DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 'Intellectual influencers' will soon be taking over your social-media feeds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Audiences are favoring authentic and knowledgeable content creators over follower count. It's the "intellectual influencers," or "thought leaders," who are likely to thrive. AdvertisementNya Étienne, who is a journalist and TikTok content creator, refers to this concept as the rise of "the intellectual influencer." People want 'edutainment'This new breed of influencer could outlast all the rest and may soon be dominating social media feeds. AdvertisementBack when posting on social media was novel, the audience of an aspiring content creator would grow exponentially simply because they were entertaining to watch.

Persons: —, Nya, Katya Varbanova, Varbanova, who's, Dubuisson, Keith Lee, Kaye Putnam, Putnam, they're Organizations: Service, YouTube, Matter Communications Locations: Bazaarvoice, Boston

☆ Issa Rae is launching a new company to connect brands with diverse creators, with Pepsi, Chili's, and more already on board
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Issa Rae is adding to her business ventures with a new company, Ensemble, to connect brands with diverse creators. The company seeks to attract ad spending by connecting brands with a network of 50 up-and-coming creators, including Leo Gonzalez, Mark Phillips, and Drew Afualo. Ensemble is separate from Rae's media and entertainment company, Hoorae Media, which was formed in 2020 out of Issa Rae Productions. In addition to Rae's TV and film production label, Hoorae encompasses a marketing arm, Fête; a management company, ColorCreative; and an audio division, Raedio. "We want Ensemble to be seen as a general market company," McKay said.

Persons: Issa Rae, Leo Gonzalez, Mark Phillips, Drew Afualo, It's, Issa Rae Productions, Sienna, Rae, Ian Schafer, Matt Berger, Keith Lee, Schafer, Garrett Manet Montrel McKay, McKay, We're, Dallas Turner, Popeyes, influencers, Montrel McKay, Bud Light, we're Organizations: Pepsi, Hoorae Media, Raedio, Sienna Naturals, Business, Ensemble, Hoorae, PQ Media

☆ Black creators were instrumental in building TikTok. Now they fear they'll be hit the hardest by a ban.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But largely, TikTok is a place Black creators found where they could thrive and reach new audiences and customers for their growing businesses. It wasn't that the content wasn't good, Ford said, it was that Instagram "just wasn't a place for Black creators, minority creators, to excel." Some Black creators suspected their Black Lives Matter content was suppressed in 2020 after George Floyd's death ignited a wave of protests. AdvertisementBlack TikTokers have also expressed an "undertone of anti-Blackness" in the platform's algorithm, where white creators benefited from the trends started by Black creators. AdvertisementThis is disheartening, Black creators told BI, because so many top trends and ideas come from their community.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, TikTok, Tenyse Williams, It's, Funmi Ford, Ford, Nya, I've, Étienne, Keith Lee, entrepreneurialism, Kahlil Dumas, Dumas, George Floyd's, Jalaiah Harmon, Black TikTokers, Williams, Imani Bashir, Bashir, We're, isn't Organizations: Service, Senate, Business, Consulting, University of Central, Columbia University, George Washington University, Pew Research Center, An, Free, Black, New York Times, Forbes, YouTube, BI Locations: University of Central Florida, Instagram, An Oxford, Atlanta

☆ Andy Sieg is quickly shaking up Citi's wealth business. At least 11 senior execs have left since his arrival.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Citi's wealth unit has seen at least 11 senior execs exit since Merrill Lynch veteran Sieg joined in September. The latest departure is David Bailin, chief investment officer for the global wealth division, who announced his departure on Monday. Sieg's mandate is to turn around the wealth business, which was barely profitable this past quarter. Sieg also plans to expand Citi's already successful wealth business in Asia. At least two other senior Asia executives have left.

