# Trend-reference workflow

Use other brands' posts to learn **patterns**, never to copy **posts**. This file explains how to collect references, label them, refresh them monthly, and turn them into original SavrPass templates.

## Ground rules

- **Allowed inputs:** screenshots you take, links you share, a mood board of public posts, a written brief, public trend research, and (if you ever get one) an approved Meta Content Library export.
- **Not allowed:** scraping, logging in as someone else, bypassing restrictions, or automatically collecting Facebook/Instagram/Meta data. If a link can't be opened, send a screenshot or describe the layout instead. Details of a post nobody has seen are never guessed.
- **Never copy:** exact wording, images, logos, brand identity, exact layouts, or distinctive creative elements (a signature character, mascot, campaign concept or phrase).
- A Meta Content Library or research dataset is used only for **aggregate** pattern analysis (e.g. "60% of top posts use a question hook"), never to recreate individual posts.

## How to submit references

Put them in a folder (or paste them into chat) with one line of notes each:

```
references/
└── 2026-11/
    ├── 01_booksy_pov-hook.png
    ├── 02_ondafit_device-mockup.png
    └── notes.md
```

Each note should say:

```
01 · Booksy (global booking app) · IG feed 4:5
Why it caught me: the relatable "me trying to balance…" joke; one lime word pops.
Link: https://… (optional)
```

Screenshots work better than links, because links break and many need a login. A full-grid screenshot of a page (like the ones already shared) is ideal: it shows the system, not just one post.

## How to label each reference

Tag every reference on five axes. Use the same words every time so patterns can be counted.

| Axis | Pick one or more |
|---|---|
| **Format** | single image · carousel cover · carousel inside · story · reel cover · thumbnail |
| **Audience** | merchants (B2B) · consumers (B2C) · both |
| **Objective** | awareness · education · consideration (features) · conversion (offer, demo) · community · hiring |
| **Hook type** | question · relatable POV / meme · bold claim · number/stat · how-to · announcement · social proof · urgency |
| **Visual system** | photo + scrim · flat colour + type · device mockup · data viz · illustration · UGC / phone-shot |

Then note the **pattern extracts**:
- Headline length (words) and placement (top / middle / lower-left)
- Type scale (headline vs body ratio), case, weight
- Palette: ground colour, accent, highlight method
- Image treatment (scrim? crop? cut-out?)
- Icons, stats, badges, CTA style
- Likely reason it works

## Reference set #1 (November 2026)

Patterns extracted from the four competitor and inspiration grids you shared. These summarise patterns only; nothing in the templates copies these posts.

| Source (type) | What repeats | Why it likely works | What SavrPass takes from it (as a principle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Global beauty booking app** (consumer + pro) | Dark, moody photos of pros at work; short headline in white with **one bright highlight colour**; serif-italic + bold-sans mix; recurring joke formats ("POV:", "Girl to girl:", "Me trying to balance…") | Instant recognition from one constant accent colour; relatable humour earns shares; photos of real work feel authentic | Keep **one constant highlight colour** (Cobalt/Sky; Coral on dark). Build **repeatable hook series** in Bisaya/Taglish. Navy scrim over real merchant photos → *Image overlay* template. |
| **Local Cebu sports-booking platform** | Blue→violet→pink gradient grounds; laptop + phone mockups; "Now live on…" partner posts; numbered step series; venue photos with logo bar | Shows the product clearly; partner posts give social proof; step series teach onboarding | **Partner "Now live" announcements**, **numbered step carousels** and **device mockups**, but on flat Cobalt/Navy, never gradients, so SavrPass stays visually separate. → *Announcement*, *Educational*, *Product promo* |
| **PH health-booking app** | White top band with a Tagalog **question headline** over a photo below; periwinkle palette; quote cards with expert photo and big quote mark; "Rx of the week" recurring series | Questions in Tagalog match real searches; a recurring series builds habit; expert faces build trust | **Local-language question hooks** ("Unsaon pag-work sa online booking?"), a **recurring tip series**, and **quote cards** with real partner photos. → *Educational tip*, *Quote*, *Two-column (stacked)* |
| **Global CRM brand** | Big **statistic** posts (94% / 46%), donut and dot-grid charts, word highlighted in a solid box, cream + orange palette, seasonal pop-culture humour | One huge number stops the scroll; the boxed word gives emphasis without extra colour; data posts get saved | **One-number posts with a source line**, **marker-box highlight** (`.pm-mark`) used sparingly, and data visuals in brand colours only. → *Statistic callout* |

**Cross-cutting patterns:** every strong account keeps **one signature colour and one highlight method** across all layouts; headlines run 4–9 words; logo position is fixed; recurring series (POV, tip of the week, steps) outperform one-offs. SavrPass's answer is the palette in `style-guide.md` and the 12 templates.

## Monthly refresh (30 minutes)

1. **Collect (10 min):** save 10–15 posts that stopped your scroll this month. Aim for at least 3 non-competitors and at least 3 PH/Cebu accounts.
2. **Label (10 min):** tag each one on the five axes and add a one-line "why it works".
3. **Count (5 min):** which hook types and formats show up most? What's new since last month?
4. **Decide (5 min):** pick **at most one** pattern to try. Adapt an existing template (new hook series, new layout option) before building a new one.
5. Save the month's notes as `references/YYYY-MM/notes.md` and delete screenshots older than 6 months.

## Turning a trend into an original template

1. **Name the principle, not the post.** Write "relatable POV hook + one highlighted word over a work photo", not "the Booksy nail-tech post".
2. **Strip the identity.** Remove their colours, fonts, wording, characters and image style. What's left is the pattern.
3. **Rebuild it in the SavrPass system:** brand palette, brand fonts, SavrPass logo position, our CTA style, our voice (Bisaya/Taglish hooks, plain-English details).
4. **Change at least three of these:** layout structure, hierarchy order, visual device (photo / mockup / stat / illustration), copy angle, and format (single vs carousel vs story).
5. **Run the originality check:** put it next to the reference. Would someone think it's their post, or a copy? If yes, change more.
6. **Add it as a template option** (preferred) or a new template, and log the source pattern in this file.

| Reference pattern | ✗ Copying | ✓ Original adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| "Me trying to balance being a [job]" with sticky-note labels | Same joke, same sticky notes, same photo style | A Bisaya series, "Nag-reply pa gihapon sa 11PM?", on the *Two-column* or *Overlay* template with a real Cebu salon photo |
| Gradient background + laptop/phone mockups | Same gradient, same device angles | Flat Cobalt panel with the built-in phone mock (*Product promo*) |
| Huge % with a highlight box | Same stat, same chart style | Our own platform number (once real) on *Statistic callout*, with a source line |