When a TikTok user popularized a Waffle House hack, one restaurant location went viral for deciding that a surge in foot traffic wasn’t enough to disrupt its work flow. 

Not all brands can get away with frankly chastising a menu hack with a handwritten note, but Powell stressed that the brands wanting to play into these viral moments can learn from Waffle House’s style. 

Chipotle recently took the opposite approach by partnering with creators Keith Lee and Alexis Frost to add their TikTok hacks to its menu, but brands that don’t share the resources of a big chain can still appease consumers through an engaging practicality. 

An example of this approach could be “saying: ‘We know you guys love this new food combination and we’re going to give it to you, but you might have to do a couple laps around the store after you place your order,’” Powell said.

Powell also emphasized that the potential of the social media manager who goes rogue—possibly posting content with lines like “please like this so my boss will give me a raise”—carries a tone that can be applied to every corner of a business. Whether a brand is driving community on TikTok or disclosing in a newsletter that it is too understaffed to promptly fulfill orders, marketers who ditch self-importance and lean into humility encourage consumer loyalty and patience.

“If you get pressed into a viral moment, you can only act on the tools and resources that you have,” said Powell, pointing to an “era of marketing visibility” where audiences cling to humanized content. “Brands need to start pretending that they aren’t run by people who are also consumers.”