Chipotle

The Objective

Chipotle, an American chain of fast casual restaurants cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients, was looking for a way to personally engage with customers. Chipotle noticed their brand repeatedly being mentioned by the TikTok community, and decided to capture the opportunity and launch an official Business Account to better connect with the younger generation and establish their brand personality in a genuine way.

The Solution

Chipotle launched its official TikTok Business Account in 2018, setting the standard for how brands can use TikTok to engage with the TikTok community. Business Accounts allow brands to set up a profile, build brand presence with organic content, and grow their business through a variety of tools, including real-time metrics and follower insights to better understand their audiences.

To maintain a sense of authenticity, Chipotle shies away from traditional branding videos, opting for a more casual vibe; content is kept very down-to-earth and human, such as users sharing their favorite Chipotle hacks or step-by-step recipes for corn salsa and Chipotle steak.

The brand also likes to keep things light-hearted by producing comedy sketches and reposting fan content - from Boomers mispronouncing Chipotle, to using a burrito as a dumbbell for your “arm day” bicep workout. Behind-the-scenes footage is also incorporated into videos to showcase Chipotle’s real kitchens and crew members.

Chipotle also ran two highly successful Branded Hashtag Challenges to further engage the TikTok community and help drive users to its Business Account. The first challenge, #LidFlipChallenge, was inspired by a real Chipotle employee who had a passion for assembling burrito bowls, while the second challenge, #GuacDance, was set to the the viral "Guacamole Song." Both challenges featured popular Creators and were very effective in raising awareness for Chipotle's official Business Account.

The Results

Since joining TikTok in 2018, Chipotle has achieved massive reach and awareness through its Business Account profile, gaining more than 1.3 million followers and 20.7 million likes across the brand's 100+ videos. Chipotle is the perfect example of how brands can leverage Business Accounts to grow their brand presence and engage with the TikTok community in a fun and authentic way.