The American Dream is Decadent and Depraved and Runs off of Dunkin' Donuts
How Dunkin' has cornered the influencer market
Corporations and companies have lost several advertisement opportunities through the great digital migration. Commercial spots on TV tend to only access a small number of individuals, now that most media is consumed through YouTube, social platforms, and streaming services. Billboards and bus stops get even less attention now that everyone is working from home or looking down at their phones. Companies have had no choice but to turn to the metaverse of online micro-celebrities, influencers, and content creators, recruiting them to retain relevance during turbulent times. Saweetie and Travis Scott have released their own McDonalds meals, and Lil Huddy and Nelly just released signature Burger King meals too. But one early company to utilize the world of TikTok was Dunkin’ Donuts.
The east coast coffee company is known for their signature drinks and early morning snacks. But in order to diversify their brand, they hired an army of TikTok influencers to promote the company and create new iconic drinks for their menu. While at first the promotional tool seemed like an exciting way for creators to make some extra money, Dunkin’ went ‘full send’ when they recruited the queen of the app herself, Charli D’Amelio. Since then, Dunkin’ has cornered the influencer market, producing drinks, creating content, and earning a viral reputation that has translated into real-world cash sales. The effect has been profitable, and slowly after, mainstream media started acquiring the attention and services of the influencer culture as well.
Into the Metaverse
Dunkin’ Donuts was first founded in Quincy, Massachusetts in the 1950s. William Rosenberg started the business as a cheap meal alternative featuring coffee and sandwiches and sold his goods out of trucks in several shipping yards, making him and his business one of the first ever food trucks. After several decades of donuts and coffee, the company was purchased by Baskin Robins holding company, Allied Lyons, in 1990. The company grew to over 12,900 locations in 42 countries until in December of 2020, Inspire Brands purchased the conglomerate. Inspire Brands is known for their ability to market franchises into unique and trendy images that attract a new, devout customer base. When they purchased Buffalo Wild Wings, they orchestrated a social media surge and transitioned the company from a fast food establishment into a cultural meme. The company was also behind the decision to brand Sonic as a roller-skating retro restaurant dedicated to the drive-in as well as the branding behind Arby's, Jimmy Johns, Rusty Taco, and Mister Donut.
When the company acquired Dunkin’ Donuts, they applied their trademark approach and made distinct branding changes to the company, including the decision to shorten the name to Dunkin’. These corporate decisions resulted in the hiring of some of the top influencers in the world to attract a new demographic. This included hiring TikTok’s most popular user, Charli D’Amelio.
Dunkin’ D’Amelio
Charli D’Amelio is known for having influence, power, and control over a vast amount of impressionable individuals. At just 17 years old, D’Amelio was the first TikTok user to earn over 100 million followers on the app, a feat achieved by only two individuals, D’Amelio, and Khabane lame. Acquiring D’Amelio didn’t come easy for Dunkin’. It's estimated that D’Amelio makes $50,000 per TikTok post. But Dunkin’ was interested in more than just a few posts featuring the beverage. When they solidified their partnership, several agreements were carried out including posing with the drink and creating a TikTok-based commercial of herself ordering the product.
The company also had Charli create her own viral campaign under the hashtag #CharliXDunkinContest. But the collaborations didn’t stop there. Dunkin’ also named an iconic drink after her, and ‘The Charli’ became Gen-Z’s official latte of choice. D’Amelio continued to post ads for the company through both her TikTok and her Instagram, attracting millions of likes per post. But beyond the hype generated from her social media accounts, the clips and references resulted in real-world sales increases. Tubefilter estimates that Charli has sold hundreds of thousands of signature drinks, and also triggered a 57% spike in App downloads after posting content about the partnership and beverage to her socials. Dunkin’ also noted that the company saw a 20% sales boost for all cold brew coffees after the release of the drink.
The New American Dream
The company didn’t stop there. Dunkin’ started collaborating with a variety of TikTok influencers and content creators, ranging from the high profile characters like Zachariah Porter and Snoop Dogg to the more undiscovered cult sensations like Sean Evans and Matty Benedetto. The company has picked up on the latest trends and desires of the younger generation and have learned to manipulate them into generating income. Part of the success system stems from the Hollywood approach of convincing impressionable young adults that they are just one viral clip away from being the next major public figure. But despite the few numbers, the app presents fame like a lottery, waiting to reward dedicated individuals who keep posting and driving up the app's overall traffic. The opportunity has attracted several brands and companies who want to sink their teeth into this young generation of constantly-creating influencers.
While companies have always utilized and capitalized off of the latest trends, whether that's placing Kim Kardashian in a T-Mobile commercial, or utilizing product placement in some of the most popular films, innovative marketing strategies have defined culture and slyly snuck into the cracks of impressionable minds. This latest partnership between Dunkin’ and TikTok is no different. While Charli continues to dance her way into documentary shows on Hulu and Venture Capital projects, she will be supported by a solid, steady income provided by Dunkin'. With glimpses of fame and money to keep the dream of content creation alive, it’s safe to say the Gen-Z American Dream now runs off Dunkin’ Donuts.
Sources:
GQ, TubeFilter, Dexerto, CatCountry, TMZ, BusinessInsider, Amny, Digiday, TheSun, Yahoo, Adage, DunkinDonuts, IIDE, BoulderGroup, Today, Insider, SocialTracker, Distractify, RogueRocket, InTheKnow, Vox
The American Dream is Decadent and Depraved and Runs off of Dunkin' Donuts
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