Kim said brands often make rash decisions when they assume they will never be able to achieve virality again. Instead of overstretching to meet demand, he said marketers should first engage with these potential new consumers outside of social platforms. Nectar set up a brand phone number when it first went viral to better understand its new audience and receive direct consumer feedback.
Jayde Powell, a content creator and marketer who has worked with brands like Netflix and Peacock, said brands should post under the assumption that any piece of content could go viral. To prepare for a sudden wave of attention, she said marketers can set up a landing page for collecting emails, which will then be a space for brands to send out a newsletter to outline the services that they realistically can and can’t offer.
While Kim said Nectar tried to grow too quickly during its early days, the co-founder sustained a social presence by recognizing that promoting a product is never enough to keep consumers engaged on social. Audience members were interested in Kim’s role in debunking Asian-American stereotypes, and Nectar continues to challenge the model minority trope with its unscripted and unfiltered interview podcast Under the Influence.
“That sudden boost in sales feels good, but when things die down you start to second guess yourself,” said Kim, who has focused more on building long-term brand love over “chasing high-octane moments.”
“Brands should strive for value and consistency over the hope of going viral,” he added.
Maintaining humility
Consumers disrupting restaurant staff with elaborate orders is nothing new—tweens are notorious for bombarding Starbucks baristas with requests for a “secret menu” Frappuccino—but the pressure on employees to fulfill consumer demands has only been exacerbated by platforms with heightened potential for virality.