For those who’re not utilizing TikTok, your opponents in all probability are — and that is setting your restaurant model behind the advertising sport.

That was the important thing takeaway from “Workshopping It with TokTok,” the keynote session on the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Kansas Metropolis that kicked off Sunday, March 24. The session was sponsored by TikTok.

Audio system taking part within the workshop session included Brenda Cortes, a Kansas Metropolis-based content material creator and influencer, Lauran Driver, head of business — eating, auto, journey for TikTok and Brad Haley, CMO for Dave’s Scorching Rooster.

TikTok has 170 million day by day customers, and whereas many are private accounts, extra companies are leveraging TikTok as a part of social media advertising campaigns. Driver stated TikTok is a “full display screen, sound-on immersive platform.” Roughly 24% of TikTok customers are ages 18-24, 52% are ages 25-44 and 24% are ages 45 and up.

Hashtags stay a great tool for customers to go looking, and related samples embody #FoodTok with 2 million hashtags on the positioning and 4.8 million masking #pizza.

Leveraging TikTok

TikTok is a name to motion, Driver stated, as customers typically need to go to the eating places they see on the platform, like Dave’s Scorching Rooster. There are literally thousands of movies on the platform of customers having fun with Dave’s meals.

Haley stated the model is on its seventh yr within the restaurant business and was began by three childhood associates in a car parking zone pop-up in East Hollywood. The model turned standard after an Eater L.A. author wrote about on the model, and the outcomes have been strains across the block.

At present, Dave’s Scorching Rooster efficiently makes use of TikTok as a part of its social media campaigns and has 2.1 million followers. Its mission assertion is “Blow Your Thoughts,” however the model does not inform friends the way it does that, as an alternative letting influencers and creators do the heavy lifting on social media. The picture of a content material creator biting right into a juicy, flavorful and crispy sizzling hen sandwich is a strong name to motion, and there are such a lot of movies of TikTok customers having fun with Dave’s Scorching Rooster meals that the model makes commercials out of them.

“The model was born on social, and that is actually our secret sauce,” Haley stated.

Dave’s Scorching Rooster has lots of social forex, Haley added, and when there is a new Dave’s on the town, folks need to go to it and create movies in regards to the meals and the design, which is city and catchy. Dave’s can then use these movies in its personal promoting, embody one content material creator with three million followers testing out Dave’s “Not Rooster” a brand new cauliflower-based product that has the flavour of the model’s signature hen with out the meat. In his personal TikTok video, the influencer bites into the sandwich, and viewers can hear the crispy crunch of the batter. He pours Dave’s sauce on high, drizzles it in honey and digs in. Dave’s took the video and created a 30-second advert for the Not Rooster product and has been working it since early January.

“I do not suppose we might have written one thing nearly as good and compelling as that, and if we had it might in all probability appear form of cringe, which lots of manufacturers need to keep away from,” Haley defined. “We simply let our friends converse for us.”

TikTok continues to be rising for Dave’s Scorching Rooster and there is not any signal of it slowing, he stated, which is clearly a boon for a corporation with lower than 200 eating places.

“TikTok’s mission is to encourage creativity and produce pleasure,” Driver stated.

Driver stated not all manufacturers have the posh of a lot user-generated content material, and requested Haley what these manufacturers ought to do. Whereas Dave’s Scorching Rooster’s founder is fond of claiming “It is all in regards to the meals, bro,” Haley stated that is not essentially true. There’s the atmosphere and designs of the eating places to contemplate as effectively. The interiors of the shops are lovely — Dave’s has a group of artists who come into new shops and paint them with graffiti, an homage to the graffiti across the authentic avenue stand — and different manufacturers can leverage their very own retailer designs to create efficient social media.

Driver requested Haley for a chunk of recommendation on how you can get began, and Haley beneficial that manufacturers have somebody on their group who can immerse themselves in social media and discover the best approach in.

“Frankly, we’re blessed that we’ve got this natural content material on the market that we are able to use to amplify or repurpose it into an … advert,” he stated. “I believe the secret’s you need it to be as actual as doable.”

Creating content material

Cortes stated she began her content material creation journey on TikTok because it’s a neater platform to develop in.

“I discovered it approach simpler than rising my Instagram,” she stated. Consistency in posting and utilizing hashtags have been paramount to her success.

TikTok has a artistic heart that permits customers to seek for artistic content material producers of their respective areas, and types can leverage these influencers.

“I believe it is nice for manufacturers to have connections or partnerships with people who find themselves native due to the authenticity of it,” Cortes stated. “Lots of people relate to us. We’re your common on a regular basis particular person out on the road procuring. … I am going out and I eat at eating places, I expertise issues to expertise and I believe they’ll relate to that.”

Driver requested Cortes how necessary it’s for manufacturers to grasp her demographics or viewers earlier than partnering together with her. Cortes stated it is necessary at some degree, and he or she looks like manufacturers want to understand who their very own target market is as a result of each enterprise is somewhat completely different. As an illustration, an amusement firm may have a distinction demographic than a restaurant, and eating places themselves can have differing audiences primarily based on whether or not they’re a QSR, quick informal, full or high-quality eating. Cortes stated manufacturers will typically ask for her demographics proper all the way down to the ages of her personal followers and in the event that they’re male or feminine.

“If that aligns along with your model, then that is a great way to get your online business on the market,” she stated.

She added a restaurant can have the most effective meals on this planet, but when it does not have an inviting atmosphere with pleasant service welcoming friends into their house, then it will possibly set an off tone for friends.

Driver requested Cortes how customers steadiness authenticity with a model’s objectives and goals, and Cortes stated it may be comparatively straightforward and he or she hasn’t skilled a restaurant but that does not have its personal authenticity.

“I really feel like each place has its distinctive factor and actually possibly I do not love someplace I am going … however there’s a spot for everybody. … I be sure that to seize what I see, what I eat, what I am experiencing and showcase that and possibly it isn’t essentially one thing that I really like, any individual else will come and it is going to be their factor. So, I am simply form of that center particular person. I am very in management once I are available in and I make content material and I’ll converse out for what I really like and what makes that place distinctive.”

Content material neutrality is necessary for Cortes, who stated she seeks out new eating places day by day. Each content material creator has his or her area of interest.

“I’ve a method and I really feel throughout my content material you’ll be able to form of see what my model is,” she stated. “I really feel that simply being myself and being authentic and never worrying about what different creators are doing” ends in genuine, profitable content material creation.

The Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit is hosted by Networld Media Group. The corporate’s subsequent restaurant-focused occasion is the Quick Informal Government Summit October 13-15, 2024 in Denver Colorado. Click on right here for extra data.