Retailers really want their employees to become TikTok influencers. During COVID, brands and retailers have become “eager” and “desperate” to get their workers to post on TikTok—for better or worse. GameStop was criticized after asking employees to participate in a dance challenge on the app for a chance to win more work hours on Black Friday. Sephora has the Sephora Squad, a “pre-approved group” of active employee influencers, while Dunkin’ launched a Crew Ambassadors program full of employees who have large followings on TikTok. Companies have long “invested in recruiting employee influencers who can put a face to the brand,” and give them a favorable image. Zappos, Huawei, and Dell usually encourage staff to post “positive messages” about their jobs on social platforms—but recently, focus has been “increasingly moving” into TikTok since the app is “good at creating a sense of intimacy with viewers.” (Digiday)
