Podcast Summary
Understanding platform culture is key to successful marketing: Being present and authentic on social media platforms, carefully considering brand fit, and executing trends that resonate with the audience are essential for successful marketing
Successful contemporary marketing requires a strong team and an understanding of where culture intersects with the brand. According to Chris Brandt, CMO of Chipotle, the key to Chipotle's success on platforms like TikTok is not just having a core idea or campaign, but being present and authentic. Ideas are important, but being in the game and understanding the platform's culture is equally crucial. The team at Chipotle carefully considers where their brand fits in and how they can create content that resonates with their audience. They aim to avoid being "lame" by not jumping on every trend, but rather finding the trends that fit their brand and executing them well. Ultimately, the goal is to appear in the right place at the right time with the right content.
Understanding unique platform characteristics and creating genuine content for social media success: Leverage influencers, focus on platform-specific qualities, and create organic content for effective social media marketing. Use TikTok for mood lifting and culture fueling.
Successful social media marketing involves understanding the unique characteristics of each platform and creating organic, genuine content. The speakers shared their experiences with Chipotle's viral success on Instagram and TikTok, emphasizing the importance of influencers who are passionate about the brand. They also discussed the distinct qualities of different social media platforms, such as Instagram's focus on inspiration and TikTok's role as a mood lifter and awareness generator. Chris even shared his personal consumption of TikTok as a consumer, highlighting the creativity and entertainment value of the platform. For Gatorade, the recent focus has been on shifting from just fueling sports with their products to fueling sport culture. By leveraging the intersection of sports and culture on TikTok, Gatorade is continuing to make a significant impact.
Authentic brand engagement on TikTok through creativity and cocreation: Brands should focus on authenticity and collaboration with creators to effectively engage on TikTok, understanding emerging trends and shifts from social graph to interest graph.
The future of brand engagement on platforms like TikTok lies in the intersection of creativity, understanding consumer interests, and cocreation with loyal fans and creators. Gatorade, as a brand, recognizes that they are still in the beginning stages on TikTok, focusing on learning the platform, understanding tools, and establishing a foundation. They are looking to authentically connect with creators and fans, rather than just having a two-way conversation. The shift from a social graph to an interest graph is crucial for understanding emerging sports and consumer behaviors. Brands should not underestimate the emerging trends and over-romanticize the past, but instead focus on authenticity and collaboration with creators. For creators, the opportunity lies in integrating brands into their content authentically, rather than waiting for payment, as successful collaborations can lead to meaningful partnerships.
From Football to Marketing: Chasing Learning and Experiences: Stay curious, be open to change, and chase experiences to advance in your career and adapt to the evolving business landscape
A career pivot can lead to great opportunities, even if it seems unlikely at first. Karen Walker, the CMO of Gatorade, shared her experience of transitioning from a professional football career to marketing, emphasizing the importance of chasing learning and experiences over titles or roles. She also advised being open to unlearning and adapting to new spaces. In the last few years, she learned that marketing and brands are fundamentally shifting business drivers, particularly with the intersection of traditional companies and digital platforms like TikTok and the metaverse. Similarly, Jazzwares, a leading toy company, has thrived by focusing on trending areas and pivoting to capture new opportunities. So, stay curious, be open to change, and chase experiences to advance in your career and adapt to the evolving business landscape.
Community engagement drives messaging in collectibles industry: Investing in and participating in communities, like TikTok, can lead to immense success in the collectibles industry through organic growth
Successful businesses in the collectibles industry understand the importance of community engagement and allowing it to drive the messaging. Jazzwares, for instance, has seen immense success with Squishmallows by investing in and participating in the community, rather than just looking for brands. TikTok has been a significant factor in the growth of Squishmallows, with over 4 billion organic integrations. The platform's algorithm is able to deliver content tailored to individual interests, making it an effective marketing tool. For Gary Vaynerchuk, his personal experience with TikTok began when he recognized the algorithm's ability to understand and deliver content based on individual interests. The best marketing dollars are those spent on organic growth, and businesses that support and integrate themselves into communities see the greatest success.
The importance of joy and relationship in collectibles: Understanding the history and stories behind collectibles is crucial. Joy and emotional connection drive the collectible market, and new trends may fail without these elements.
The joy and relationship factors are crucial elements of collecting, and they will continue to shape the collectible market even as new trends emerge. The speaker shared a personal story about how a 97-year-old penny he bought at a flea market shaped his life as a collector. He also warned that many current collectible trends, such as NFTs, may fail because they lack the community and emotional connection that true collectibles have. The speaker emphasized the importance of understanding the history and stories behind collectibles and highlighted the trend of grown-ups rediscovering the fun of collecting. He also previewed an upcoming episode of the show featuring Ian Trombetta, SVP of social influencer and content marketing at the NFL, who has helped transform the NFL's approach to social media and content marketing, particularly for Gen Z and youth audiences.
