Rachel Karten

Well, I think also to understand why this feels so prevalent right now, it's also important to look at like how the algorithms have changed.

And so I think when you think of the traditional view of an influencer, it was like you grow your following and you grow your views and that's how you have influence.

And with these interest-based algorithms, now somebody with 500 followers can have a million views reviewing a product.

And maybe they're actually seen as more trustworthy because they aren't an influencer, quote unquote.

And so I think that we're seeing this explosion at this time also because everyone is an influencer now.

It's not because you have spent five years growing your following to have some sort of influence.

If you get on TikTok and speak, you are an influencer essentially at this point.

And so-

You know, I think that to some degree lines lining up for things.

I worked at Bon Appetit for four years before I started my newsletter in 2016.

People were lining up for milkshakes then and cronuts and supreme drops.

And so I do think lines and people wanting to sort of –

Thinking it's worth it to spend 30 minutes is not a new thing, but I also think that the way that TikTok has created conversation around it, has created urgency around it, and has essentially created a new content stream, which is I tried the viral thing as a way to go viral, feels really different right now.

I will never say you have to be on social media because I'm exhausted by social media myself.

But I think it's a very powerful lever that businesses can pull.

And I think that if you look at an example like Chili's and their triple dipper, like they have credited in earnings calls that the triple dipper has changed their business.

And that's because it's people posting about it online.

And then you're seeing, I think, when you look at, you know, Dunkin selling a bucket of coffee, that

It has to be in that meeting thinking about how does that show up online?

What type of content are people making about it?