Brands on TikTok

Move aside, always-on marketing: brands need to be 'always in' to win the trust and attention of TikTok's diverse communities

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For brands to gain real traction on TikTok, it's not enough to just show up with a content schedule and a marketing playbook. Engaging, authentic, native-feeling content will go a long way, but the real prize lies in meaningful community engagement. "It's about building trust through real connections, rather than this unhealthy obsession in our industry of grabbing attention through distraction tactics," says Charlotte Parkes from TikTok's marketing solutions team, speaking at a recent Festival of Marketing (FoM) workshop. "You need to deliver entertaining content that people actually want to see, rather than advertising that they try to block out." "It's important to develop a personality on TikTok," agrees Mark Lynch, head of marketing at Peugeot UK. "You won't do this by running adapted assets: you have to immerse yourself within TikTok and be entertaining as a brand. Of course, delivering a clear concise message is still at the heart of everything, but without that entertaining wrapper the audience will just scroll past." Community engagement can give brands a competitive advantage: "It drives trust as well as brand performance," Parkes points out. "This is a step-change in brand communications. Being 'always in' allows brands to be active, responsive and actually useful."

Set the cultural agenda

Why brands should be part of the community on TikTok

"Authenticity is what makes a brand go from good to great on TikTok."

— Sophie Drury, KitKat

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To create content worth saving, check out TikTok’s Creative Codebook, and read the full case study of how Peugeot utilised ‘always in’.

Rather than a rigid, brand-led marketing calendar, effective always-in engagement requires a fluid agenda that ebbs and flows with culture. This also requires a more finely tuned approach to influencer marketing, such as collaborating with creators who have smaller, niche followings but are perfectly relevant in that moment. "A traditional influencer approach might have one influencer at the top with millions of followers," says Parkes. "But by working with lots of different creators, you can reach many different communities." Research has shown that 76% of users like brands to play an active part in their special-interest groups. And 78% agree that the best brands on TikTok are willing to share ideas and work together with communities.* "Brands that are interested in how their audience is actually living are the brands that become interesting to people," adds Parkes.

Be part of the conversation

Niche communities may seem challenging for brands to engage with in a credible way. "Fan communities can be quite obsessed with a topic," says Holland. "On some platforms, you may even have to even answer questions about the subject before they let you in. They're gated, and it's exclusive." But, he explains, the dynamics of TikTok communities are different: "They don't live in a bubble, they coexist with one another." Holland gives the example of the 'Negroni Sbagliato' meme, which began in an HBO promo for House of the Dragon, in which Emma D'Arcy revealed it as her drink of choice. "The first community to jump on to that was #QueerTok, which has 1.3 billion views on the platform," he reveals. "Then it moved into #FoodTok, as people thought about how to actually make it. And next was: where do I go and buy it?” Holland gives the example of Lidl, which had its busiest-ever trading day on 23 December 2022 after a viral TikTok about making a Negroni Sbagliato at home drove a huge spike in Prosecco sales.

Take memes in new directions

When brands commit to being always in, they are constantly exposed to so-called 'moments of truth' within the community: "Those conversations that happen that a brand has never even considered being part of," explains Duane Holland, marketing solutions strategist at TikTok, who joined Parkes at FoM. But brands that obsess over identifying those moments of truth, and finding ways to capitalise, are looking at it the wrong way. "It's just one element," he adds. "It's not really about when that moment of truth is, it's about where it happens. Brands should be thinking about going to the right place, not just thinking about the right time." 'Always-on' marketing puts all the onus on visibility. "This is no longer fit for purpose," explains Holland. "A one-size-fits-all approach lacks meaningful participation in the conversations that really matter, where modern brands grow: within communities."

* Source: Marketing Science Holiday Shopping Behavior Research 2020 conducted by Walnut Unlimited ** Source: TikTok Marketing Science EU Understanding TikTok’s Impact on Culture 2022 conducted by Flamingo Group

TikTok revealed its entertainment playbook for brands in July

When collaborating with creators, it pays to look beyond the obvious associations. "Unexpected intersections, where your brand explores new territories and gets involved in many different communities, is where you can grow new audiences," explains Parkes. One best-in-class example is Burberry: "They build fame by going into different communities – not just high fashion – and adding humour to different types of content," Parkes continues. To engage with the huge #FoodTok community, for instance, Burberry posts a wealth of food-related brand visuals, including building one of its iconic bags out of cable. A recent campaign to support the launch of the new Peugeot 408 emphasised style and design – so the brand collaborated with TikTok creators with a passion for, and a following in, those areas to amplify the message in a relevant, authentic way. "We want to communicate with our audience in a way that's most relevant to them," confirms Peugeot’s Mark Lynch. And when eBay wanted to reach the cult sneaker community, the brand worked with TikTok creators with established credibility in that space to get the tone and aesthetic right. According to TikTok's research, 62% of users believe it has a greatest variety of subcultures of any platform.** "So, whether it's #ParentTok, #FitnessTok, or #FinTok, you can find a community for any interest," concludes Holland.

Explore unexpected connections

Peugeot immerses itself within TikTok communities and strives to be entertaining