Changing the world of advertising through Tik Tok - Shannon Furgeson

         Big companies are constantly paying huge amounts of money for advertising their brand. From billboards to commercials, ads in magazines and catchy jingles, companies are always trying to get their name out there, and be present in societies daily life, whether we mean to see it or not. What if this could be avoided, and you could get advertising to millions of people for free? There is a phenomenon going on on the social media app Tik Tok, where teens and young adults will post videos that end up going viral. In a lot of these videos, products are used or songs are played, and for the most part without brand endorsement.  

        One of the most recent brands that had a huge marketing boost was the brand Aerie. They released a new style of leggings called "Real Me crossover leggings," that girls have been obsessing over after a video a young woman wearing these leggings went viral. They appear to make the waist look cinched and "snatched," which is why women all over are going nuts for them. After my own trip to Aerie to find a pair of these leggings, the sales associate told me after the video was posted, it took barely two days for them to be sold out in store, and they have been sold out online as well with no return in sight. Tik Tok has such a wide audience and is very accessible to to most teens and millennial's, making it an easy platform to spread product details.  

 

AE Real Me Crossover Leggings  

A screenshot from @hannahschlenker 's viral video with over 4.7 million views.   

        Another company to "hop on" the free advertising "train" is the NFL. Most NFL (and a lot of sports teams as a matter of fact) have been joining Tik Tok and posting & commenting in order to spread their name. People post videos in hopes that these famous teams will comment on their own videos for a little bit of the fame. These teams will post highlights and clips to get fans to watch the upcoming games, in order to boost their ratings. According to CNBC, NFL also has a 2 year partnership with Tik Tok, where they will be endorsing hashtags to support the NFL. Almost if not all specific teams have their own accounts as well. 

        Lastly, although it might not be free, many companies choose to sponsor and endorse Tik Tok queen Charli D'amelio. Brands like Dunkin', Hollister, Morphe, and even a spot in Sabra Hummus's Superbowl commercial. She has her own makeup line with Morphe, a special coffee drink from Dunkin', and has been a model for Hollister and their jeans line. Posting these videos to her page with more than 100 million followers definitely allows brands to reach out to a broad audience, especially younger generations.  

Charli and older sister Dixie modeling for clothing brand Hollister  

         Tik Tok has been popular for a little over a year, but the social media app has made a huge difference in the business community. If a company wants to go from a "nobody" to a "somebody," Tik Tok is one of the best ways to advertise, especially to younger generations.