Learning from the NFL's TikTok Success: The NFL's success on TikTok stemmed from understanding niche markets, building direct influencer relationships, and scaling internal structures to reach new audiences.
Being at the forefront of disruptive brands involves staying close to the community and culture you're trying to reach. This was evident in the speaker's career journey, starting from his unpaid internship at ChiatDay during Apple's iTunes launch and the mysterious rise of Red Bull. He emphasized the importance of learning about grassroots events, athlete marketing, and understanding niche markets at scale. His experience with Red Bull led him to Activision, where he learned about big entertainment marketing and always-on engagement. Eventually, he joined the NFL, where he helped oversee social, influencer, and content marketing. Regarding TikTok and the NFL's early investment in the platform, the speaker noted three key observations when he started at the NFL: the opportunity to broaden storytelling beyond the field with players, the need to rebuild a structure internally to scale on new platforms, and the importance of building direct relationships with social influencers. Despite the risks and concerns, the NFL took a bet on TikTok, recognizing its potential to reach new audiences and tell stories in innovative ways. Brands on the precipice of joining TikTok can learn from the NFL's experience and take a similar approach to connecting with their communities and cultures.
NFL's TikTok Strategy: Engaging with Ancillary, Humorous, and Storytelling Content: The NFL successfully engages with TikTok users by focusing on ancillary, humorous, and storytelling content, partnering with creators to build their brands and bring new audiences to the platform, and ensuring positive and authentic engagements.
The NFL recognized the importance of being present on emerging social media platforms like TikTok to engage with their audience and stay connected to culture. In 2019, they quietly launched on the platform and discovered that ancillary, humorous, and storytelling content resonated most with users. The NFL's influencer program focuses on partnering with creators to build their brands and bring new audiences to the platform, ensuring a positive and authentic engagement. Emily Zugay, a TikTok creator known for her logo redesigns, is an example of a successful partnership between the NFL and a creator. The NFL's team keeps an eye on emerging creators, engages them when comfortable, and ensures a positive and authentic partnership. This approach allows the NFL to stay close to culture and build a strong presence on TikTok.
Successful TikTok brand collaborations require authenticity and creativity: Brands should embrace the unique culture of TikTok, take risks, and allow creators to have creative freedom for successful collaborations.
Authenticity and creativity are key to successful brand collaborations, especially on TikTok. The NFL's partnership with Emily and Peter, who gained fame on the platform, was valuable because it felt genuine and allowed the creators to have creative freedom. The NFL took a risk by embracing the self-mocking nature of TikTok and the humor of Emily's content, resulting in a positive response from the audience. For brands looking to succeed on TikTok, it's essential to understand the platform's culture and be willing to take risks and embrace creativity and humor. The NFL's collaboration with Emily also showcases the importance of episodic content in branded marketing, as the audience enjoyed the consistency and anticipation of new content. Overall, the partnership between the NFL and Emily highlights the value of authenticity, creativity, and understanding the platform's culture in successful brand collaborations.
Embrace flexibility and adaptability on TikTok: Brands and creators should be open to trying new things and not get too attached to one concept on TikTok due to the ever-changing algorithm. Adaptability and embracing trends can lead to success.
Flexibility and adaptability are key to success on TikTok. Brands and creators alike should be open to trying new things and not get too attached to one concept due to the ever-changing algorithm. As Emily, a TikTok creator, shared, she had to adapt when Ellen Show producers suggested she emulate her TikTok persona, which initially made her nervous. But ultimately, she was able to relax and be herself. Brands like Eos have also found success on TikTok by embracing trends and taking risks, as CMO So Young Kang's piranha fishing story illustrates. Additionally, branching out to other social media platforms can help creators and brands reach new audiences and mitigate the inconsistencies of the TikTok algorithm.
Exploring new opportunities on TikTok with EOS: Brands should embrace new platforms, take risks, and continuously learn and adapt to succeed in social media marketing.
Social media, particularly TikTok, is a powerful tool for brands looking to expand and diversify beyond their famous products. EOS, a lip balm company, joined TikTok in 2019 to explore new opportunities and reach a younger audience. Starting early on the platform was key, as TikTok's algorithm and audience differ from other social media platforms. EOS faced initial challenges, but learning and experimentation led to success. The brand's voice and content have significantly differed on TikTok compared to other platforms, requiring a tailored approach. The key takeaway is that brands should embrace new platforms, take risks, and continuously learn and adapt to succeed in social media marketing.
