Watching the Middle
How to Track Trends by Watching the Middlemen
Temu, Shein, Alibaba, and many others also do their own direct ads, and these ads give many signals. They often focus on highly attractive products to pull users to their platforms. When middlemen push a product across multiple platforms, watch for video creatives and repeated testing — it’s a clear trend signal. Move fast with your own spin before the market saturates.
What should you watch for?
Ad Copy Indicating Fast Demand
- Watch for “scarcity” or “viral” phrasing → e.g. “Hot trend,” “Selling out fast,” “Everyone’s getting one.” These are signals they’re riding short-term demand.
Format
- If you see multiple video creatives for the same item, it usually means the product has traction (they don’t invest in video unless ROI is proven).
Times Seen & Platforms
- High frequency across IG + FB = scaling.
- If the same creative shows up in Messenger, that often shows a retargeting funnel, which means they’re investing to convert warm traffic.
CTA & Landing Pages
- “Shop now” is often indicative of going direct to marketplace.
- If you see custom domains vs. marketplace links, check to see if they’re testing private-label or branded versions of the same trending product.
Tactical takeaway
When middlemen push a product across multiple platforms, with video creatives and repeated testing, it’s a clear trend signal. Move fast with your own spin before the market saturates.