5 Brands that are using TikTok creatively

By Ivie Ndep

TikTok is the hottest new platform that marketers are trying to figure out. As a business, you may be wondering how to use TikTok for your Marketing. TikTok is the place to be for brands targeting Gen Z and the next generation of consumers. TikTok is where it’s happening.

TikTok generates millions of impressions per day so although the ad platform is still being developed, advertising on the platform is worth the cost. Paid ads were introduced to the platform in 2019 and the following ad formats are available to brands:

• Brand Takeover

• In-Feed Native Video

• Hashtag Challenge

• Hashtag Challenge Plus

• Branded Lenses

• Influencer Package

• “Top View” Video

TikTok works best for brands that are willing to be playful, fun and conversational. If this describes your brand, then the platform is for you. Let’s dive in and see how brands are currently using TikTok creatively:

HP

TikTok users love challenges and brands are making good use of this. HP carried out a branded hashtag challenge campaign on Tiktok to create brand awareness and collaborated with key influencers to promote the contest. The hashtag challenge was called #HPCoachellaDreamland. The challenge currently has over 179.4 million views.

The key takeaway from this is that Influencers are huge on Tiktok so leverage them in creating campaigns. They were also able to use a popular event like Coachella to create a viral challenge.

NBA

The NBA is one of the brands creating great content on TikTok and currently they have 5 million followers on the app. They keep things fun and light, highlighting their athletes in a relatable manner, using musical features to lighten up the brand, and mixing in some game highlights, inspirational quotes, and music montages. People are therefore seeing a personal side of the brand.

The key takeaway is the NBA made themselves more relatable by giving their fans a behind-the-scenes look at the brand.

KROGER

TikTok recently introduced an e-commerce feature called “Hashtag Challenge Plus” that makes hashtags shoppable. According to Adweek, Kroger was the first to try out this new feature. They launched a #TransformURDorm challenge where users were asked to post before and after pictures of their Dorm. Kroger used the opportunity to showcase their products and allow users to buy directly from their TikTok page. The Hashtag now has over 882.7M views.

GUESS

Guess is a clothing company that started the #inmydenim challenge, encouraging people to show off their style while wearing denim from the Guess brand. Fashion retailers can easily use this strategy to sell their products in a fun and engaging way.

This challenge was one of the first promoted challenges and used key influencers. TikTok allows brands to sponsor their challenges, this challenge will be hosted on the discovery page and can be viewed for a period of six days. This challenge worked because they encouraged participation and people also wanted to associate themselves with the brand – people always want to be part of something cool.

inmydenim

THE WASHINTON POST

You might think this brand is too serious and wouldn’t fit into the Tiktok scene – you’d be wrong! The Washington Post was one of the early adopters of the TikTok platform. It has been successful in connecting with younger readers and viewers in an authentic way by portraying a funnier side of the brand and posting funny behind-the-scenes videos and skits about the newsroom.

The key takeaway from this brand’s use of TikTok is its success in tailoring their content to a younger demographic. This shows how brands can succeed by creating content that resonates with their target audience. For any brand in publishing that is seen as “serious”, testing out this strategy on TikTok can make your brand less intimidating to younger people.

Tiktok is continually growing and it’s a great platform for creating awareness for your brand. Whether it’s creating hashtag challenges or partnering with influencers, there are so many opportunities for businesses to reach a large audience. The algorithm currently works in a way that encourages content to go viral.

If you think Tiktok fits into your marketing strategy, Now is a great time to get on the platform to get ahead of your competitors. Call us today to talk about how TikTok could work for you!