From viral to overhyped: Consumers becoming wary of social media sensations?

A product goes viral on Instagram. Creators call it a must-have. Consumers rush to buy it. Stock-outs follow, search volumes climb and brands get the kind of organic visibility that advertising budgets often struggle to replicate.

But increasingly, the story does not end at the checkout.

The same social platforms that can turn an obscure product into a sensation are now fuelling a counter-conversation around products that consumers believe are “overhyped”. From “things I regret buying” videos to “not worth the money” reviews, consumers are publicly questioning whether viral popularity actually translates into product quality.

For brands, this raises an uncomfortable question: can virality drive the first purchase without necessarily driving the second?

There is little doubt that social media can create an immediate commercial impact. A viral video can create curiosity, urgency and even FOMO. That distinction is becoming increasingly relevant as brands across beauty, fashion, food and lifestyle build their marketing strategies around creators and social trends.

But what virality cannot guarantee is satisfaction.

Once the consumer has actually used the product, the metrics that matter change. Was it worth the price? Did it deliver on its promise? Would the consumer recommend it? Most importantly, would they buy it again?

That is where the gap between virality and loyalty starts to emerge.

From hype to scrutiny

The growing popularity of de-influencing has added another layer to this cycle. Rather than simply recommending what consumers should buy, creators are increasingly telling audiences what they should not buy. The format has evolved into conversations around unnecessary purchases, inflated expectations and products that may not justify their price tags.

For consumers, social media is therefore playing both sides of the purchase journey. One creator might make a product desirable through a “viral must-haves” video, while another might follow up months later with a “what I would not repurchase” list. For consumers, the second video can sometimes be just as influential as the first.

This shift is particularly relevant in beauty, where consumers are constantly exposed to new launches and trends and product performance is highly individual.

Medhavi Nain, GM Marketing, House of Beauty Global, said product virality can drive discovery and trial by creating curiosity, social proof and urgency. This can translate into a strong sales spike, making virality a powerful acquisition tool. House of Beauty is an Indian beauty specialty company that brings global prestige brands to the country, including Anastasia Beverly Hills and Kylie Cosmetics.

“However, we don’t look at virality and retention as interchangeable metrics. A viral moment can bring a consumer into the brand, but what determines whether that consumer stays is the actual product experience,” she said, adding that if a product delivers on its promise, performs well and fits seamlessly into a consumer’s routine, the initial purchase can naturally lead to repeat purchases and, over time, brand loyalty.

The distinction between generating trial and creating loyalty is also playing out in personal hygiene.

Akashjyoti Das, D2C Lead, Pee Safe, noted that while virality can accelerate trials in personal hygiene, repeat purchase ultimately depends on efficacy, comfort and trust. Recurring-use categories such as period care and intimate hygiene offer stronger opportunities to convert first-time users into repeat consumers. “The larger industry opportunity is to move consumers from impulse-led trials to informed, need-based adoption.”

The need for that shift becomes clearer once the initial buzz fades. In personal hygiene, Das noted, consumers increasingly assess products on effectiveness, safety, convenience and whether they genuinely meet their needs. This is pushing brands to look beyond momentary visibility and invest in education, innovation and accessibility. At Pee Safe, sustained demand comes from building trust and making hygiene products an everyday, reliable choice.

‘The consumer is becoming harder to convince’

Beauty and skincare offer a useful lens into this broader shift because a product can dominate social feeds for weeks, only for consumers to discover that it does not work for their skin, does not deliver the promised results or simply does not justify the price.

Dermatologists have consequently continued to caution consumers against blindly following viral skincare trends without considering factors such as skin type and the evidence behind product claims.

The result is a more informed and more selective consumer. Hariram explained that consumers today have greater access to product information through social media, allowing them to make more considered purchase decisions.

Senthil Kumar Hariram, Founder & Managing Director, FTA Global, said a viral moment can drive instant visibility and conversation, but the real challenge is converting that attention into a long-term consumer relationship. Continued engagement and a strong customer experience can turn curiosity into purchase, while understanding the consumer behind the trend can help brands use the spike to drive discovery of their wider portfolio.

In this sense, virality is evolving from a moment of attention into a tool for consumer discovery and acquisition.

Hariram added that consumers today are more informed than ever, with social media giving them greater access to product information and enabling more considered purchase decisions. As a result, the definition of a successful viral product is evolving. It is no longer just about how much a product is talked about, but whether that conversation drives consideration for the brand.

“Influencers play an important role in this system. They need to create credible, contextual experiences with the products. At the same time, companies need to ensure that the experience after discovering the product is at least of the same quality level. When social attention meets product quality, a viral moment can spark a long-term relationship,” he said, adding that virality is ultimately about gaining attention, driving discovery and sustaining momentum. Marketers need to capitalise on that momentum to turn a moment of attention into lasting brand relevance.

That credibility is becoming increasingly important as consumers become more selective about whom they trust. Creators willing to criticise products can appear more credible than those who consistently recommend them. At the same time, even deinfluencing is facing scrutiny, with consumers increasingly questioning the motivations behind both positive and negative recommendations.

Nain further explained that consumers have short attention spans in today’s volatile market, quickly moving from one viral moment to another. Brands need to capture attention when curiosity around a trending product is at its peak.

If the product delivers on its promise and meets expectations, positive sentiment can extend beyond the viral moment. However, when the experience falls short, interest fades quickly. Nain said brands must therefore look beyond short-term virality and focus on products and experiences that build lasting value, trust and sustained demand.

Beyond the viral moment

For marketers, the implication is fairly straightforward. Virality remains valuable, particularly for discovery and customer acquisition, but brands cannot treat a viral moment as the end goal.

The bigger opportunity lies in converting that attention into product experience, advocacy and repeat purchase.

Industry conversations around creator marketing are already moving in this direction, with brands increasingly looking beyond one-off creator activations towards longer-term partnerships and sustained credibility.

The metrics of success may therefore need to evolve too.

Instead of only asking how many views a product generated, marketers need to understand how many viewers became buyers, how many buyers returned and how many customers became advocates.

Because in the age of “deinfluencing”, a viral product has a much shorter honeymoon period.

Social media can make consumers want a product. It cannot make them love it.

And increasingly, the real verdict may not come from the viral Reel that drives the purchase, but from the consumer who decides whether to buy it again.