A new age of brand marketing

Thousands of Starbucks baristas were confused last summer by requests for a beverage that doesn't appear on store menu boards: the TikTok drink. Say what? A young Starbucks barista had taken company marketing into her own hands, creating a video of her invention, a strawberry açaí drink, and promoting it on TikTok, the video sharing app with 1.5 billion users. Fifty million views later, the TikTokDrink video signals a new age in brand marketing. In this new age, the public prizes transparency and authenticity, and content distribution is radically democratized, with teenage influencers and global brands operating on a level playing field.

So how do big brands find success in this landscape? Vox writer Deanna Patrice outlines success stories and cautionary tales. She cites Chipotle as an early mover which is meeting customers where they are, promoting employee-generated video content and engaging directly with TikTok influencers.