In Comm473, I quickly realized that this can be a very trend-heavy field, which means paying close attention to trending apps, and the content that are circulating on these apps, could make or break your PR campaign. I found this news article interesting due to my predisposition that the “Corn Kid” video, which was trending on TikTok, would never trend enough to be recognized by a large corporation such as Chipotle.
In hindsight, it definitely makes sense that it was brought to Chipotles attention by TikTok users due to its humorous nature and its relevance to one of Chipotle’s main ingredients, corn. That being said, I completely understand Chipotle’s concern on whether or not this should be considered an opportunity, due to the trendy and comical nature of the video, or a threat, due to the unpredictability of the longevity of success the trend may have.
Chipotle then decided to partner with the “Corn Kid” and made a commercial/online campaign that turned out to be their highest performing Instagram post of all time. This PR decision, in my opinion, can now officially be classified as an opportunity that paid off.
Chipotle also started the snowball effect of other companies wanting to be a part of the online conversation, where they featured and referenced the Corn Kid in multiple facets. From other restaurant chains to Chips Ahoy!, the Corn Kid was now an opportunity many companies were made aware of, and capitalized on. Chipotle took the biggest risk by being the first major company to capitalize on this trend, however other companies shortly followed and also reaped great benefits.
If I were on Chipotle’s PR team, I would be able to see the genuine appeal this campaign might have on our audience. The original video was organic, un-staged and our audience knew that. The video just happened to fall in line with one of Chipotle’s most popular ingredients, essentially falling right into the brand. After perhaps conducting an in-depth S.W.O.T analysis, I would have established that this trend is here to stay, it works with our image, and I would have pushed my team leader to jump on this trend as well given the information that I now would have had.
The main takeaway from this article is to never underestimate the power of a trending piece of content. If mitigated correctly, the risk can definitely be worth the reward.
To read up more on Chipotle’s decision, Click here!
To watch the viral “Corn Kid” video, Click here!