Burger’s and Buzz: Why CEO’s Are Going Viral For Eating Online

Written By: Emily Sawyer

Maybe it’s just because I watch a lot of mukbang’s on TikTok, but my for-you page has been spitting out videos left and right of different restaurant CEO’s trying their company’s food on camera and going viral because of it. A play on the original video of McDonald’s CEO, Chris Kempczinski, taking a “big bite” of McDonald’s new Big Arch burger as a tactic to advertise the new product and create buzz, it did not in fact generate the buzz the company intended.

People all over the internet are poking fun at McDonald’s and the CEO for his lack of energy in the video, along with the extremely small bite he took. Now, companies like Wendys, KFC, A&W, and more, have jumped on TikTok to mock the original, but have gained a lot of their own publicity in the process. funny this internet moment is, it points to a greater PR lesson that is emerging in today’s social media world. The people love authenticity: these videos give each of these large companies a face, a personality, and a level of humanity that the public hasn’t seen before, and it makes people want to engage with and even visit the restaurants that much more. Putting themselves in these silly yet vulnerable moments signals transparency with consumers, as well as creates shareable content and allows for press coverage without traditional advertising.

It’s not just fast food chains that are repping their CEO’s online: beauty brands like Fenty and Rhode, by Rihanna and Hailey Bieber, respectively, are essentially the marketing strategy for the companies. Utilizing their image and being the spokesperson for the company they rep, while using the companies products on the daily, provides authentic testimonials to why the products are so successful and why consumers should buy them. As CEO’s continuously make an effort to act like influencers and become part of the brand strategies, companies become more likeable and trustworthy.