Strap in for the ride, this week we are going to talk about Flixbus, a European budget coach company, who consistently makes viral TikToks.

What we absolutely love about them, is how they are completely unapologetic of themselves and aren’t afraid to poke a bit of fun at their company. For example, in one of their most successful TikToks with over 3 million views, “stages of taking a Flixbus”, they tell a story of what it's like to travel with Flixbus using different videos of cats to display the traveller's mood. In this video, they make fun of their notoriously long bus journeys, showing a cat getting upset about how long the journey is. Although this can be seen as a downside of taking a Flixbus, they also mention the upside, showing a happy, dancing cat as they mention the cheap price. This is effective, as it shows authenticity by not taking themselves too seriously, and shows they are realistic and aware of how their company works. They are not putting on a facade and pretending like budget travel is amazing and perfect, which would not be relatable to viewers.    

Another interesting aspect of their account is that it hardly features any real people.    

Usually, we would advise companies to have a face and introduce their team, which humanizes them and stops them looking like a corporate entity. However, Flixbus posts videos without people and is still successful, because they use a clever strategy; They using gifs or slideshows which follow relevant trends. They often use Capcut templates, which are great for companies to follow trends in an easy way without showing their face. They still remain relatable to a Gen Z audience and humanize the brand, because a lot of “regular” people also use them in the same way, therefore the brand blends in with other “human” users and doesn’t seem like an out of touch company.    

             
Flixbus uses an effective technique, they give their brand “object” a face. They often post videos where the bus is given a face, with nails and lashes. Giving famous characters nails and lashes, also known as “yassifying” them, is a famous meme among Gen Z. This makes the company more relatable, by using something that older generations do not understand at all and many have not even heard of, showing that they understand a young audience. Furthermore, it gives their brand a way to have a face without anyone having to be in their videos. For instance, they post a monthly series of the bus edited into images which represent that month’s starsign. Creating series like these are great for building a relationship with viewers, as they remember the brand and come back for more videos on the same topic. It also becomes a kind of inside joke.    

Additionally, they are also not afraid to make videos which are a bit “out there” and may not relate to every single viewer. They tap into subgroups, even if those subgroups are fairly niche. They often post references which are prevalent in stan culture. This refers to online fanbases, usually for female pop idols or feminine tv shows, which often appeals to the LGBT community. These users are very active online and are a large group of many smaller subgroups. This shows Flixbus’ understanding of how they can reach a large audience which will also engage a lot with their content. For example, the "yassifying" of the bus comes from stan culture, and Flixbus often uses sounds which are popular on that part of TikTok. For instance, on Mother’s Day, they posted a video with many stan culture icons like Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga, wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day. In another video, they mention that they “slay on TikTok all day”. Mother and slay are slang which originally comes from black LGBT culture, but is very prominent in stan culture today. Not all users may understand the references, but those who do will likely find it funny and like that a company has engaged with their niche.    

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Key Takeaways    

- Not taking your company too seriously comes across more authentic

- Capcut can be a great way to follow trends by not showing your face, just make sure the trends are up to date!

- Start a series of posts to build a relationship with the audience

- Don’t be afraid to engage with more niche subcultures, which other users may not understand as it encourages those who do to engage more