Chick-fil-A prompts backlash by shutting down employee’s positive TikToks—what marketers can learn

A TikToker who goes by Miri and works at a Chick-fil-A in Southern California for months has been posting about her employee meal, while also plugging new menu items. It is the type of employee-led brand love that most marketers would surely embrace. Not Chick-fil-A. The fast-feeder has received blowback from consumers after Miri posted a recent TikTok saying that “upper management and PR” asked her to stop making the videos, saying that she is breaking a rule in the Chick-fil-A employee handbook. @mirithesiren Chick-fil-A Corporate has asked me to stop making content. I’m sorry you guys :/ Thank you for all the support and love but an era has ended. “The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TC&Js Enterprises, Chick-fil-A Whittwood, nor Chick-fil-A, Inc.” #fyp #chickfila #chickfilaemployee #chickfilasauce #chickfilahacks #curlyhair #blackgirl ♬ original sound - mirithesiren Miri’s followers are stunned that Chick-fil-A is passing up the opportunity to shift Miri to the marketing or social media department. “What a HUGE missed opportunity for them but you handled this with so much class,” reads the top comment from beauty influencer James Charles. “Who’s in their marketing! BIG MISS! I literally planned to go get a drink soon because of you!” read another. “As someone who worked in corporate marketing, I would’ve LOVED having an enthusiastic and engaging employee organically share their favs!” another person commented. Chick-fil-A did not respond to a request for comment, including a question asking what employee rule Miri violated. (Oddly enough, or perhaps tellingly, Chick-fil-A does have an official TikTok, but does not have any videos posted.) Miri also works at Aldi, and makes employee meal videos there. Aldi did not respond to a request for comment. Miri, known as @mirithesiren to her 80,000 TikTok followers, has been making videos for the last four months. They are overwhelmingly positive. In one, she shows how she makes a honey mustard kale chicken salad, and what to order to make it. In another, she makes her own creamy hot honey sauce for a breakfast sandwich. For her last review, she bought four of Chick-fil-A’s new cherry berry drinks. The video has over 2.6 million views. @mirithesiren TASTE REVIEW: CHERRY BERRY DRINK @Chick-fil-A #chickfila #chickfilaemployee #fyp #chickfilasauce #chickfilahacks #curlyhair #blackgirl #cherryberry #tastetest #newdrink ♬ original sound - mirithesiren Miri even has a video defending and explaining Chick-fil-A’s announcement that the brand will be using antibiotics to treat chickens. ‘Big-picture miss’ In today’s internet age, corporate social media guidelines are common (see the countless X bios that say “views my own”) and may explicitly discourage employees from posting content related to their work as a way to protect the company. In 2019, a Panera employee said she was fired after posting a TikTok showing that the chain’s mac and cheese came frozen (to avoid preservatives) and was reheated. “There is a critical distinction between an employee who identifies themselves as such, and an employee who posts just as an individual,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “People who highlight their employment could be seen as speaking for the company. Most firms will be very cautious about that. A brand can’t have lots of people claiming to be representing company policies or practices.” More TikTok brand news: John Deere will pay a creator $200,000 Still, as brands vie for shorter attention spans, and work to find creators with loyal followers, it seems like a missed opportunity for Chick-fil-A. “This is a big-picture miss,” said Liz Cole, chief social officer at VML, whose clients include Wendy’s. “Most brands would pay a lot to have a prolific, TikTok-native creator with detailed product knowledge and unflagging passion for the brand who is publishing a constant cadence of highly engaging content for them. Whatever benefit there may be to enforcing a corporate social media policy in this instance, the opportunity cost doesn’t seem worth it.” Other creators have also weighed in. TikTok creator and nurse Jen Hamilton stitched Miri’s video with her take, saying: “There are companies that are so behind the times when it comes to authentic marketing, and they shoot themselves in the foot.” @_jen_hamilton_ #stitch with @mirithesiren @Chick-fil-A ♬ original sound - Jen Hamilton Other brands have been quick to embrace and enlist willing employees to make content. In 2020 and 2021, Dunkin’ put out a request for employees to nominate themselves to be a TikTok Crew Ambassador. Sephora since 2019 has had its Sephora Squad, a group of employees and content creators who apply to be part of a yearlong, paid partnership making content for the beauty retailer. In 2020, Chipotle kicked off a “Flip your lid” challenge that was inspired by an employee. McDonald’s often makes TikToks from an employee point of view, showing how certain orders are made on the line, including the peanut butter crunch McFlurry and basic cheeseburger. Chick-fil-A’s gaffe brings to mind a recent miss by BMW, which had pledged to gift a car to TikToker Reesa Teesa, the woman who became known for her viral series “Who TF Did I Marry” in which she listed grievances against a former lover. BMW later deleted the TikTok. Hyundai was quick to step in, giving Teesa a year-long loan on a 2024 Palisade. Cole said she would not be surprised if Chick-fil-A competitors swoop in to work with Miri, and potentially win over some new customers. Other chicken brands are already there. Miri’s most recent videos are of her reviewing her Wingstop order, and another was a sponsored post for Shake Shake for the brand’s latest campaign highlighting that they are open on Sunday, unlike Chick-fil-A. “I know yall are really tuned in because yall wanna know what’s going on behind the scenes,” Miri says in the Wingstop video. “Y’all wanna know if ‘red chicken’ has reached out to me, or anybody else, and I will say that there are some things in motion.” @mirithesiren THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT! I feel so blessed to have a community that is willing to surrounf me with love and supprt like this. Screaming thank you from the top of my lungs!!!! @Wingstop #wingstop #fyp #mirithesiren #blackgirl #curlyhair ♬ original sound - mirithesiren While the post was organic, a brand spokesperson confirmed that Wingstop has reached out to Miri and that they “are in conversations.” On Sunday, Miri’s TikTok is her eating chicken sandwiches, drinks and fries from Shake Shack. One of the hashtags in the caption is #shakeshackpartner. @mirithesiren Went to @SHAKE SHACK and tried their CHICKEN SHACK - and you can too! Every Sunday in April you can get a free Chicken Shack with $10 minimum purchase using code CHICKENSUNDAY. #shakeshack #shakeshackpartner #chickenshack #fyp ♬ original sound - mirithesiren Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Chick-fil-A prompts backlash by shutting down employee’s positive TikToks—what marketers can learn

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