Persons: Andy Sieg, Merrill Lynch, Sieg, David Bailin, Bailin, Fraser, Andy, Mark Mason, Shyam Sambamurthy, Merril Lynch, Don Plaus, Hale Behzadi, Citi David, Eduardo Martinez Campos, Keith Lee Hong, Fernando Lopez Munoz, Luigi Pigorni, Jeff Sutton, Eduardo, Seamus Yin, Hayley Cuccinello Organizations: Citi, Business, Bankers, Citi Wealth, Citi Global Wealth, North America, Eduardo Martinez Campos Head, Mark, Mark Mills Regional, Fernando Lopez Munoz Head, Jeff Sutton Global, Eduardo Ventura, West Locations: Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Keith Lee Hong Kong, Mark Mills, Shyam Sambamurthy South Asia, America, West China, hcuccinello@businessinsider.com

☆ Cardi B doesn't like Filipino Balut eggs. TikTok commenters are thanking her for not playing into stereotypes about Asian food.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cardi B tried Balut eggs, a popular Filipino dish, on TikTok. Balut eggs are fertilized duck eggs popular in Asia — especially in the Philippines — that have become a popular food item for TikTokers to try. While wearing a burnt-orange updo and stunning blue eyeshadow, Cardi B presented a bowl of Balut eggs she made in a TikTok post on Wednesday. Cardi B explained that the duck tasted like raw chicken but said she liked the liquid inside the egg. The stereotypes live on in the form of TikTok taste tests, where many creators share videos gagging over Asian cuisine with millions of likes.

Persons: Cardi, Benny Blanco's, —, Keith Lee, TikTok, I'm, gagging, benny blanco, Blanco, James Corden's, Corden, James Corden, Kim Saira, Robert Ji, influencers Organizations: Service, BI, Activists, New York Times, Food Studies, Daily Locations: TikTok, Asia, Philippines

☆ Keith Lee cut his food tour of the Bay Area short, saying it's 'not a place for tourists right now'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Anneta Konstantinides | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Keith Lee cut his Bay Area food tour short, saying it wasn't "a place for tourists right now." AdvertisementKeith Lee was not impressed with Bay Area cuisine. Lee — who's become a TikTok sensation for the honest food reviews he shares with his 15.6 million followers — revealed on Thursday night that he was ending his food tour in Northern California early. AdvertisementLee revealed that the second reason he decided to cut the food tour short was due to multiple disappointing dining experiences. Lee said his third "and probably the most important" reason for cutting his Bay Area trip short was an allergic reaction that sent him to the hospital.

Persons: Keith Lee, Lee, —, Lee — who's, I've, Lee didn't, Hayward, Mama T's, y'all Organizations: Area, Service, Bay, Business, Oakland, San, Greens Restaurant Locations: Northern California, San Francisco, Bay, Gotham, San Jose, Mateo, Oakland

☆ Atlanta’s Dining Scene Feels ‘the Keith Lee Effect’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Emmett Lindner | More About Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When a food critic comes to a city that is proud of its dining scene, restaurants and their devotees take notice. But rarely does a traditional reviewer cause as much excitement as Atlanta has seen with the recent visit of Keith Lee, a food obsessive with a vast army of 14 million followers on TikTok. At a breakfast place?” he asked in a video on his first day in Atlanta, eating takeout in his car. Mr. Lee, who is based in Las Vegas, mostly reviews independent, mom-and-pop restaurants, many of them Black-owned. Mr. Lee has made videos from Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles, but the response in Atlanta has been notable.

Persons: Keith Lee, Lee, ”, takeout Locations: Atlanta, Las Vegas, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles

☆ Dylan Mulvaney — whose Bud Light promotion led to conservative protests — cracked a beer joke after winning a Streamy Award
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dylan Mulvaney won the 2023 Streamy Award for Breakout Creator. The trans creator may have been referring to her Bud Light ad campaign that has been overshadowed by conservative protests. Mulvaney took home the award for breakout creator at the Sunday night award ceremony, beating out TikTok it girl Alex Earle and Jake Shane — a.k.a. Conservative critics called for a boycott of the Bud Light brand, and LGBTQ+ advocates called on Bud Light to make clear its support for the LGBTQ+ community. The Bud Light controversy may be dying down: Bud Light sales took a hit in the months following the April post, but are now showing signs of a rebound.

