in organic traffic, which they've found converts better than paid channels.

Stop viewing brand as a top-of-funnel activity. For elite companies, brand isn't a precursor to selling; it is the selling. It creates inbound demand that bypasses traditional conversion tactics like search ads or affiliate marketing, making it the most powerful and sustainable growth engine.

Chasing viral moments is a losing game. The deep, intimate connection built by being a consistent voice in someone's ears via a podcast creates more brand equity and drives bigger results than any fleeting viral hit. Trust, earned over time, compounds and cannot be bought.

Don't dismiss the success of celebrity brands as unattainable. Instead, analyze the core mechanism: massive 'free reach' and 'memory generation.' The takeaway isn't to hire a celebrity, but to find your own creative ways to generate a similar level of organic attention and build a tribe around your brand.

Even B2B firms can capitalize on fastvertising when they unexpectedly enter the public conversation. The company Astronomer, after its executives were part of a viral 'Kiss Cam' moment, created a clever ad with Gwyneth Paltrow to explain what their business actually does.

Counterintuitively, dedicating budget to campaigns optimized for engagements, follows, and shares can be a powerful brand-building tool. This approach reaches more people less expensively than conversion campaigns, building an audience and 'searing memories' that lead to future demand, complementing direct response efforts.