Starring in videos is no longer a job just for the social media team

"The Mandai Wildlife Reserve, a tourist park in Singapore, posted a video late last year that became a viral hit: two of its millennial-age employees, wearing staff uniforms, described the park using Generation Z lingo. "Pop off, queen," one of them dryly intones. "Slay," says another. "We let our Gen Z intern write the marketing script," was the video's headline -- which quickly became a meme across social media, with dozens of brands offering their own spin."

"The trend was part of a broader movement within marketing. First companies paid social media influencers to hawk their products. Now, they're turning inward: It's not just social media interns popping up all over corporate social media -- it's employees with all sorts of jobs, who have been tapped by their employers, sometimes through formal programs, to help build the brand. On Lego's official TikTok page, its designers explain their process. An Instagram page run by Delta Air Lines called "Life at Delta" features aviation maintenance technicians running through their daily routines and groups of employees dancing to trending audio clips. Portillo's, the Chicago-based fast food chain, recently announced that it was creating an internal influencer program designed to grow employee followings on their own accounts. Though the program is still new, Portillo's has said it would like to have an internal influencer working at every location."

Companies increasingly recruit employees to create and share brand content on social media, moving beyond paid external influencers. Employees from diverse roles—designers, technicians, front-line staff—are being showcased on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to convey insider knowledge and authenticity. Brands are formalizing internal influencer programs to grow employee followings and amplify corporate messaging across locations. Marketers view employee-driven content as cost-effective and more trusted by consumers, and some firms aim to have internal influencers at every location to scale this strategy across their operations.

Read at Miami Herald