Why entertainment brands should pay attention to "group chat" on TikTok.
Creator-led, episodic series on social are the new binge TV. What can entertainment brands learn from this, to attract, and engage their own fan communities?
If you've been anywhere near TikTok in the last week, you've probably found yourself sucked into the drama of the viral series "Group Chat." And if you haven't, well my chickens, you're about to find out why 80 million people (and counting) can't stop watching (and sharing, and responding, and remixing)…
WTF is "Group Chat"? And why should brands care?
Created by TikTokker (@thatgirlsydjo), “group chat” is a (currently 5-parter with a ‘season finale’) scripted comedy-drama series following a group of friends planning a girl’s night out that turns into a group chat meltdown when one of them decides to invite their boyfriend.
*TRAITOR, RIGHT?* Cue ensuring drama.
The set-up is as lofi, relatable, and unpolished as you’d expect, but the script and editing is tight and clever, with a strong understanding of speed, timing, and the quick-beats tempo TikTok users enjoy. Robinson plays all of the friend characters reading out the texts as they come through, adding another layer of entertainment to it all.
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Robinson, a 25-year-old content creator who previously worked in reality TV production, clearly knows how to craft an addictive story, with the deceptively simple set-up delivering a punch-bag of snark, gasps, eye-rolls, miscommunications, revelations, and the kind of overblown friendship dramas we've all experienced at some point.
As I write, 80 million views on Robinson's channel alone, with countless reaction videos, duets, and stitch videos pushing the actual viewership numbers much higher.
But "Group Chat" isn't just a viral moment, it's a perfect case study for a larger trend that's currently reshaping how audiences consume entertainment, and how brands and businesses are switching up their content strategy to accordingly, to capture attention, and engage with their fans and communities.
The rise of vertical episodic content
I wrote an earlier piece deep diving into this, around the phenomenon of ReelShorts. What Robinson has tapped into perfectly is our collective hunger for bite-sized, episodic storytelling designed specifically for our evolving, phone-based consumption habits, our insatiable thirst for relatable entertainment, and our (occasionally) shorter attention spans.
I’m not one who believes long-form series on streaming are going anywhere soon, buy these vertical mini-dramas? They meet us exactly where we are: standing in line for coffee, lying in bed, sat on the bus, or… ahem… pretending to work. 😉
Episodes run anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, end on cliffhangers that practically force you to continue, and are formatted perfectly for vertical viewing on your phone. Most importantly, despite the short timespan, there are characters with distinct personality traits, quirks, vibes, or catchphrases that command attention and encourage familiarity. People come back for more, they want to follow, they want to discuss the plot twists and next-episode rumours with friends or via their own commentary TikToks.
This creator-led entertainment blends the formats of traditional TV we’re comfortable and familiar with, (episodic structure, character development, plot arcs) with social media's immediacy, interactivity, and irreverence. Comments sections become live watch parties. Creators can respond to feedback in real-time between episodes. The fourth wall isn't just broken, it never existed in the first place.
Why brands should be taking notes
Forward thinking brands and businesses are already pivoting their content strategies to reflect this growing trend and meet consumer’s viewing needs. Ever since TikTok really took off, prompting all the other platforms to adapt to video and the creator-focus, social has evolved into an entertainment channel beyond simple social networking - the impact this can have for brands who invest and adapt accordingly is huge.
The concept of serialised content doesn’t need to involve complex drama series scripting either, with may brands preferring the approach of having a “main character” on their feeds, who becomes the focus of activity, allowing audiences to relate, check back in for updates, and build a familiarity. It’s repeatable, and scalable.
Most importantly, brands are moving away from just making ads (that look like ads and turn audiences off); they're becoming content creators in their own right, meeting people in their own language.
Some examples include Milani Cosmetics, that even teased their “America’s Next Top Primer” series with a sneak preview trailer - in the America’s Next Top Model format. Alexis Bittar jewellry brand created the fantabulous Margeaux character. POS software company Square are creating mini-series featuring customers, like this one, and this one.
The brilliance of this approach is threefold:
It circumvents ad fatigue. When your marketing looks and feels like the content people actually want to watch, you bypass the immediate "skip ad" reflex.
It builds anticipation and community. When viewers are waiting for the next "episode" of your brand story, you've created something much more valuable than a one-off impression.
It's tailor-made for organic sharing. These formats are designed to spark conversation and shares, essentially doing your distribution work for you.
According to Digiday, studios are increasingly looking to partner with creators who have mastered this episodic approach, seeing opportunities to repurpose and syndicate these mini-shows across platforms. The line between "content creator" and "showrunner" has never been blurrier.
One example of a brand I have shared to infinity thanks to the amazing character of “YVONNE the hotel concierge”, is Thon Hotels chain in Norway. They have a whole content series in English centered around Yvonne’s fun experiences doing lots of touristy activities before having a “refreshing” dip and then “back to hotel” for “the best hotel breakfast”. It’s addictive viewing, memorable, and shareable.
What's next for "Group Chat" and beyond
While Sydney Robinson rides the wave of her unexpected success (and hopefully fields some interesting offers from brands and production companies), the format she's helped popularise is just getting started.
What's particularly interesting about "Group Chat" is how it uses the constraints of the medium. One “actor”, contained location/shot at home or in the office, using freely available in-app editing tools, or home-based lighting. There's no need for elaborate production, multiple actors, or even leaving your apartment. It's storytelling stripped to its essentials: conflict, character, and pacing.
For smaller brands looking to break through the noise, this low-barrier-to-entry approach offers a template that anyone with a phone, strong ideas and some editing/writing training can attempt - taking advantage of tools like CapCut, VEED.io, and having some fun testing concepts. It reinforces the fact that high-production value matters far less than having an innate understanding of the rhythms and patterns of how people actually consume content on these platforms, and how each platform’s beats and vibes differ.
The Bottom Line
What we're witnessing isn't just another TikTok trend, it's the natural evolution in how stories are told and consumed online. "Group Chat" and series like it represent a new entertainment format that's native to our devices, our attention spans, and our social-first world.
We're just at the beginning. As creators continue experimenting with these formats and platforms evolve to support them, we'll see even more innovative approaches to vertical, episodic storytelling.
And in my next Substack, I’ll be talking about brands building their own film and media studios from scratch, to develop and produce their own films and branded entertainment…
Have you been following "Group Chat" or other episodic TikTok series? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!