Generation Z, Millennials, Cringes…everyone is succumbing to the app.
Music, lip-syncing, and choreographed dances—what does that remind you of? Certainly, if you've been online in the last year, the social network that came to mind was TikTok. Even if you don't yet have an account on the platform, you've surely come across its content on your timeline, whether on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. The app, created in China in 2017, has become the main communication channel for major brands with younger audiences, such as Generation Z. Since then, Millennials and other generations have increasingly used the app. "Cringe" or not, this network currently affects brands, businesses, and the music industry. But what is the platform's influence? How is the language used on the app conceived? Understanding the new languages explored on the app is a challenge for companies that need to occupy a space on the social network.
“Don't make ads, make TikToks”
The platform's slogan (which translates to "don't advertise, make TikToks") clearly differentiates it from other traditional advertising models we were used to seeing on other networks. This is because TikTok's audience values genuine content, content that connects the user to their reality. This format is increasingly sparking the curiosity of large businesses to learn about this language from the platform's own content creators. After all, who knows the network's audience better than the network's own viewers? creators?
Musical.ly + Warner Music = 200 million new users.
Constantly evolving, the app acquired Musical.ly in 2017. From then on, users were able to sync their... lip sync (Lip-syncing to music, along with a partnership with Warner Music, allowed music releases to be used on the network without major licensing bureaucracy. This new flow brought 200 million new users to the platform.
With this movement, some singers achieved success with the release of some dance routines and challenges, These challenges often involve creating unusual videos. American singer Doja Cat had a great impact with her second studio album, "Hot Pink".”. After the song “Say So” After the artist gained popularity on the platform, the singer created an official music video with choreography created by users of the network and invited the main author of the dance to participate in the video. Other singles by the artist have also triumphed on the app, such as "Freak Me," "Streets," and "Like That."”.
Some record labels and artists already include the integration of releases on the platform in their marketing plans. Among the actions listed are the creation of choreographies for users to replicate, challenges e lip syncs. In this way, the product creates an affinity that involves various moments and possibilities with the user. The app can be a great ally in defining the success of a song and even of combined actions.
This is how Manu Gavassi invaded the platform with a marketing strategy for the launch of her music video "Deve Ser Horrível Dormir Sem Mim" (It Must Be Horrible to Sleep Without Me), in partnership with drag queen Glória Groove. The singer and former BBB (Big Brother Brazil) contestant had already proven herself a great digital marketing strategist after leaving several videos recorded to be used on her Instagram during her time on the reality show. To announce her arrival on TikTok, in a cross-media action, Manu deleted all the photos from her Instagram 15 days before the music video's release, went blonde in a joint campaign with Redken, from L'Oréal, and appeared under the name of a new personality: Malu Gabatti, an award-winning director from New York, recently arrived in Brazil. The artist marked her TikTok debut, bringing this new character to life, with a first video where she ironically commented on the use of the platform and introduced herself. And finally, closing the cycle, the music video was released, starring and directed by the singer. She shows the creative process for a successful release, citing among the essential elements a feature, a car, and a dance that goes viral on the platform.
“This is a new space and we need to approach it carefully and strategically, understanding how a brand can natively enter the community, but for that it is necessary to keep in mind the audience we want to reach and relevant content adapted to their language” – Dudu Kotolák, Creative Director at Ana Couto.
The platform is the second largest in terms of potential to influence followers on social media and is increasingly becoming a preferred choice for major brands in the market. Almost half of its user profiles are between 15 and 25 years old, an audience that is always connected and has great potential to create captivating videos, which ends up capturing the attention of other users of the application.
An excellent strategy designed to further promote its growth is the requirement to save content on the platform before sharing it. This way, all created videos must go through the platform and can then be moved to other social media platforms, thus displaying the famous TikTok watermark at the bottom of the screen.
Magalu, Itaú and the new initiatives
Magalu recently announced, in a press conference, the opening of its first 23 stores in the city of Rio de Janeiro. To celebrate this event, a campaign was created featuring a song by Anitta, complete with a music video starring the singer and the virtual influencer Lu. On TikTok, a challenge with choreography was launched, and across social media, the hashtag ##MagaluNoRio was shared with the support of influencers such as Djamila Ribeiro, João Vicente, and Viviane Araújo.
For Itaú bank, which has had an account on the platform since 2020 and now has over 295,000 followers, the main intention is to generate engagement with a young audience that may soon become customers. The content uses a different language, featuring people performing simple tasks related to the bank's universe. Localiza, a car rental company, joined the platform in partnership with content creators, exploring themes that resonate with the company, such as travel, tourism, and gastronomy. The company characterizes the platform as one of the best places for engagement.
Dudu Kotolák, Creative Director at Ana Couto, reports that in the creative strategy developed for Ultragaz, a client of the agency operating in the LPG distribution and new energy sectors, one of the key considerations was how to utilize an old brand icon, the Ultrinho, a symbol representing a blue cooking gas cylinder. “When we discovered that part of our audience really enjoyed content related to it – and that these people were on TikTok – we found its new home on that social network through dubbing, challenges "And other typical games from there," explains the expert.
Currently, with a market value of $75 billion and a monthly active audience of 1.9 billion, TikTok, combined with good strategic vision and planning, can be a great place for brands and artists, provided there is good execution and... timing That's right. Adapting to new language may seem like a challenge for companies, but rethinking new formats, scenarios, and languages, without losing sight of their purpose and visual equities, can generate brand recognition. Innovation today is represented by the internet, bringing millions of users into its ecosystem, and new content formats are constantly evolving. We can say that the platform is the source of new possibilities for communication.
