Shouldn't we be on TikTok?
(This article was issue 12 of Maps, a newsletter on Digital I co-wrote for Base Design from 2022 to 2025.)
Should we?
Well, you’re definitely not the first one asking.
If you are in doubt whether or not to make the jump to the platform, then be prepared for discomfort. TikTok is the place where your old brand guidelines will get smashed to pieces.
But maybe let me give you some context first.
Similar to other social media platforms, TikTok’s community has cultivated its own unique microculture, establishing norms of acceptable behavior while disapproving of others.
It’s key for brands to play along.
You can explore your own voice and try to stand out, of course, but you’ll have to stay within the boundaries of the microculture. If not, you’ll fail.
Have a look at this post from Dior (or check the still below). It shows background footage of their June Paris show. It feels pretty lo-fi. It may not be the type of communication you would expect from a brand like Dior.
However, their coverage of the same event on Instagram (here’s one typical example) may be more in line with your expectations: perfectly produced, very hi-fi professional. Again, here’s a still:
What’s happening here is no coincidence.
TikTok thrives on authenticity. The best-performing content on the platform is unfiltered, showing real people in everyday situations without extensive staging or scripting.
If your post looks too branded, too slick, too produced or too designed, TikTok users are absolutely unforgiving. They’ll swipe it away in a split second. Your post will look like an advertisement to them. And if enough people swipe it away, the TikTok algorithm will give up on you extremely quickly.
Bye brand book!
Actually, our first advice for TikTok would be to forget everything that’s in your classic brand book altogether. Out with your guidelines!
But this also means that if you’re new to TikTok, then it’s gonna be an investment. It will take time to get your brand’s communication right on the platform.
So that brings us back to our initial question: Is it worth it? Should you be on TikTok?
Let me give you just one argument against, and then one argument in favor.
Here’s the one against: if your team is already fully busy, it’s probably not the best idea. Our general rule of thumb is that as a brand it’s better to be strong on one platform, than to be mediocre on multiple. TikTok will for sure take up resources.
However, here’s the argument in favor: Facebook was all the rage 15 years ago. It’s in decline. Twitter (X) was the latest craze 10 years ago. It’s retrograding. Instagram was all the rage 5 years ago and while still going strong, it’s never been extremely popular amongst the youngest generation.
Next to Snapchat, TikTok is undoubtedly the new generation’s most prominent social network. That in itself should be reason enough to convince you, because Gen Z is already massively influencing today’s consumer trends.
Actually, I don’t think there’s been one trend in the past year where TikTok didn’t have anything to do with it.
Additionally, let’s not forget, this generation is your clients, your business partners and your employees of tomorrow.
That said, eventually things will even out
TikTok’s user base has definitely diversified and expanded across age groups. And it will continue to do so.
What’s more, TikTok’s popular content is clearly influencing the overall tone of brand communication on all platforms. You can already see that on Insta or YouTube for instance, a lot of brands (especially the ones targeting a younger audience) are posting similar unfiltered, unstaged, more real content, just like on TikTok.
Nike’s communication is a good example. Their Instagram is clearly still more branded and slicker than their TikTok content, but the difference is less noticeable than let’s say one year ago. Skincare brand Cerave (huge on TikTok, smart on social in general) is almost equally loose on Insta as it is on TikTok. Same goes for many, many others.
So even on the content level, things are already evening out across platforms.
Things always even out
I guess bringing unfiltered, authentic content is just generally growing into a more contemporary approach for brands to communicate.
Feeling overwhelmed?
No idea where to get started?
Here’s a simple tip: create your brand account and start to follow like-minded businesses and people. No need to post anything. Just let people follow you if they want. Open the app a few times a week to get a feel for the platform’s microculture. Soon enough you’ll start to understand the space and may be ready to take the next step: posting.
Or just hit reply for now. We’ll be happy to assist. Absolutely no pressure.
Before we go…
→ Every creative a director: Check this video of rapper Lupe Fiasco using AI as an instrument. It gives a beautiful insight into how AI can help creatives magnify their visions, by letting machines do the tedious work. Or how we can use machines as collaborators.
→ It’s me, hi, I’m the robot, it’s me: Colleague Mirek just got a mea culpa from ChatGPT competitor Claude. That’s a primer for me. Interesting.
→ Digital culture: How is Digital culture influencing real life fashion, beauty, footwear and design aesthetics? Hypebae took an interesting deep dive into the topic.
→ Slow on purpose: If you click a link to a website Elon doesn’t like, Twitter (X) will make sure it takes long before the link opens. Probably hoping you’ll just click away before you can read anything. OMG. There are so many reasons why this is so wrong.
→ Banning content from AI: Remember this past issue where we talked about how the web is eventually turning into chat? Well, the New York Times is now blocking OpenAI’s web crawler, meaning that OpenAI can’t use content from the publication to train its AI models. Ok, but then what about Google’s? Is a ban truly sustainable?
From my camera roll — August 12th, 10:42, Marseille
The rooftop of Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse, surrounded by the smoke coming from adjacent forest fires.
Until next time,