Authenticity and community key to TikTok success: Companies should create genuine, relatable content to build a strong connection with TikTok community for long-term growth
Authenticity and being part of the community are key to success on social media platforms like TikTok. Companies should not be afraid to get weird and real, embrace risk, create a learning environment, and foster trust within their teams. Authentic content that resonates with the audience can lead to unexpected virality and engagement, as demonstrated by Carly's shockingly successful shaving tutorial video. Companies should strive to create content that feels genuine and relatable, rather than just talking at their audience. When executed correctly, this approach can lead to a strong connection with the community and long-term growth.
Finding the right creator partnership on TikTok can lead to significant business impact: Collaborating with a popular TikTok creator led to doubled sales and a sold-out product for EOS, highlighting the importance of community management and staying attuned to consumer conversations on the platform.
An authentic partnership with the right creator on TikTok can significantly impact a business. EOS saw this firsthand when they quickly collaborated with Carly Joy after noticing her viral video about using their lip balm as shaving cream. This desperate yet successful move led to doubled sales for their shave business and a sold-out product, proving the power of community management and staying attuned to consumer conversations on the platform. Beyond TikTok, this collaboration also inspired a DTC campaign and an open, authentic approach to education for their brand more broadly.
Impact of Authentic Content on Brand Image and Reach: Creating relatable content can significantly boost a brand's image and reach, with authenticity and focus on passionate viewers leading to increased engagement and viewership.
Authentic, relatable content can significantly impact a brand's image and reach a large audience. The discussion highlighted the success of Carly Joyce's content, which resonated with people and became a top search term on their site. Sophie, the first and only Chief TikTok Officer of Nerf, shared her experience of how creating authentic content and being the face of the brand led to increased engagement and viewership. She also emphasized the importance of focusing on average watch time and passionate viewers rather than just follower and view counts. Additionally, the discussion touched upon the evolving role of Sophie within the organization and the importance of keeping up with trends on the platform.
Focus on relevancy and authenticity on TikTok: Prioritize creating content that resonates with your unique audience, avoid mimicking successful mascots, and collaborate with creators to stay authentic and adapt to cultural shifts
Companies need to prioritize relevancy over reach and authenticity when analyzing their content strategy on social media platforms like TikTok. This means focusing on creating content that resonates with their unique audience, rather than blindly following trends or copying successful channels. When it comes to using a mascot or a face for the brand, it's essential to ensure that the character has its own distinct personality and doesn't simply mimic existing successful mascots. Brands should also avoid building their entire image around trends and instead selectively incorporate them into their content when they fit naturally. As the creator economy continues to grow, creators should be thinking about how they can leverage their unique voices and perspectives to collaborate with brands and agencies, rather than simply trying to fit into a pre-existing mold. Ultimately, the key to success on TikTok is to stay authentic, listen to your audience, and adapt quickly to cultural shifts.
Authenticity and passion are keys to success on TikTok: Being genuine and passionate about your content can lead to higher engagement and influence on TikTok, even if you don't have a large following.
Authenticity and passion are crucial for success on social media platforms like TikTok. Creators who are genuinely passionate about their content and enjoy the brand resonate more with their audience, leading to higher engagement and influence. This was emphasized by a guest, Sophie, who shared her experience of being chosen for a CTO position over someone with more followers but lacking authenticity. Another guest, Spencer X, also emphasized the importance of authenticity and how it led him to find success on TikTok. He started creating content on YouTube in 2008 and, when TikTok came on his radar, he saw it as a perfect fit due to its directness and transparency. The rise of TikTok has significantly impacted his career trajectory as a content creator, leading him to become one of the largest original sound creators on the platform with over 50 million followers.
The Impact of TikTok and Collaboration on Creativity: TikTok's collaborative community expanded the creative horizons of content creators like Spencer and Michael, leading to increased collaborations and reaching new audiences.
TikTok and collaboration have significantly impacted the creative process of content creators, as evidenced by the experiences shared by Spencer and Michael. Both creators emphasized the importance of connection and collaboration in expanding their creative horizons and reaching new audiences. Spencer shared how TikTok's collaborative community helped him increase his collaborations from 50 to over 150 in a month, leading him to understand the value of connecting with others and exploring new mediums. Michael, with his massive following of 51 million on TikTok, also emphasized the importance of collaboration and connection, sharing that he became a creator by accident but found purpose in connecting with his audience and other creators through social media platforms. Overall, the power of TikTok and collaboration in fostering creativity and growth cannot be overstated.
The power of timing and hard work in social media success: Being early, consistent, and creative on social media can lead to significant success. Understand your audience and tailor content accordingly for best results. Collaborate with brands while staying true to your creativity.
