Marketing

Zoup TikTok goes viral

January 13, 2021

Detroit-based Zoup Eatery has gained TikTok fame thanks to Zoup Franchisee Dia Amesto posting a "12 Days of Christmas" parody on the popular social media platform.

Ames and her employees donned festive gear last month and sang Zoupified lyrics to the original "12 Days of Christmas." Each day, a new employee was featured adding a line to the song. Once Ames posted the sixth video in the series, over 1 million people were watching and anticipating the next lyrics to the song. By the time Ames posted the twelfth day, her account had grown to almost 100,000 followers and millions of views.

"2020 was a tough year, so my team got together to do TikToks to add a little fun to the holiday season," Ames said in a company press release. "Never in a million years did we think the 'Zoup 12 days of Christmas' would go viral. We were singing about what we love — soup and Christmas.

"Zoup's culture is one of fun, welcoming, and inclusiveness. We all were our authentic selves and I think it showed through the video."

After Ames' account grew from 20 followers to 13,000 and 1 million likes in one week, the Zoup Support Center was quick to help make the most of the opportunity. It reposted as many user-generated videos as possible, put together prizes for the entire team including T-shirts promoting the video, and created best practices for other Zoup franchise owners that wanted in on the action.

Fast-forward to two weeks after Christmas, and the parody continues to bring attention to Zoup. The hashtags #zoupeatery and #zoupdelaware had gained over 50 million views, boosting Zoup's brand awareness to previously untapped markets.

Zoup fans have also started road-tripping to the Ames' location for the chance to meet the employees featured in the viral videos.

"We have had people travel hundreds of miles to see us and enjoy our food. And when they come in, we treat them like family, because now they are part of our Zoup family," Ames said.

While using phones on-site is a big "no-no" at many restaurants, Zoup VP Jason Valentine said the brand has always encouraged employees to use social media to showcase the Zoupism of "Have fun, be proud."

"Allowing employees to share tiktoks at work showcases our fun culture and allows viewers a behind the scenes peak into our brand," he said in the release. "We have encouraged and embraced the use of social media such as Tiktok, as a way to elevate our brand awareness and showcase the unique personalities of each of our locally-owned eateries," says

Founded in 1998, Zoup has nearly 100 units.

@itsanewdia

6th Day of Christmas. 12 Days of Christmas Zoup! style. #zoupdelaware #zoupeatery #holidayvibe #fyp #sing #holidaytiktok @zoupeatery

♬ original sound - Dames