In an era of rapidly shifting trends and fragmented consumer behaviours, staying culturally relevant is a formidable challenge for businesses. According to Vincent Ruaz, founder of the AI-powered trend analysis platform OwlySearch, the ability to adapt quickly to these shifts sets successful brands apart.

“Today, to stay culturally relevant, businesses must adapt to a world of fast-paced, fragmented, and unpredictable trends,” Ruaz explains. “We live in a decentralised environment where keeping up with trends is harder than ever. Companies are eager to remain relevant, either by setting trends or by following them quickly enough to stay in sync with cultural shifts.”

Ruaz believes Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers an effective solution. OwlySearch, for instance, captures real-time insights into micro-trends, enabling brands to reduce research timelines and accelerate creative processes. This, in turn, results in quicker speed to market and cost reductions—critical advantages in Southeast Asia’s (SEA) competitive landscape, where local brands often outpace larger companies in agility.

One of the pressing issues OwlySearch addresses is the so-called “walled garden” of major tech platforms, which limits access to valuable behavioural data. These restrictions complicate marketers’ ability to map consumer journeys effectively.

“OwlySearch provides marketers with actionable behavioural data, empowering them to make informed investments and move away from guesswork,” Ruaz states. Unlike competitors, OwlySearch focuses on real user behaviours, capturing long-term and short-term trends with unmatched granularity.

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For example, Ruaz shares, “We’re seeing the song ‘APT.’ by Rosé and Bruno Mars trending within the makeup category among US audiences on social media. No other platform detects this type of micro-trend at a category level.” Such insights are invaluable for brands aiming to produce timely and culturally relevant content.

Towards a strong 2025

OwlySearch operates on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. Subscribers gain access to either an interactive dashboard for trend exploration or weekly trend reports delivered promptly every Monday. These reports enable brands to brief their creative teams and key opinion leaders (KOLs) in real-time, allowing them to act swiftly on emerging trends.

Ruaz outlines the platform’s user base as comprising multinational corporations, medium-sized enterprises, and even NGOs. The company attracts clients through networking, industry events, cold outreach, and recommendations.

OwlySearch is co-founded by Ruaz, a seasoned digital marketer with a résumé that includes leading roles at L’Oréal and Publicis Innovation Lab, and Kim Ji Eun, the company’s CTO, whose expertise in data analytics stems from her time at Meta and Publicis Digital Lab. Together, they manage a lean team of fewer than 10 individuals.

This compact structure has not hindered their progress. Rather, it has enabled the team to remain agile as they focus on refining their product and expanding their client base.

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Despite their early success, OwlySearch remains a bootstrapped venture. Ruaz reveals that the company has not yet sought external funding, preferring to establish a strong client base and demonstrate product-market fit.

For 2025, the company has an ambitious growth target. “Our big plan for 2025 is to double our growth,” Ruaz says. “We have a strong product that we’re continually optimising, but our main focus is scaling the business.”

OwlySearch recently earned recognition as one of the top 10 startups in the L’Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program. Selected from nearly 1,000 applicants across the Middle East, India, and SEA, this achievement has already opened doors for the startup.

“Participating in the L’Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program is an honour,” Ruaz reflects. “It’s a credibility booster, opening doors not only within L’Oréal but with other organisations. Several companies have already approached us for trend-hacking solutions.”

OwlySearch aims to leverage this recognition to deepen its collaboration with L’Oréal and forge new partnerships, scaling its reach and impact.

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Image Credit: OwlySearch

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