TikTok launches first South African marketing event

Guests took part in an evening with interactive activations showcasing how businesses of all sizes can engage with diverse communities on the platform. Speaking at the event, Scott Thwaites, head of Turkey, Africa and gaming, global business solutions, TikTok - METAP, explained to attendees that the goal of TikTok for business is to give brands, marketers and businesses of all sizes in South Africa the tools to be discovered and authentically connect with communities on the platform.

“The magic of TikTok is not just the chance to create, but the chance to discover and to be found. With TikTok for business, our goal is to give marketers the tools to be discovered and connect with the broader communities around them. Brands are an important part of the TikTok experience, whether they are starting trends or connecting communities, they are creating authentic audiences built on the foundation of sharing joy. They are embracing the creative and authentic spirit of TikTok, and giving users a new way to discover and engage with the products they love,” he said.

From measuring reach to measuring connection:

Mass reach and frequency ad campaigns are not enough to move ad-fatigued consumers to take action. The lack of innovation in advertising has trained us to tune out. Relevance and authentic connection is what matters.

From passive audience to immersed creators:

While second-screen content consumption might have been the norm a few years ago, with TikTok, we’re seeing more immersion than ever before, which is leading to a more engaged and more entertained audience who is willing to create content with brands - this allows brands to speak with their audience, rather than at their audience, creating a two-way engaging conversation with the community.

From transactional commerce to consumer commerce:

Shopping is moving away from transactional commerce to community commerce, the digitization of word of mouth. Consumers are no longer interested in ads that aim to interrupt and sell - they are looking for a more experiential and genuine shopping experience that is based on trust, authenticity and communication. Every month billions of people across the world come to TikTok to share real moments from their lives. While doing so, creators are sharing their honest opinions about products and services, which resonates with other users. A testament to this impact is #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, which has racked up over 12 billion views, becoming one of the world's fastest growing shopping phenomenons. A few examples of diverse products that TikTok made people buy include mascaras, jeans, feta cheese, skin care products, and many more.

From witnessing culture to creating culture:

Finally - perhaps the most important shift of all; brands are shifting from simply witnessing culture and attempting to keep up - to actually being a part of the conversation and even sparking cultural movements.