Starbucks pays baristas to create TikTok. We expect more brands to follow suit.

Over the years, brands have spent billions of dollars chasing influencers with huge followings. They are increasingly realizing that some of the most compelling creators are already being hired.

In June, Starbucks announced TikTok updates to its ongoing Green Apron Creators program. The company says selected baristas will be paid to create TikTok videos through the brand’s first custom creator network. Under the pilot program, employees will receive a creative brief, create content for Starbucks’ TikTok presence and share in advertising revenue. This is a notable change from simply encouraging employees to post organically.

At first glance, this program looks like just another influencer marketing campaign. But this actually signals that brands are starting to formalize employee-generated content as a core marketing strategy.

The timing is not a coincidence

Starbucks has long had a complicated relationship with Gen Z. Starbucks was the target of a widespread boycott campaign during the Israel-Hamas war after misinformation about the company’s political stance spread online, while other criticism over the company’s response to unionization efforts prompted further backlash. Legitimate or not, the result was the same. Starbucks suddenly found itself fighting for authenticity with a generation that increasingly values ​​authenticity over sophisticated advertising.

Now, instead of relying solely on outside creators, they’re betting that the people behind the counter can rebuild that connection.

I feel like this is a strategy tailored to TikTok.

Long before Starbucks announced its Green Apron Creator in 2025, baristas were already making viral videos about complicated drink orders, secret menu hacks, and what really goes on behind the scenes of an espresso machine (especially when the limited-edition Bearista cups hit stores). These posts were often done because they felt more like behind-the-scenes access than advertisements.

This is the same phenomenon that turned everyday workers into unlikeable internet figures. Staples Buddy explaining office supplies. Costco employees reveal hidden perks. Trader Joe’s staff is showing off their favorite seasonal bargains. Viewers tend to trust the people who are actually doing the work.

Mashable Trend Report

Its reliability is becoming increasingly valuable

Recent data from Sprout Social shows that 61 percent of Gen Z discover products through employee-generated content. This reflects a growing preference for real people over highly produced influencer campaigns.

Starbucks isn’t the only company recognizing this shift.

Dell has spent years building an internal ambassador program through Social Media University, training approximately 1,200 employee creators in more than 80 countries. Sprout Social’s employee advocacy program grew from just six participants to nearly 100 employees and accounted for nearly 30 percent of the company’s video impressions in 2025, but less than 8 percent of its content production.

economics has meaning

According to Leiter’s State of Influencer Marketing report, brands will spend an estimated $32.55 billion on influencer marketing in 2025, but the industry is steadily moving toward smaller creators. eMarketer predicts that micro and nano creators will account for nearly half of influencer marketing spending by 2026. Additionally, Mashable’s own research data shows that 62 percent of people who follow creators are attracted to creators who make them feel like “real people.”

Employees often fit that profile perfectly. They already understand your brand, already have first-hand expertise, and don’t require expensive talent contracts. More importantly, they feel authentic and relatable, qualities that audiences now value over slick, highly produced marketing.

In many cases, they also create the kind of content that viewers actually want to watch.

In 2026, the creator economy is moving closer to everyday people. First, brands shifted their budgets from celebrities to influencers. Then they embraced micro-creators rather than mega-influencers. They are now realizing that their employees may be some of their most trusted creators.

Starbucks’ Green Apron creator program may be the clearest sign yet that the next frontier of creator marketing isn’t finding new influencers. We already recognize people in uniform.