LATEST DEVELOPMENT
As TikTok and Instagram algorithmic changes make engagement unpredictable, brands from Argos to State Farm are moving from one-off creator partnerships to episodic series, with 68% of marketers increasing long-form creator content production in past 12 months and 70% planning further increases as platforms reward multipart videos and audience-building becomes harder.
INDUSTRY TALK
"It's getting harder to build an audience on TikTok and that audience isn't as valuable anymore, unless they are creating something that their audience is turning into. You need to be entertaining to stand out. You're no longer competing against just your competitors. You're competing against every other brand, every creator, meme accounts, videos of squirrels."
BY THE NUMBERS
Market shift includes:
68% of marketers increased long-form creator content in past year
70% of marketers planning production increases this year
230% engagement increase on Argos owned accounts from Arghaüs series
7M people reached by InStyle's The Intern across social platforms
40% monthly sales increase for Little Joy Coffee since episodic series launch
SUCCESS EXAMPLES
Notable campaigns include:
Argos' Arghaüs: 4-episode mockumentary on fictional art gallery (2-min episodes)
InStyle's The Intern: Season 3 debut receiving 5M+ views, 1.3M likes
State Farm's Gamerhood: Reality TV-style Twitch/YouTube show moving to streaming
Little Joy Coffee's recipe testing series going viral on Instagram Reels
People Inc.'s The Fourth Wall: Behind-the-scenes show sponsored by e.l.f. Cosmetics
STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES
Content benefits include:
Building worlds with infinite directional possibilities once established
Fostering long-term creator partnerships versus one-off deals
Following creative framework making repeat content easier
Standing out by entertaining versus just competing with competitors
Instagram bringing new viewers in earlier in series to hook audience
SMALL BRAND SUCCESS
Little Joy Coffee case study includes:
65,000 Instagram followers for Northfield, Minnesota coffee shop
Winter series testing drink recipes until finding menu addition
Blend of recipe and reaction genres driving viral success
99% of InStyle's The Intern audience not following brand previously
Proof episodic strategy works without huge influencer budgets
THE BOTTOM LINE
The shift to episodic content reflects fundamental change in social media strategy where brands recognize they must compete not just against competitors but against all entertainment in users' feeds—requiring investment in world-building, long-term creator partnerships, and consistent storytelling frameworks that algorithms reward while proving that even small businesses without massive influencer budgets can achieve viral success through serialized content that hooks audiences across multiple episodes.