Good morning. New research from TheNetworkEC found that the average TikTok user spends 26 hours a month on the app. No word on how much that data spikes during #BamaRush.

–Hannah Doyle

TikTokers Campaign Against Amazon

It doesn’t matter how much that Free People dupe or cord concealer changed your life. Amazon is taking heat after a group of 70 TikTokers backed the demands of the Amazon Labor Union, refusing to promote products from the site until the Union’s requests for better working conditions and a $30/hour minimum wage are met. The campaign was designed by the activist group Gen-Z for Change.

Big picture: Gen Z’s spending habits and expectations for big businesses have been dissected at length—they’re slow to trust big businesses, they’re quick to choose corporations that share their values, and they care about production ethics. But most of that cultural discourse has dealt exclusively in generalizations and platitudes.

Now, these nebulous ideas are manifesting as a boycott—a very real one that could sway public opinion. The creators who’ve signed onto “People Over Prime” have a collective following of 51 million. 

But Gen Z’s relationship with Amazon is complex. The mega-retailer effectively launched an entire cottage industry of Amazon storefronts and product recommendations that has exploded on TikTok, with creators like Teresa Caruso and Brooke Lynn earning up to 20% commission on recommended purchases. But despite that, Amazon (and the creators who make money recommending its fast fashion and designer dupes) have been a target for Gen Z activists seeking more sustainable retail practices.

Our Take

Growing a following on TikTok means more than checking your notifications a little more obsessively. It sometimes means wielding significant power—but how much change that power can create often depends on who you're up against. In the case of the People Over Prime movement, activists are using their followings and social media prowess to expertly communicate their demands. Their adversary? A $1.45 trillion company with its own army of creators.

Virtual Creator Becomes The New Face of PacSun

It’s giving Black Mirror. Miquela, a virtual influencer masterminded by Brud, has replaced Emma Chamberlain as the face of PacSun, appearing in social posts and seasonal campaigns through the rest of 2022.

Some context: Brud is a digital agency that makes virtual influencers. They created Miquela (also known as Lil Miquela) in 2016 using motion graphics, and she’s gone viral a few times over. Miquela has a budding music career, has worked with brands like Prada and Calvin Klein, and reportedly earned her creators almost $12 million in 2020. 

Miquela started calling herself “the queen of the metaverse” following the announcement of her new metaverse project, Villa M, which may hint at PacSun’s motivations (the brand opened a virtual storefront and NFT collection earlier this year).

Our Take

When a robot replaces the person they were created to emulate, the future of the influencer industry becomes murkier. Robots don’t have problematic Tweets from high school, fit perfectly into clothes, and do whatever the brands want, short of being human—a critical selling point. But given how foreign and dystopic the metaverse still feels, digital influencers could be the bridge: first come back-to-school fashion tips from a robot, then…who knows? 

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Celina Spookyboo, who teased the launch of her new makeup line, BeautyXBoo, and completely sold out on the day of the drop.

Friends With Benefits, who secretly message token holders city-by-city every time they have private events, merch drops, and exclusives.

Odesza, who enabled hundreds of thousands of fans around the world to buy tickets to their upcoming tour the second they were notified. The electronic duo even added more dates (which also sold out).

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Midterms Rev Up on TikTok

As we approach the November midterm elections, politicians are swapping town halls for a ring light in the living room to reach Americans where they are—on their phones.  

TikTok has recently morphed into the de facto platform for campaigning politicians. For example, this summer, South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham won his primary after going viral on TikTok. 

But we have an election information problem in this country, and the FYP could magnify its shortcomings. To quell concerns of misinformation, TikTok this week unveiled an Elections Center where users can access state-by-state election and voting information. 

Our Take

Social media can be a misinformation machine. But its creators can also shape public discourse and influence Washington. The future of the country is about everyone, and that means going where everyone is: online. We’ll be tracking the nexus of creators x politics throughout this election cycle.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Cody Ko collaborates with JuneShine hard kombucha (FYI he’s a JuneShine investor).

• Apex Legends launch avatars so you can become your own vTuber.

• Notch is the “lifeline for creators”—insuring your Instagram account against hackers.*

• Emma Chamberlain's Chamberlain Coffee closes a $7 million venture round.

• Twitch's latest vTuber: Tony the Tiger.

• Ryan Trahan is back online.

*This is sponsored advertising content.