Companies are looking to TikTok to keep up with “the pulse of culture.” As the platform has completely taken over all social media for young gens, more brands are having to look to the app to keep themselves relevant based on what’s trending. For example, the viral “Keithadilla” Chipotle order hack pressured the restaurant chain to add the custom order to their menu; it seemed as if there was no other choice than either to “give into the whims of TikTok or risk losing business.” And Chipotle is not alone in being at the hands of the app’s trends: TikTok’s CEO says that 5M brands are on the platform to “monitor consumer trends” and help them upgrade their marketing strategies to appeal to young consumers. Not only is the app Gen Z’s favorite social media platform, but YPulse’s TikTok Effect trend report also shows that TikTok is an incredibly influential tool when it comes to advertising to the young gen. (WSJ)
