Remember when Marks & Spencer was just the place you went for a last-minute Colin the Caterpillar cake or where your mum picked up a “nice” sandwich before a long train journey? Well, not anymore. M&S has pulled off a full-blown social media glow-up and today, they’re a TikTok powerhouse, driving food trends, shaping new product development (NPD), and making supermarket shopping feel, dare we say… cool?
So, how did they go from your mum’s favourite to Gen Z’s? Simple: they stopped just talking at their audience and started talking with them through TikTok, viral trends, and even employee-generated content (EGC).
M&S’ TikTok Takeover
M&S has fully embraced the chaos and creativity of TikTok. Instead of sticking to polished, corporate-style content, they’ve leaned into what works on the platform, fun, fast-paced videos, trend-driven content, and even a bit of self-aware humour.
Remember when they launched a campaign featuring Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews? A simple but genius play on their own name. It got people talking, sharing, and, most importantly, engaging.
Letting Employees Take the Spotlight
Another move that’s set M&S apart? Handing over (some) creative control to their employees. Instead of just relying on HQ-driven campaigns, they’ve empowered individual stores to create their own TikTok content, allowing employees to participate in trends, show off products, and inject their own personalities into the brand.
The results speak for themselves. Stores like M&S Romford have racked up millions of views by hopping on viral trends, with 89.8k followers and 3.9 million likes. Their secret? Putting their own people front and center. Their employees have become social heroes, bringing energy, humour, and a genuine love for the brand. Whether it’s hilarious lip-sync trends or dancing through the aisles, you can tell they’re having fun and that’s exactly why people keep watching. This approach makes M&S feel less like a corporate giant and more like a community, driven by real people who love what they do.
Turning Trends into Products
M&S isn’t just riding the social media wave for engagement; they’re using it to shape what they sell. They’ve started tracking TikTok food trends and using that insight to develop new products. Take the recent trend in pistachio everything, which started with the viral Dubai chocolate, and has now trickled down into everything from pistachio cinnamon buns to coffee. M&S spotted the hype and have now added pistachio to a range of products from the drinks in their café to the filling in their Easter eggs.
This ability to move quickly and adapt to social trends is a game-changer. It keeps M&S feeling fresh and relevant while proving they’re listening to what their audience wants.
The Takeaway
So, what can other brands learn from M&S’s transformation? This lesson in social success isn’t just a case study in how legacy brands can stay relevant. By embracing TikTok, empowering their employees, and keeping up with food trends, they’ve managed to turn Percy Pig into a social media icon and make supermarket food exciting again.
They’re proof that even the most traditional brands can thrive in the digital age if they’re willing to listen, adapt, and have a little fun along the way.
