As customers swarm into the bustling store, they are immediately hit with the sweet, enticing smell of freshly baked cookies. Shoppers scan this week’s list of flavor choices, excited to try the unique cookies ranging from Frozen Hot Cocoa to Blueberry Cobbler. Since its launch in 2017, Crumbl Cookie has become the fastest-growing cookie company in the U.S., selling over a million desserts each day.
Although some food critics have deemed Crumbl’s cookies “too sweet” or disparaged their excessive size, the store’s marketing techniques and online presence made it an excessively popular brand, especially among teenagers.
Opening its first store in Utah in 2017, Crumbl Cookie has since evolved into a billion-dollar brand with over 1071 locations worldwide. As part of its branding strategy, the company posts weekly cookie lineups and behind-the-scenes footage on its TikTok page, which has amassed 9 million followers. Although the brand initially became popular through self-promotion, customers posted reviews across social media, furthering its popularity. For example, the hashtag “#crumblecookiereview” is featured on over 19,000 posts from thousands of different creators. In a 2021 article, Utah Business examined how these non-sponsored videos serve as free and efficient advertisements for Crumbl.
In an interview with Utah Business, Crumbl Cookie PR Manager Ana Tibbitts explained that the company has been thrilled with the media attention that social media creators are generating through weekly reviews.
“The trend began organically,” Tibbits told Utah Business. “Our team was and has remained ecstatic about the content and organic traction we’ve received.”
As part of its campaigning strategy, Crumbl Cookie offers a rotating menu filled with elaborate flavors every week. This marketing technique creates a “scarcity mindset,” where individuals purchase more of the product since they see it as a limited good.
Junior Annie Bresnick considers herself a Crumbl fan and has noticed the company’s rise in popularity.
“It’s actually frustrating because when I visit at night now, the cookies aren’t made as well and the quality isn’t as good because the workers are so busy,” Bresnick said.
Although she has noticed a drop in quality, Bresnick is still intrigued by the shifting weekly flavors. In addition, she acknowledges the “scarcity mindset” tactic and explains how it is effective in marketing to high-school-aged students.
“I think it’s able to keep up with us. We’re always moving, we’re always looking for the next thing,” Bresnick said. “Crumbl’s idea gets that.”
Crumbl employees have also seen a drastic increase in customers due to the TikTok fame. Walter Johnson High School alum Marcus Fahie has worked at Crumbl for over a year and has noticed the viral effects of the company’s popularity on the stores’ business. He said the customer base is often predominantly teenagers who have discovered a new cookie on social media.
“It’s gotten to a point where a cookie will blow up, and so many more people will come in,” Fahie said. “It’s absolutely very noticeable.”
