I think it’s safe to say that when you think of IHOP, you think of pancakes.

I think it’s also safe to say that when you think of pancakes, you don’t think of a teenage hip-hop fan.

That may now change.

A couple weeks ago, IHOP tweeted the following:

“On fleek? What does that even mean?” I remember asking myself. A quick Google search informed me that “on fleek” means “on point.” Thank you once again for having my back, Urban Dictionary.

Wendy’s first used the word “fleek” to describe their food, followed by Taco Bell:

Most recently, IHOP jumped on the bandwagon. By observing IHOP’s Twitter feed, it’s evident that the pancake chain has completely changed it’s voice—one that appears to resonate with the intended younger audience—which can be observed by increased levels of engagement. The number of retweets and favourites are off the chain! (Here’s to hoping “off the chain” becomes the next “on fleek” now).

Digital marketing experts at IHOP, Kirk Thompson and Darrin Kellaris, addressed the “on fleek” tweet by stating its Twitter voice was working since it was authentic.

“There has been a refinement of our Twitter voice. We’ve gotten more specific, more targeted about how we speak,” Thompson said.

It seems to be working. IHOP’s “Pancakes on fleek” received over 25,000 retweets and 18,000 favourites. The refinement of IHOP’s Twitter voice wasn’t random—it was a carefully thought-out strategy Thompson and Kellaris crafted with MRM/McCann, IHOP’s digital agency.

Kellaris recognized that “Twitter for [IHOP] skews younger so it’s important to talk the talk when it comes to that fan base.”

In the past 60 days, IHOP’s Twitter following has grown a staggering 18 percent. It seems as if other fast-food companies have identified the importance of connecting to their intended target market, as even Burger King has come on board honing a younger voice on Twitter:

Is this change in voice for brands “on fleek”? For the time being, engagement levels have spiked, but will the sudden growth be sustainable? Only time will tell how brands will continue to remain relevant in the forever changing landscape of digital marketing.