From Pepsi to Myntra, TikTok signs up brands to create special promotions

Controversy has dogged its heels since its launch, but that has not stopped close to 200 million people or a long list of brands from flocking to TikTok. In less than six months since its India launch, TikTok has signed up a slew of brands that are creating special promotions and activations exclusively for the platform. 

Pepsi’s latest summer splash was crafted for TikTok, for instance. As part of the campaign, PepsiCo has launched a brand anthem with a special challenge for TikTok users. Users are asked to post videos of a ‘hook step’ to take part in the #HarGhoontMeinSwag (Swag in every sip) challenge. Launched in the first week of May, the Pepsi challenge has notched up four billion views already, making it the biggest ever brand activation on the platform.

For PepsiCo India, these numbers are a vindication of sorts, having taken a gamble with what is an increasingly popular, but still untested platform for brand promotions. “We need an engagement platform with younger generation, which is where TikTok came in. All platforms offer engagement, but TikTok offers active engagement. It is a good multiplier for marketers,” said Tarun Bhagat, director-Marketing, Hydration and Cola, PepsiCo India. He sees TikTok as a way to reach the young because the average age on the platform is much younger than anywhere else.

TikTok, owned by Chinese start-up company Bytedance, says that the average user is 13-24 years old and that it is the most downloaded app in the country at present. Brands are drawn to its band of teen users and the many opportunities for engagement. 

TikTok has Hashtag Challenge, Brand Takeover and In-feed Native Video, all tools that facilitate direct interactions between brands and users. The Hashtag Challenge allows brands to create a video and challenge users to get creative with their adaptations, Brand Takeover allows full screen vertical display of ads when the user is browsing and the In-feed Native Video aims for in-depth interactions.

TikTok is the most downloaded social media app globally and in India

Some brands that have already tapped into this opportunity include Pepsi, online retailer Voonik, Myntra, ShopClues, Snapdeal, edtech startups like Cuemath, Masterclass, video-on-demand companies Voot and Viu, delivery app Dunzo, dating app TanTan, social commerce platform Meesho and short-video social network app Vigo to name a few. Recently Dharma Production also used TikTok to promote its movie Kalank.

Brands say they are attracted to the cache of language users on the platform, giving TikTok an enviable geographical and demographic spread. Sachin Sharma, head of Ad Sales and Customer Support, ByteDance India that owns TikTok says that it has users from the most remote towns in the country. They are active participants and are big contributors to the virality of brand promotions. 

In May, last year, smartphone maker Huawei launched Honor 10 with a 22-day #1MillionAudition campaign in India. Over 73,000 users took part with 40,000 pieces of User Generated Content (UGC) that garnered 640 million views, and 321 million impressions. 

The team at ByteDance believes that UGC is a popular point of entry for first time-internet users in India and TikTok, which is easy to use has been able to leverage this. It is available in 10 major Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, and Punjabi among others. “India is a key market for digital brands and with a continued growth in mobile internet penetration in the country, we hope to offer a platform to those who are looking for an outlet to showcase their creativity,” said Sharma.

Harish Bijoor, brand consultant and founder of Bijoor Consults said, “Brands which want to reach out to the heart of India, find this to be an excellent digital medium. It has the element of fun, content in it. In terms of leveraging content, it has music, it has got visuals and there is a certain degree of voyeurism,” he said. Such is the power of the platform that brands are willing to risk the sanctity of their content, allowing users to play around with it, he says. “All play is good, all publicity is good and all virality is good,” he added.