bandwagoning
Joining the crowd
Bandwagoning is joining a cause, movement, or trend because of its growing popularity rather than independent conviction.
The term comes from the bandwagon—a parade vehicle carrying musicians—which politicians once literally jumped onto to associate themselves with popular sentiment.
In international relations, bandwagoning describes smaller states aligning with a rising power rather than opposing it: After the invasion, neighboring countries began bandwagoning with the aggressor.
Short-lived popular obsession
- fadShort-lived enthusiasm
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
- viralSpreading quickly online
- buzzContinuous low drone
wave · movement · phenomenon · rage · sensation · boom · surge · groundswell
Conformity-driven poor decisions
- copycatOne who mimics another
- followershipState of being led
- hivemindUnified group consciousness
- complianceAdhering to requirements
acquiescence · imitation · emulation · conformism · orthodoxy · conventionality · homogeneity · unanimity
Media-driven awareness
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- marketingPromoting goods to consumers
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- sensationalismOverhyped news coverage
overhype · puffery · hoopla · buildup · blitz · campaign · endorsement · propaganda
craze
Short-lived popular obsession
buzz · wave · movement · phenomenon · rage · sensation · boom · surge · groundswell · momentum
groupthink
Conformity-driven poor decisions
- copycatOne who mimics another
- followershipState of being led
- hivemindUnified group consciousness
compliance · acquiescence · imitation · emulation · conformism · orthodoxy · conventionality · homogeneity · unanimity · assimilation
publicity
Media-driven awareness
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- marketingPromoting goods to consumers
- spinRapid rotation around axis
sensationalism · overhype · puffery · hoopla · buildup · blitz · campaign · endorsement · propaganda · cheerleading
polling
Systematic opinion gathering
- opportunismcapitalizing, cashing in, self-serving, maneuvering, leveraging
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- diplomacyembassy, ambassador, ambassadors, treaty, treaties
- office politicsoffice politics, backstabbing, power plays, favoritism, nepotism
bandwagoningnonconformity
Rejection of prevailing norms
contrarianism · standing alone · individualism · bucking the trend · dissent
bandwagoningbalancing
Achieving equal distribution
counterbalancing · resistance · containment · buck-passing · hedging
bandwagoningpioneering
First to explore territory
trendsetting · first-mover · trailblazing · hipsterism · avant-garde
bandwagon, bandwagons, band, bands, banded, banding, wagon, wagons