Q2 • 2022


09


TikTok influencers were early adapters to the platform and have gained huge followings in certain subject areas—food, fitness, beauty, finance—based on their creative content. In addition, creative influencers are also working with brands to help them promote their products on TikTok. In some cases, creative influencers are now even teaming up to create collab or content houses, de facto ad agencies that market to TikTok audiences. There are numerous examples of brands


finding TikTok marketing success by cocreating, handing the keys to creators, or jumping on the back of existing trends. In NBC’s #Sing2gether hashtag challenge, for example, Universal Pictures encouraged the community to show off their singing skills for the chance to be flown


Beyoncé’s song “Telephone” to highlight women who host on, build, and fly planes in honor of Women’s History Month. The video of crew members participating in the “Telephone” trend garnered more than 11.6 million views and 2.7 million likes.


As with most new marketing mediums, a


potential foray into the world of TikTok can bring with it a fear of the unknown for brand leaders. Some see it as entertaining and fun, but also risky and slightly out of control as it relates to managing their brand reputation. Hernandez encourages brand leaders who are prisoners to traditional metrics such as ROI, engagement, and consumer reactions to look past the risk and reward of TikTok and simply “lean in.” “A great example of a brand turning risk


out to Los Angeles for the Sing 2 premiere and win a record deal with Republic Records. Hernandez says more than 1.6 million videos were submitted for the challenge, including the winning rendition of “Girl on Fire,” sung by creator Julia Minichiello. Another example was Delta’s Women’s History Month TikTok campaign. The airline used Lady Gaga and


“We always encourage brands to think like marketers, but act like creators.”


into reward is the shaving cream brand eos,” Hernandez says. “In February of 2021 TikTok creator Carly Joy went viral for sharing an authentic and honest review of eos’s shave cream, using language many would deem ‘risky.’” The video went viral, causing eos to see 25 times their typical order growth and 450 times growth in website visits for the shave cream. At Target, eos became the number one shave brand across men and women the week of Carly’s TikTok. It held that position for several weeks until it completely sold out at Target. In response, eos launched a limited- edition product with a very risqué name as a nod to Carly’s colorful verbiage in her original review. The campaign was just recently named a winner of Ad Age’s Creativity Awards, under the category of Best ROI: Work That Works. Now that you know a little bit about the


TikTok landscape, the next step is to dive in and start using the platform, reading the comments, leaning on creators, and engaging with your community. The best way to establish that authentic connection with your brand’s audience is to create content that feels native and natural to the TikTok community. “We always encourage brands to think like


marketers, but act like creators,” Hernandez says. “Test and try new things on our platform. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.” 


Tip-Top TikTok Brands


Looking for brands to follow for examples of how to do it right? Here are a few that are ahead of the curve.


1. Chipotle – Chipotle has become one of the


most followed food brands on the platform and


relies on its Gen Z team members to resonate with the TikTok crowd. The restaurant chain creates branded hashtag challenges, is quick to join TikTok trends, and has used celebrity  around “events” such as National Avocado Day.


2. The NBA – The NBA got on board with TikTok early


and they keep things light. They also have a wealth of


video content from years of basketball coverage to pull from. Many of the league’s TikTok videos come from NBA games, but they also sprinkle in raw, behind-the-scenes content such as players in the tunnel after games.


3. The San Diego Zoo – Everyone seems to love


the San Diego Zoo’s TikTok account. The


recipe is straightforward: use animals; combine with music; get people to say, “Aww!”; repeat. The zoo loads up on the cuteness factor and also  speak on camera.


4. Ed Sheeran – Okay, he’s a musician, not a brand,


but Ed Sheeran has more than 11 million followers


on TikTok. He uses the platform to connect with fans with backstage clips and funny videos from the road and to promote and share videos of fans covering his music. He even performed live for 5.5 million viewers in the TikTok UEFA EURO 2020 Show, which celebrated soccer and music.


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