Brief:

• Dunkin' this week said it will re-release a limited number of Dunkin' Onesies if the brand reaches 2 million followers on social video app TikTok, per information shared with Mobile Marketer. The bakery chain made the announcement in a green-screen video that refers to an earlier post showing TikTok star Charli D'Amelio wearing the item.
• Dunkin' announced the offering after selling out of holiday merchandise this month. The collection went on sale at its ShopDunkin.com website, and included a long-sleeve T-shirt, baseball hat, phone case and laptop protector that customers could personalize.
• After Dunkin' reaches 2 million followers on TikTok, the Dunkin’ Onesie will be available exclusively on ShopDunkin.com until they sell out, per the announcement. The onesie offer comes as Dunkin' runs its "Cheersin'" campaign to promote its holiday-themed drinks and doughnuts.

Insight:

Dunkin' aims to parlay the popularity of its branded merchandise into an expanded following on TikTok, which has about 100 million users in the U.S., 50 million of whom check in with the app every day. By extending its following, Dunkin' can reach a target audience of younger consumers who are heavy users of social media and shopping more online as the coronavirus pandemic continues. E-commerce sales are expected to grow by 25% during this year's holiday season. 

With people spending more time on social media apps like TikTok during the pandemic, Dunkin' has a greater likelihood of expanding its following. TikTok was the most downloaded non-gaming app in October with almost installs growing 9.5% to almost 66 million in October from a year earlier, per app analytics firm Sensor Tower. That total put TikTok ahead of Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp at 57 million. 

The Dunkin' Onesie offer is a partial extension of the bakery's holiday marketing push that is notable for a broader lineup of merchandise, including a number of customizable items that the chain reports have mostly sold out. The offering was another sign of how a wide variety of brands have personalized products to strengthen ties with their most loyal customers. Branded merchandise has been a focus for Dunkin' for a while and customers don't seem to be tiring of scooping up these items. Dunkin' ;ast year collaborated with sportswear maker Saucony on a line of clothing to celebrate the Boston Marathon, expanding on a more limited offering of running shoes a year earlier.

Dunkin' has maintained its marketing programs as holding company Inspire Brands prepares to close on its $11.3 billion acquisition of the bakery chain in the biggest deal for the restaurant industry this year. It's too early to tell how Inspire's ownership will affect Dunkin's marketing plans for next year, but the privately held company's other brands, such as Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John's and Sonic Drive-In have all embraced digital and mobile marketing efforts in multiple ways.