Nerf appeals to TikTok boss who can tap into cool Gen Z from the app

Dive brief:

• Nerf, the toy brand owned by Hasbro, is seeking a Chief TikTok Officer to increase its presence on the viral video-sharing platform, according to an announcement.
• The “CTO” will be responsible for generating 10-12 approved videos on the official @Nerf account per month and will meet with Nerf’s global marketing team to brainstorm ideas and connect the brand to major consumer trends. The temporary position is remote and pays $ 10,000 per month, and will provide the technical director with official Nerf material, according to a promotional video featuring actress and influencer China McClain.
• Interested contestants 18 and over should follow @Nerf on TikTok and share a Nerf-related video with the hashtag #NerfApplication and @nerf tag by April 2 to participate in the race. Finalists must also complete a formal application and interview process for the role at will.

Dive overview:

New to TikTok, Nerf wants his account to take off quickly by hiring a young consumer familiar with the platform preferred by American teens. The Hasbro line had only posted four videos on the app at the time of publication, including the CTO announcement, and had around 20,800 subscribers. But Nerf is quite popular among TikTok users. @ Nerfers101, an avid account for the brand that makes toy blasters, has 1.6 million subscribers, which suggests that Nerf can tap into a large following if it can develop the right content strategy.

Nerf’s marketing team – “desperate” millennials who describe themselves and trying to appeal to Gen Z – are looking for a candidate who has a sense of humor and can bring “good vibes” to the table , according to the ad. The owner of @ Nerfers101 requests to be the CTO, through a video shared on the page.

While temporary, the job promise of $ 10,000 per month may be of interest to college-aged consumers entering an uncertain job market that continues to withstand the disruption of the pandemic. The three-month, all-virtual role is slated to run from mid-April to mid-July, though Nerf said it would allow some flexibility.

Gen Z and Millennials have shown a keen interest in influencer marketing as a career, following in the footsteps of social media stars who are increasingly influencing as cultural trendsetters versus traditional Hollywood celebrities. Eighty-six percent of these young cohorts say they are willing to share sponsored content online for money, according to a 2019 survey by Morning Consult.

Nerf isn’t the first brand to look to gimmicky leadership positions in seeking social media influence. Last year, Bud Light sought out a “Chief Meme Officer,” or CMO, to organize the posts for his social media pages. The date, which paid $ 5,000 per month, focused on the hard seltzer from the AB InBev line.

While these temporary roles serve to generate buzz for a brand, they also show just how less confident some marketers are in navigating social media spaces where trends come and go quickly and users can be fickle. Many brands have been caught off guard trying to hang on to memes that are way past their expiration dates.