Being early, consistent, and taking advantage of opportunities can lead to significant success in social media. The speaker started as a dancer inspired by OG YouTubers and eventually became a social media influencer, amassing millions of followers on TikTok. They emphasized the importance of hard work, skill, and timing in their journey. When it comes to creating content for different platforms, the speaker noted that understanding the specific audience and tailoring content accordingly is crucial. In terms of collaborations with brands, the speaker prefers to take a creative lead but is open to suggestions and advice. Overall, their story highlights the importance of staying true to one's creativity while being adaptable to new platforms and opportunities.
Finding authenticity and experimenting with content is key to TikTok success: Successful TikTok creators find authenticity by staying true to themselves and experimenting with different styles and formats to resonate with their teenage audience.
Creating authentic content that resonates with your target audience is key to success on TikTok. Michael, a successful TikTok creator, emphasized the importance of finding a balance between professionalism and naturalness. He gained a following by experimenting with different styles and formats, but always kept his audience of teenagers in mind. Ellie, another successful creator, also found success by staying true to herself and her passions, even when she didn't have time for creativity in the past. Both creators emphasized the importance of authenticity and experimentation in creating content that resonates with their audiences. Michael's origin story involved starting with dance videos in his room and experimenting with different styles and locations to make his content stand out. Ellie's origin story involved a love of film and YouTube, but not having the time to create and post content until quarantine gave her the opportunity to explore her creative side. Both creators have found success by staying true to themselves and their passions, and by creating content that resonates with their audiences.
Unexpected opportunities for self-expression and career growth on TikTok: Embrace authenticity, engage with audience, manage comments effectively, and trust instincts for unexpected opportunities on TikTok
TikTok provided an unexpected opportunity for self-expression and career growth for the speaker. Starting with dance videos during quarantine, she discovered the importance of authenticity and engagement with her audience. To manage comments effectively, she prioritizes responding to thoughtful and positive ones, ignoring hate comments. This experience allowed her to embrace her creative side and deviate from the traditional educational and career trajectory she was once expected to follow. Previously, she felt pressured to conform to specific paths for success, but now she's grateful for the chance to pursue her passions earlier in life. Even if you face societal expectations, trust your instincts and be open to unexpected opportunities.
Exploring different social media platforms and engaging with audiences: Creators like Ellie and the Old Gays use various social media platforms to showcase unique aspects of themselves and build authentic connections with their followers.
Creators like Ellie and the Old Gays use different social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to showcase different aspects of themselves and engage with their audiences in unique ways. Ellie started on TikTok by participating in trends and later showcased her passion for golf. She values the authentic connection with her followers on TikTok and YouTube. The Old Gays, on the other hand, discovered TikTok through their neighbor and producer, Ryan, and gained massive popularity with their humorous content. They were already creating content together on YouTube before TikTok. Both creators emphasized the importance of staying true to themselves and engaging with their audiences to build a strong online presence. When it comes to collaboration, Ellie is open to the idea and excited about the opportunities it brings, while the Old Gays started collaborating on TikTok as neighbors and have since gained a massive following.
Embracing the unexpected and being true to oneself on TikTok: Authenticity and adaptability are key to success on TikTok. Old Gays duo Mick and Robert found success by embracing their unique dynamic and openness to new experiences, resonating with audiences of various age groups and leading to brand partnerships.
The "Old Gays" duo, Mick and Robert, have found immense success and authentic engagement on TikTok by embracing the unexpected and being true to themselves. Their unique dynamic and openness to new experiences have resonated with audiences of various age groups, leading to widespread recognition and brand partnerships. They have learned to balance creative freedom with direction from brands and have found that taking risks can lead to memorable and successful collaborations. When asked about their preferences, they revealed a fondness for caramel popcorn, the sixties music era, and their favorite music artists such as Patti LaBelle and Frank Sinatra. Overall, their story highlights the importance of authenticity and adaptability in today's digital landscape.
Exploring the Power of Hashtag Marketing: Hashtags increase visibility, make content discoverable, help reach new audiences, and build brand awareness. Authenticity and consistency are key in using hashtags aligned with brand identity and values.
Hashtag marketing is a powerful tool for businesses and individuals in the present day. We heard from a mix of business speakers and inspirational authors on this topic during our discussion. Hashtags help increase visibility and engagement on social media platforms. They make content discoverable and allow users to join conversations around specific topics. Marketers can use hashtags to reach new audiences and build brand awareness. Moreover, inspirational authors emphasized the importance of authenticity and consistency in using hashtags. They suggested that businesses should align their hashtags with their brand identity and values. Overall, the conversation highlighted the significance of hashtag marketing in today's digital world. We encourage you to explore this topic further and share your thoughts with us. You can listen to past episodes on mftn.vaynerx.com. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions.
