Embracing the Meme: Brand Building & TikTok Culture
In the social stratosphere, TikTok is the beating heart of trends. Be it a new Justin Bieber song, a snippet of conversation from Love Island, or the Jet2Holidays jingle, content creators can turn it all into a viral 15-second video. In this environment, where anything can be recreated organically by users, marketers have a rare opportunity to weave their brand assets into viral moments. But how can you do this?
Embrace the Meme
Imagine a video of a stuffed peanut watching tennis with its animal friends. It conjures a strange image, but Wimbledon has been high on everyone’s radar recently, including stuffed toy brand Jellycat, whose recreations have become short-form ads. Other brands have also jumped at the opportunity to turn TikTok into their own branding arena. Ryanair use their planes as a recurring character fluent device on TikTok, and M&Ms leverage their signature M&M spokes candies to instantly cue their brand.
If you open TikTok and search for Duolingo, nearly every video you find will include the Duolingo Owl (aptly named Duo), whether it’s a trending dance or about his trademark threats over losing a streak. Every video is tailored to fit this casual, humour- and trend-oriented platform, and so is bound to catch attention and entertain. But what’s so special about this green owl? Simply put, the audience knows who it is. Adding in a mascot as a fluent character greatly boosts brand recognition and the emotional response to these videos. In System1’s report with TikTok, The Long and the Short (Form) of It, we found that short-form ads must use distinctive assets to drive brand recognition within the first two seconds. A fluent character, such as Duo, drives a 57% boost in brand awareness.
We know that trends can come and go (and come back again) quickly on TikTok, but when a brand discovers one, it’s an opportunity. It’s a chance to be relatable and relevant on a platform where content is constantly changing.
What do all the well-received brands on TikTok have in common? They have a marketing team that quickly adapts to the culture of the app, picks up trends and finds a way to incorporate themselves. Or “zero distance between insight and action” as e.l.f. Beauty CMO Kory Marchisotto preaches on the Uncensored CMO podcast. Filters, hashtags, characters, challenges – shockingly, even a brand audio from a Jet2Holiday ad – are all assets that brands can play with on TikTok to get their name on the fun.
Brands can’t rely on creating content that goes viral, but utilising certain brand assets on their TikTok account can offer easy exposure and assist long-term brand building by creating something more memorable to the consumer. Hopping on trends is more than just a fleeting moment of fun and fame, it’s an opportunity to align with what your audience is actively searching for and engaging with. It’s an opportunity to connect instantly. And moreover, when brands entertain, System1 and TikTok found they drive 39% more memory lift and double the brand awareness lift in viewers, creating lasting brand growth.
What the marketing and social teams for brands on TikTok need to remember is that the entire account is an opportunity to advertise, build brand image and play into the content that users enjoy. On a platform where those scrolling can view hundreds of other trending creators, brand assets make you distinctive and recognisable. The trendier the moment, the more search-worthy, the more memorable.
Showmanship, the art of storytelling, characters and music thrive on TikTok, despite popular belief – we know this from the work of System1’s Orlando Wood. So, as you map out your social strategy, take it from an avid TikTok user; I want more videos of stuffed animals doing human things! Now, that’s what I call quality content.
Create with Confidence
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