Persons: Dylan Mulvaney, Bud, Mulvaney, Alex Earle, Jake Shane — a.k.a, Drew Afualo, Keith Lee, she'd, there's, I'm, Bud Light, Bud Light's Organizations: Service, Bud Light Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Gen Z eats fast food like no other generation. From a love for spicy food to constant snacking, these are 8 traits that define their dining habits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rebhun said that El Pollo Loco's work with influencers "without a doubt" drove customers to the brand. Dickey said that Dickey's work with influencers – in particular those involved with food and sport – was "directly in response to millennial and Gen Z." "Any lingering traditional media that we do," like TV commercials, radio spots, and out-of-home ads, is "all for boomers and Gen X," she added. Execs told Insider it was "leveraging youth culture," including music, sport, influencers, and TikTok, to create an image of a "Gen Z-esque aspirational lifestyle." Wendy's has also been working with sports, gaming, and music companies to lure in Gen Zers, Loredo said.

Persons: Dickey, Rebhun, influencers, Carl Loredo, influencers –, Gen, Wingstop, Execs, Chipotle's Perdue, Zers, influencers Alexis Frost, Keith Lee, Chipotle, Wendy's, Loredo Organizations: El, El Pollo, Twitter Locations: Fortnite

☆ TikTok has become a 'billion-person focus group' that can make or break your business with one viral video
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A review can now completely change the trajectory of a business if it goes viral on TikTok. A viral video on TikTok can make a product fly off of shelves, or leave consumers questioning the quality of a company. Corey Robinson, chief product officer for Abercrombie & Fitch, described TikTok to The Journal as "a billion-person focus group." Fame is just as easy to achieve as infamy on TikTok where videos can quickly — and unexpectedly — go viral. In late 2022, Chipotle employees were hit with waves of complicated orders and unhappy customers after Lee and TikToker Alex Frost posted viral videos trying a menu hack for quesadillas.

Persons: Corey Robinson, Abercrombie, Robinson, Pink, Chef Pii, Pii, naysayers, TikTokers, hashtag, Keith Lee, Lee, Kwame Boakye, TikToker Alex Frost, Chipotle, Brian Niccol Organizations: Street Journal, Morning, Abercrombie & Fitch, Fitch, Walmart, Dave's Gourmet, NielsenIQ, McKinsey & Company, Fire Locations: Orlando

☆ Gen Z eats fast food like no other generation. From a love for spicy food to visiting restaurants in big groups, these are 6 traits that define their dining habits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

They eat with their phones first and are pulled in by influencer marketingd3sign/Getty ImagesGen Z diners like their food to be "Instagrammable," the execs said. But as well as organic content, restaurants are paying influencers to advertise their products. Rebhun said that El Pollo Loco's work with influencers "without a doubt" drove customers to the brand. Dickey said that Dickey's work with influencers – in particular those involved with food and sport – was "directly in response to millennial and Gen Z." "We noticed massive fanfare around the viral hack and partnered with the creators to officially add the Fajita Quesadilla to our menus for our Gen Z superfans," Perdue said.

☆ Chipotle says it has seen some of its best digital sales after launching its TikTok-inspired Fajita Quesadilla
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chipotle added the Fajita Quesadilla to its menu last month, inspired by a viral TikTok menu hack. During the launch, quesadilla sales nearly doubled and Chipotle had two of its best-ever digital sales days. It is inspired by a menu "hack" of adding fajita veggies to its steak quesadilla that went viral on TikTok in 2022. Adding fajita veggies – pepper and onion – to a quesadilla was not previously an option at Chipotle. "During the launch, we nearly doubled our Quesadilla business and had two of our top digital sales days of all time."

☆ Chipotle is trying to make life easier for its employees with digital tipping, fast-cooking grills, and streamlining a complicated TikTok menu hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chipotle rolled out changes to its restaurants to make employees' jobs easier, its CEO said. The changes include faster-cooking grills, digital tipping, and a TikTok-inspired quesadilla. The chain unveiled the changes, from faster cooking times for meats to digital tipping, over the last few months. Jobs working the grill are "one of the hardest positions to train" at the average Chipotle restaurant, Niccol said when an analyst asked about the new grills. Chipotle also started offering digital tipping at its stores over the last few months "as part of our ongoing effort to enhance our crewmember benefits," Niccol said.

