In a crowded marketplace dominated by mass production, Not On The High Street (NOTHS) champions 5,500+ independent creative businesses. Each year, the Pantone Colour of the Year announcement creates a media feeding frenzy, thousands of brands react at the same moment, drowning out individual voices.
For Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse (the official 2025 Colour of the Year, a rich, comforting brown evoking cacao, coffee, and cosy indulgence), we flipped the script: from reactive pitching to predictive, data-led thought leadership. By listening to search behaviour early, we identified the trend before the official reveal, curated a ready-to-publish media asset, and secured high-authority coverage that drove organic visibility during peak Q4.
The challenge: breaking the 'Colour of the Year' noise
NOTHS operates in a highly competitive retail landscape where small, creative makers go head-to-head with mass-produced goods.
The annual Pantone announcement sparks global media hype. Brands typically wait for the official reveal, then flood journalists with near-identical pitches, creating noise and reducing cut-through.
Goal: Move from reactive to predictive. Own the conversation by spotting and shaping the trend early.
The insight: listening to the search bar
Rather than guessing, we let consumer behaviour lead. Search data revealed a massive spike: 1.2 million searches*for “Mocha Mousse” in December (+276% YoY), plus a 37% increase in “Mocha Brown” searches over the prior three months.
Search volume trend graph.
Key takeaway: The audience was already searching for the colour, I didn’t need to predict it.
I just needed to be the first to connect it meaningfully to NOTHS’s unique independent makers.
The strategy: data → ready-to-shop media asset
We transformed raw search insight into a journalist-friendly package:
This blended trend forecasting, storytelling, and commerce to remove barriers for journalists while spotlighting small businesses.
Three-step Identify → Curate → Package flow infographic.
The execution: bringing mocha mousse home
I collated shoppable pieces that translated the trend into real life:
Illustrated product collage / lookbook spread.
The expert voice
To elevate the pitch beyond product placement, we included psychological context from our in-house trend forecaster:
“> “Mocha Mousse is a teddy-bear-like tone that instantly feels comforting and nostalgic... It's versatile, natural, and perfectly suited for a year where we're embracing mindful, cosy living.” - Melanie Menczykowski, Trend Forecaster at Not On The High Street
This added depth and authority, making the story more newsworthy.
Large pull-quote block.
Beyond the plan: reactive press office
Agility was key. Alongside the proactive Mocha Mousse campaign, we monitored real-time conversations and injected NOTHS into:
This rapid-response approach amplified visibility across news cycles.
Reactive press office mindmap / examples.
The impact: driving organic growth
High-quality backlinks from top-tier publications boosted domain authority and organic performance during critical Q4.
Ranking / sessions stats graphic.
Coverage appeared in dream publications including Ideal Home, House Beautiful, Metro, The Independent, and more.
Media footprint logo grid.
Speed is currency
By acting on search data early, we gained the lead time to create a thoughtful, high-quality response to a major industry moment. The campaign felt timely, relevant, and authoritative by positioning Not On The High Street as a genuine leader in design trends.
Takeaway quote.