Starbucks Will Pay Baristas To Create TikTok Content

Starbucks is tapping into the creator economy by paying some of its own employees to promote the brand on TikTok.

The coffee chain has partnered with TikTok to pilot a custom Creator Network within the platform’s Content Suite, becoming the first brand to test the new employee-generated content program, reports Marketing Dive. The initiative expands Starbucks’ Green Apron Creators program, launched in 2024 to encourage baristas to share behind-the-scenes experiences and customer interactions on social media.

The pilot, which launches this summer, will allow Starbucks to send creative briefs to participating employees while compensating select creators through ad revenue sharing. The company says the program is intended to elevate the authentic voices of baristas already building audiences online.

“Every day, our partners bring Starbucks to life by creating moments of connection with our customers and with each other. And more than ever, they are sharing those moments with the world online in authentic, creative and unique ways,” Erin Silvoy, Starbucks’ senior vice president of global marketing, said in a statement, according to Marketing Dive. “Collaborating with TikTok provided us with the opportunity to build a customized tool that allows us to celebrate and amplify our partners’ authentic storytelling,” Silvoy added.

The move comes as brands increasingly embrace employee-generated content to reach younger consumers who value authenticity over polished advertising. According to data cited by Marketing Dive, 61% of Gen Z consumers—and 40% of consumers overall—frequently discover new products or services through employee-created content. The report also found that 61% of consumers believe workers should be compensated when promoting their employers on social media.

Starbucks says its employees already post about the company at three times the rate of workers at comparable restaurant chains, giving the brand a deep pool of organic content that can now be repurposed for paid campaigns.

TikTok said its Creator Networks are designed to help brands organize communities of employees, partners, and advocates while allowing creators to earn revenue generated from their content.

“As we continue to innovate in the employee creator space, we see this pilot as an opportunity to learn, test, and evolve what comes next,” Silvoy said.

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