Information Cascades of Dining through Tiktok
When individuals want to find suggestions on where to go to restaurants for dining, many will go to Google or Yelp based on reviews from individuals who have previously dined there. The article attached below discusses how millennials are heavily influenced by Tiktok in visiting a restaurant after seeing it on the app. Many restaurants and food establishments in fact have gained popularity due to viral tiktoks spreading across users. In fact, it is evident that Tiktok has evolved into a marketing channel for restaurants to increase popularity and attract new customers.
We can apply this phenomenon into an information cascade, which is when a user’s decision is affected by other users’ decisions. Many restaurants have been examples of how popularity over tiktok has led to the attraction of many customers. One such example is Lafayette, a bakery in the heart of Soho in New York City. Just recently in August, the establishment introduced the “Suprême“, which is a variation of circle croissant with cream filled inside. This specific item has caused a massive frenzy on social media, with users recommending viewers to try the delectable. Even without knowing the price, customers have waited in lines around Lafayette. Many of them even had to wait over an hour just to purchase the croissant. As other individuals see the beautiful croissant on social media, they also decide to purchase it as well. Through Tiktok and other social media platforms, individuals use this information to make their own rational information. Users who recommend trying out a food establishment would influence others to make this decision as well. The application of an information cascade can absolutely make a business generate massive profit if their products are worth being viral.
As a result of the potential increase in popularity of a restaurant via social media, many restaurants try to also advertise their products on these platforms. They hope that their content reaches many viewers who would be interested in trying their establishment and hopefully would provide a recommendation to others in the future. Today’s generation of millennials like to always post on social media places they have been to, especially if the place is either popular or has a very great aesthetic. Social media has become the new norm for people to find great places to spend their day, and the relaying of information to others will continue among many individuals’ social networks.
Links:
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/tiktok-having-big-influence-where-millennials-eat
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/food-dining/2022/08/25/new-york-bakery-supreme-croissant-viral/7892553001/