TikTok is very much a thing of the present. As the fastest-growing social media platform, with more than 1 billion active users since 2021, the average user opening up the app on average 19 times a day and recognised as the most popular platform for the younger generation, its demand and influence are undeniable.
The power of short-form videos has proven to be instrumental, as the attention span of online users shortens and the need for more entertaining, fun and relatable content increases. With the engagement on TikTok being at an all-time high, far exceeding that of other social media platforms, its marketability is beyond doubt and it can be leveraged to increase brand awareness, and why not even go viral.
TikTok remains the most creative, funny and compelling platform and its quirky nature has led to some amazing and jealous-worthy results by brands who are making the most of it.
7 Brands That Are Worth Paying Attention To On TikTok
- Duolingo
Duolingo has established itself as a viral brand on TikTok with repetitively successful videos that are laugh-out-loud-funny by incorporating its sassy, quirky and fiercely enjoyable owl mascot, Duo. The brand brought its logo to life - literally - and it has become the mechanism for all things trendy.
Duo is the personification of the brand’s voice, whether it comes to interacting with users online through comments or humanising the brand with their unhinged content. Duolingo’s form of storytelling may incorporate humour, wit and entertainment at its core, but it has proved a genius move in establishing a coherent and real brand identity that stays true to its values and remains memorable.
Cablenet Cyprus: As a telecommunications company, Cablenet was ready to dip their toes into the TikTok game and reach new audiences and age groups, by adding a funny and relatable spin to their products and services. The brand was willing to take a creative risk and we were able to utilise their principles and aesthetics to create an account that would offer valuable hacks, information and guidance to users that has already generated a 4% engagement rate, which is a significant benchmark for TikTok.
- Ryanair
Ryanair’s comedic TikTok presence has really captivated audiences. The brand, as a low-cost airline, really leans into its self-awareness by taking a poke at itself and has full-on expanded on creating extremely relatable content by incorporating trending sounds and challenges. Ryanair is very much in on the joke and its 2M followers seem to very be on board with their humoristic approach.
The brand has managed to take on any previous criticism or expectations and turn them into the most creative, smart and funny content for their TikTok identity. It has really won over viewers, as it never fails to stay on top of trends and the use of their signature greenscreen filter on their planes, making them the star of the show.
- Taco Bell
Taco Bell is another brand that knows how to perfectly allocate its TikTok marketing to its content. Using humour, UGC content and hashtag challenges, it has managed to expand its following and become a popular account that truly reflects their lighthearted identity as a fast-food chain. The brand also has a spokesperson, who repetitively appears on funny skits and humanises Taco Bell by putting a face to it.
Taco Bell, of course, doesn’t shy away from staying up to date with trends and sounds, while also incorporating their absurd humour to relate to a younger audience, as well as influencers and celebrities.
Mitsides: Food is what brings people together, and a traditional brand like Mitsides was the perfect way to create a connection with people. With inspiring recipe preparation videos that users can easily make and promote the products of the brand at the same time, we were able to launch Mitsides’ TikTok account and continue to implement new ways and strategies into making it the go-to place for all things food.
- Netflix
Netflix is unsurprisingly a popular account on TikTok, as it uses the platform to further expand on its own. By posting trailers of upcoming movies and TV shows, and clips of already existing content on Netflix that tend to be either compelling or funny in order to capture the audience’s attention in just a few seconds, it’s easy to see how the brand has managed to gain the massive following of 34.4M.
With additional behind the scenes, exclusive content and show-related series, Netflix is the perfect example of putting the fans first and giving the people what they want. Celebrity and entertainment content is always going to appeal to audiences, and posting content that people will want to see, rewatch, reshare and engage with, while also raising your brand awareness, is pretty great
- San Diego Zoo
Who doesn’t love looking at enthralling clips of tigers and red pandas? San Diego Zoo is very much taking advantage of this well-known fact and their genius here is that they don’t try to over complicate or over think the idea. The brand is the epitome of less is more and letting the content pretty much speak for itself.
Videos centred around cute animals with fun music in the background are pretty much unskippable and highly shareable. San Diego Zoo lets the animals be the heroes of the videos, and whether they use trending sounds, inspiring music or a cheeky approach, they are always irresistible. The brand also uses their TikTok content to cross-promote and collaborate through partnerships with other animal-friendly organisations and causes.
ERA Department Stores: Through spellbinding music that complements the luxurious products of ERA Department Stores, we are able to create compelling TikTok videos that are expertly edited and put together to promote all the valuable essentials they have to offer and the multitude of brands, while raising awareness and driving sales. In this case, we let fashion and beauty do the talking!
- Crocs
While the footwear brand has raised numerous debates, Crocs’ TikTok account undeniably gets two thumbs up. Its self-awareness in poking fun at all the criticism and love-hate relationship that people seem to have with their footwear is very much admirable and a talking point of their popular account. As much as the brand doesn't shy away from not taking itself too seriously, it equally adds value and engagement to its content by utilizing trending sounds, original sounds, and brand-specific hashtags.
Crocs have proven that they are here to stay, not only through their resilient and conscious spirit but also through their humorous and promotional content. Through UGC challenges as well, the brand has managed to make a connection with its audience and maintain humility and humor that have helped greatly in humanizing the company.
- Scrub Daddy
Scrub Daddy is a beat-the-odds kind of company. Who knew that sponges could be so on-trend? Yet, with the brand’s extremely humorous and viral content, sponge entertainment is now a thing of the present. As a cleaning product company, Scrub Daddy has managed to insert themselves into all the TikTok conversations, by incorporating its products into all new and emerging trends.
The brand is consistent in remaining relevant and fresh, which is no easy task in the current digital social climate. Scrub Daddy recognizes that self-promotion is a blessing, humor is a universal language, and goes all out in ensuring that their products remain top of mind for their users.
WTF - KEAN: For this client, we let humor and food do the talking. With easy hacks, smart creative ideas and a funny approach to food preparation, we manage to put the products of KEAN at the forefront and captivate audiences to further expand our engagement.
There you have it. Marketing through TikTok may be a whole new concept, but it’s surely a must for winning at your digital game. There are always ways to incorporate your products or services into trending happenings, utilize humor, influencers, and UGC challenges to engage and interact with your audience. The possibilities are endless in the world of TikTok and allowing your creativity and playfulness to win over your users can lead to great engagement and brand awareness, especially amongst the younger generation.