☆ Viral fast-food hacks, like the Chipotle 'fajita quesadilla,' prove American appetites haven't caught up to the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The TikTok creator, known for reviewing fast-food staples, posted last summer about leveling up Chipotle's steak quesadilla with fajita veggies. Nathan Llorin, another popular TikToker, told Insider that it wasn't until he started eating and reviewing fast food that his videos took off. A climate message for menusIn January, research showed that labeling fast-food menus with their climate impacts swayed people away from red meat. But about 10% of customers now choose a meatless option, including Sofritas, the chain's plant-based mainstay made from tofu. Frost, the TikToker, told Insider that of all the things viewers attack her for on the platform, the environmental impact of fast food isn't among them.

☆ Chipotle turns viral TikTok food hack into a new quesadilla menu item
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Starting March 2, Chipotle is allowing customers to add fajita veggies to any quesadilla. The permanent new menu item, the Fajita Quesadilla, will be available through Chipotle's app or website. Chipotle said it "saw more than 30.6 million views, 3.7 million likes, 47,200 comments, and 69,500 shares of viral TikTok content about the Steak Quesadilla with Fajita Veggies." The five new permanent quesadilla versions include the steak quesadilla with fajita veggies, the chicken quesadilla with fajita veggies, the barbacoa quesadilla with fajita veggies, the carnitas quesadilla with fajita veggies, and sofritas quesadilla with fajita veggies. The "Fajita Quesadilla Hack," inspired by Frost, is a fajita quesadilla with steak served with roasted chili-corn salsa, tomatillo red-chili salsa, and sour cream on the side.

☆ The contender for tech's next big boom or bubble is here
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's the hunt for big paydays that keeps VC markets a little frothy when new tech like generative AI hits the scene. And a bubble is only a bubble in the rear-view — in the moment, it's just making sure you don't miss out on the future. Generative AI tools can be used to create a variety of texts and images like this one, which was produced by OpenAI's DALL-E 2. But could generative AI be the next bubble in tech? Click here to read whether the next tech bubble is already here.

☆ Meet Keith Lee, the pro fighter with social anxiety who became TikTok's 'food godfather' and savior of local Las Vegas restaurants in a matter of months
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Keith Lee, 26, rose to new heights of TikTok at the end of 2022 as his videos gained exposure. Now at 8.6 million followers, the 26-year-old professional athlete began posting on the video-sharing app in 2020 to help with his social anxiety and interviewing skills, Lee told Insider. "Weight has always been a big focal point for me as a professional athlete," Lee told Insider. When he noticed his food review videos gaining traction on TikTok, he decided to commit to filming reviews more often. Although Lee said he understands the power of TikTok, he told Insider he's still adjusting to his new status as a trusted food reviewer.

☆ A TikTok creator’s homemade pickled products have sparked online conversation surrounding food safety
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

A TikTok creator’s recent apology after people accused her of improperly packaging her homemade pickled products before selling them online has sparked discourse surrounding influencers and whether they should be allowed to promote and sell homemade food items on the app. Britanny Saunier, executive director of the nonprofit organization Partnership for Food Safety EducationSocial media creates "enthusiasm" around homemade products, said Britanny Saunier, the executive director of the nonprofit organization Partnership for Food Safety Education. The backlash toward PickleMeEverything’s products comes several months after another viral product raised eyebrows over similar food safety fears. He said he’s concerned about the growing number of TikTokers who don’t know or use food safety while promoting food products. Food Science Babe pointed out in her video that several popular creators had promoted PickleMeEverything’s products.

He’s always been shining, but on this project he got to shine a little bit more.”Rea Davis. Since the news broke, reactions of shock and devastation have poured in from fans and musicians alike, with many paying homage to Takeoff for his contributions to hip-hop as they mourn his loss. The group released a trilogy of albums, “Culture,” “Culture II” and “Culture III,” with the first two reaching No. Atlanta’s V-103 has received nonstop calls from grieving radio listeners who have been sharing what Takeoff meant to them, according to WXIA. But, Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey, an associate professor of political science at Georgia State University who specializes in hip-hop culture, said gun violence is not a “hip-hop problem.”“It’s not hip-hop that’s overly violent.

Search resuls for: "Keith Lee"

19 mentions found