Are employees a brand’s everyday hero? Brands are tapping into their employee base as the latest genuinfluencers.

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Image of Christy Imhoff and Hyundai employee Paul Imhoff, Hyundai's "Journeys" campaign, courtesy of YouTube

Hyundai and Annie Leibovitz are bridging brand and art in a new way through a series of video and photo portraits of Hyundai’s employees. Announced in October, the world-renowned photographer created “Journeys,” a project that portrays the lives of 17 employees and additional customers. Eight supplementary videos dive deeper into the featured employees’ lives in an attempt to further humanize the brand, instill trust and strengthen its relationship with customers.

In July, social media star Charli D’Amelio partnered with Dunkin’ to shine a spotlight on the coffee brand’s employees. D’Amelio hosted a live interview on Dunkin’s TikTok channel with employees, asking about their lives behind the counter and what it’s like to work for Dunkin’.

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New York Times, "The Truth Takes a Journalist" on TikTok

The New York Times is spotlighting their journalists in a unique campaign announced in September. “The Truth Takes a Journalist” is a glimpse into the stories behind the articles from each selected journalist’s perspective. Their features, which expose a range of personal experiences, will run across multiple platforms on TV, audio channels, TikTok, streaming, and more.

Walmart, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A and Amazon have published campaigns honoring their employees in recent years as well, as the latest effort in brands’ push to find a more authentic common ground with their consumer bases.

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