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Transcript
- Lucas: So Dunkin' — the brand that once leaned heavily on 'America Runs on Dunkin'' — has quietly become one of the most effective brands on TikTok. Not by trying to be cool, but by leaning into something almost boringly consistent. Luna: I've seen their stuff. It's not polished. It's just people ordering coffee, making jokes about the drive-through. But it works. Lucas: Exactly. And 'works' here means a 15 percent increase in app downloads among 18-to-24-year-olds between Q3 2025 and Q1 2026. That's not tiny. That's millions of new users who are now in their loyalty program. Luna: So what's the actual strategy? Because I remember their early TikTok presence was basically just reposting TV ads. Lucas: It was. And then around 2022, they made a shift. They brought on a dedicated social team that understood the platform's native language — low production value, high frequency, very little branding. They started posting multiple times a day, often just showing the process of making a drink, or an employee doing something funny. Luna: The 'content farm' approach. I've heard some marketers call it that, but not in a bad way. Lucas: Right. It's volume plus authenticity. But the real catalyst was their partnership with Charli D'Amelio back in 2020. That was the first big moment — the 'Charli Cold Foam' drink. But what's interesting is they didn't just do one-off influencer posts. They built a whole creator network. Luna: So they moved from macro to micro? I've seen brands like Glossier do that. Lucas: Similar, but Dunkin's approach is less about aesthetics and more about everyday utility. They work with creators who genuinely drink Dunkin' — not necessarily polished lifestyle influencers. People like Alix Earle, who did a series of 'get ready with me' videos where she stops at Dunkin' drive-through. Those videos got tens of millions of views. Luna: Alix Earle is huge with Gen Z, but she's also just a college kid talking about her day. It feels real. Lucas: That's the key. Dunkin' doesn't script the creators. They give them a product — the new cold foam, a seasonal donut — and let them incorporate it naturally. The result is content that doesn't feel like an ad. And the platform rewards that. Luna: Let's talk about the numbers. You said 15 percent app download growth. How much of that is directly attributable to TikTok? Lucas: Dunkin' uses unique promo codes and TikTok-specific links in bios. So they can track a lot of it. They also launched a 'TikTok Shop' integration in late 2025, where users can buy gift cards or merch directly from their videos. That's a relatively new channel for fast-food brands. Luna: Wait, TikTok Shop for a coffee chain? That's interesting. Are they selling coffee beans or just gift cards? Lucas: Mostly gift cards and branded merchandise — tumblers, hoodies. The gift card angle is smart because it drives in-store traffic. They also preview limited-time drinks on TikTok Shop, which creates urgency. Luna: So it's a full funnel. Awareness on organic TikTok, conversion through the app and shop. But what about the criticism that TikTok is a 'rented audience' — you don't own the relationship? Lucas: That's a real concern. But Dunkin' uses TikTok to drive people into their own app, where they have first-party data and direct communication. The app is their owned channel. TikTok is the top of funnel engine. Luna: That makes sense. And it's consistent with what we've seen from other smart brands — use the platform's strengths, don't try to build a walled garden. Lucas: Precisely. Now, let's contrast with Starbucks. Starbucks also has a huge TikTok presence, but their content is much more produced — cinematic shots, barista art, mood lighting. It's beautiful, but it doesn't feel like a conversation. Luna: Starbucks also gets called out for being 'corporate' on social. Dunkin' feels like the friend who's always available for a coffee run. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the brand positioning difference. Starbucks is aspirational. Dunkin' is accessible and unpretentious. Their TikTok voice matches that. Luna: So what's the concrete takeaway for a smaller brand listening to this? You can't be Dunkin' — you don't have their budget or reach. Lucas: Sure, but the principles scale down. First: post frequently. Dunkin' posts three to five times a day. That's a lot, but even once a day is better than once a week. Second: let your team be themselves. If you have employees who are funny or charismatic, put them on camera. Luna: I've seen local coffee shops do this — the barista making latte art and talking about their day. It's low cost, high engagement. Lucas: Exactly. Third: partner with micro-creators who already love your product. You don't need Alix Earle. You need five local food bloggers who will genuinely talk about your new sandwich. Luna: And that brings us back to authenticity. If the creator doesn't actually use your product, viewers can tell. Lucas: One hundred percent. Dunkin' vets creators for genuine affinity. They've turned down creators who wanted to be paid but didn't actually drink their coffee. That discipline matters. Luna: I want to talk about one more thing: the 'Charli Cold Foam' collab. That was 2020, but it's still a textbook case. Lucas: It really is. Charli D'Amelio was the biggest creator on TikTok at the time. Dunkin' created a drink named after her, and she promoted it. The result? A huge spike in app downloads and a 57 percent increase in cold brew sales during the promotion period. Luna: But here's the thing — they didn't stop there. They kept working with her family, then expanded to other creators. They built a network, not a one-off. Lucas: Right. And that network now includes creators like Alix Earle, who's a different demographic — college students, young professionals. They've diversified their creator pool so they're not dependent on any single personality. Luna: That's smart risk management. One scandal and your whole strategy could collapse. Lucas: Exactly. And they've also invested in their own talent — employees who became TikTok personalities, like the guy who does the 'Dunkin' order of the day' from his car. That's fully owned. Luna: So employee-generated content is part of the mix too. That's a great tip for brands — your own people can be your best creators. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's free. Now, let's look at the numbers one more time. According to industry reports, Dunkin's TikTok engagement rate in early 2026 was around 4.5 percent, which is well above the fast-food average of 2 percent. Luna: That's double. And what about follower count? That's usually the vanity metric. Lucas: They have about 4.5 million followers, but that's not the point. Their videos regularly get millions of views even from non-followers, because the algorithm prioritizes watch time over follower count. So a brand with 10,000 followers can still get a million views if the content is engaging. Luna: That's the hope, anyway. But it's not guaranteed. What's their secret sauce beyond volume? Lucas: Two things: hooks and trends. Every video starts with a strong hook — 'You won't believe what's in this new donut' or 'The order that saves me 2 minutes.' And they jump on trends fast, sometimes within hours. Luna: Speed is a huge competitive advantage. Most brands take days to approve a post. Dunkin' clearly has a streamlined approval process. Lucas: They do. And that's a lesson for any brand: shorten your content approval chain. If you need five people to sign off on a TikTok, you're too late. Luna: Let's loop back to the 'uncool' idea. You said Dunkin' won without being cool. But isn't being 'authentic' and 'accessible' a form of cool now? Especially with Gen Z? Lucas: That's a great point. Maybe what we mean is they didn't try to be something they're not. They didn't hire a creative agency to make them look edgy. They just amplified what already worked — the everyday coffee ritual. Luna: And in doing so, they became cool by accident. Because Gen Z values authenticity over polish. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the final takeaway. You don't have to be the coolest brand in the world. You just have to be the most genuine version of your brand. Luna: So if you're a small business listening — don't try to be Dunkin'. Be the best version of you on TikTok. Post consistently, partner with genuine fans, and move fast. Lucas: That's the episode. Next time we'll look at how another brand — maybe a B2B one — is using TikTok in a completely different way. See you then.