Marketing on social media platforms is now standard for many fashion companies. One app, however, is usually left out: TikTok. The video portal is extremely popular, especially among Generation Z. In 2021, according to Statista, 38 percent of the approximately 1 billion users worldwide were between 18 and 24 years old. In particular, in terms of early brand loyalty for future customers, the platform offers truly unique potential.
In addition, the highly active community of the TikTok app is particularly receptive to brand messages. According to a recent study, advertising here performs around 44 percent better than on other social media channels. However, to be successful with it, companies need to have a good understanding of how the platform works. Because here it is not brands that are the stars who shine with home-made high-gloss content, but the users: inside. And they want one thing first and foremost: have fun.
Content is king
“Make TikToks, not Ads” is the short form of the recipe for success. Instead of posting their own content, brands need to encourage the community to participate. And this is possible both within the framework of purchased campaigns and without any budget. In both cases, it’s all about creativity. In contrast to other platforms, TikTok does not evaluate the users – for example in the form of follower numbers – but their content.
This is supported by a special feature of the video platform: after uploading, it initially only shows content to a small target group. An artificial intelligence evaluates whether they are well received here and in the next step plays them out to a larger group of people. This can mean that companies have hardly any followers on their brand pages or have their own videos and still achieve enormous reach through their interactions with users.
Investing in inspiration
A good example of how you can inspire the TikTok community and put your products in the limelight, so to speak, is provided by the American shoe brand Crocs. On her TikTok account, she lets the influencer brothers Williamsfam move to shuffle dance, who also contributed the individual sound. On all eight feet there are unmistakably bright yellow rubber slippers from Crocs – a real eye-catcher, which is celebrated in the comments.
With its hashtag challenge #ComeAsYouAre, Crocs shows how you can achieve enormous reach without showing products. The core of the campaign is a specially created effect that KPop star MJ presents to the community. And for this commitment, the brand is rewarded by the users: around 16,400 TikTokers: inside have so far used the branded effect for their own video. This shows how much the community likes to get involved in creative offers.
The Canadian sportswear label Lululemon is completely unpretentious when it comes to brands on TikTok. As part of a recurring format series, brand ambassadors like volleyball professional Kala Jeta deliver uplifting “pep talks” in which they express their personal appreciation for the TikTokers. In this authentic debranding style, product features and highlights are also presented briefly, personally and without much bling bling.
Better done than well meant
Last but not least, uniqueness and recognizability play a major role on TikTok. An unmistakable hashtag also contributes significantly to the success of your own challenge. The example of the fashion brand Burberry shows what can go wrong. At the start of her TikTok account, she invited the community to #tbchallenge in 2019. The task: Recreate the brand logo with your hands to activate a new filter. A good idea.
However, if you search for this hashtag you will find a ton of TikToks that are not related to the Burberry campaign. Prada, on the other hand, did better: for the #pradabucketchallenge, the brand not only used a unique hashtag, but also provided the tiktoker: inside also a funny occasion to stylishly showcase the brand’s bucket-shaped hat. The result: over 1,400 videos uploaded under the hashtag and over 8.6 billion views.
With the courage to succeed
If you want to start on TikTok with a smaller budget, you can also opt for a so-called in-feed ad. It is a video of up to 60 seconds that is displayed to the user on their individual “For You” page. You can respond to this by liking, commenting or sharing. As with the hashtag challenge, the content should definitely encourage participation.
But even without a campaign you can be successful as a brand on TikTok. The prerequisite for this: patience and a dose of courage to try out yourself in this environment. According to this principle, Cookie Bros has built a fan base of 458,000 followers. The cookie dough producer tells his success story in a TikTok, of course. And a portion of self-mockery should never be missing when presenting his products.
Recruit new customers and new employees
In short: The TikTok playing field offers brands great opportunities to present themselves authentically and individually. As before, however, only a few companies move in this environment, as well-made TikToks require separate efforts on the part of marketing. Because a simple extension of campaigns in this medium is usually doomed to failure. It is also worth thinking about TikTok not only in terms of advertising. When you see how much fun the employees from the NRW police force or Edeka Esslinger have at work, you quickly recognize the HR potential of the platform – especially for Generation Z.
Written by Christian Schmidt. He is Chief Creative Officer of the digital agency Interlutions, which he founded together with Eric Meurers in 1999. In this position he developed countless brand appearances and campaigns for national and international customers. Interlutions works in the fashion sector for Tigha, Preach, Ic! Berlin, Ulla Popken, Unique, Laona, MyTheresa and Daniels.