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- TikTok Adds New Option to Facilitate Connection Between Creators and Brands
- D’Amelio Family Starts New Venture
- TikTok launches new AI ad script generator
- Heinz connects with past viral stars for new sauce drops
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Great Reads
Max Dougall On His Professional Journey To Becoming SHARE Creative’s New Business Director
Max Dougall, the New Business Director at SHARE Creative, hails the company's unique approach to using social listening to gain consumer insights. Having previously served as a strategist at other agencies, Dougall was drawn to SHARE Creative's innovative use of real-time data for precision-engineered brand relevancy. A crucial part of their strategy involves social listening to understand consumer behaviors and inform their strategic and creative actions. An example of their work involves F1, where SHARE
Creative provided insights on their changing audience post-Netflix series "Drive to Survive." SHARE Creative also adopts a distinctive approach to working with influencers, focusing on conversation drivers rather than vanity metrics. To keep pace with evolving technology, the company is also developing AI algorithms to support data crunching. In terms of future objectives, Dougall hopes to see SHARE Creative compete with major names in the industry.
TikTok Adds New Option to Facilitate Connection Between Creators and Brands
TikTok has introduced a new feature called "Open Applications" to facilitate connections between creators and brands. This feature allows brands to post details of upcoming campaigns that interested creators can respond to within the app. Previously tested since February, the Open Applications feature is now available to all brands in TikTok's Creator Marketplace.
Creators can submit their pitches, including a concept for the brand campaign, examples of relevant TikTok videos, contact information, and their proposed fee. Brands can then review the submissions and use preference filters and screening questions to narrow down their pool of applicants. This feature aims to provide brands with more options for collaborations and give creators more opportunities to work with brands. It streamlines the creator discovery process and enables targeted collaboration by allowing brands to invite specific creators to apply for their campaigns. To use Open Applications, brands need to verify their TikTok Creator Marketplace account and create an Open Applications campaign.
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Campaign Insights
Heinz connects with past viral stars for new sauce drops
Heinz has launched its "15 Minutes of Flavor" campaign, featuring past viral stars to promote its limited-time sauce releases. Rebecca Black, William Hung, and Kyle Craven, known as "Bad Luck Brian," will promote Black Garlic Ranch, Bangin' Brewery Mustard, and Yuzu Wasabi, respectively, on TikTok and Instagram. Each month, Heinz will release a new flavor at select restaurants, with a microsite offering a list of participating locations and a memory game. The campaign aims to tap into drop culture and leverage the nostalgia surrounding viral sensations to generate buzz.
Heinz's unique flavor combinations were inspired by consumer demand for adventurous and diverse flavors. The campaign was developed by The Kitchen, with media handled by Starcom's Publicis 57 and PR by Zeno Group. Heinz targets Gen Z consumers on TikTok and Instagram to build anticipation and capture first-party data. The campaign aligns with Heinz's unified global creative strategy, "It Has to be Heinz."
How C4 Energy is auditioning creators with its new TikTok program
Beverage and supplement brand C4 Energy has launched the C4YP program on TikTok to find up-and-coming content creators for its campaigns. The program offers TikTokers the opportunity to earn $1,000 per month by creating three C4 Energy-themed videos, and the top four creators will be offered a six-month contract to join C4 as official creators.
The aim of the program is to generate a wide range of content to make C4 products a mainstay on TikTok. The company already has celebrity ambassadors and influencers, and the C4YP program is a way to attract new creators and reach audiences across various categories. The program is expected to drive brand engagement and sales, and C4 Energy plans to expand the initiative to other channels in the future.
Beauty brands and influencers join Lemon8 with 'TBD' mindset
Influencers and beauty brands are flocking to Lemon8, a platform owned by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. Influencers like Christen Dominique and Victoria Lyn, who have millions of followers on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, have joined Lemon8, along with several major and mid-size beauty brands. The platform offers an Instagram-style feed that allows users to post both photos and videos, along with features like liking, commenting, saving, and sharing posts.
Lemon8 focuses on content related to tutorials, outfits, recipes, and travel, drawing comparisons to platforms like Pinterest and Xiaohongshu. Beauty influencers are finding success on Lemon8, attracting followers and engaging with their audience through watermark-free TikTok videos. The platform's affiliation with ByteDance and its financial incentives for influencers have captured the attention of brands and creators. While the future potential of Lemon8 remains uncertain, some experts see promising signs and recommend brands to consider leveraging the platform's growing popularity.
Kellogg partners with What Willy Cook for social-first Crunchy Nut campaign
Kellogg's Crunchy Nut has collaborated with foodie influencer What Willy Cook for a social-first campaign. The campaign features a film titled "Journey to the Centre of the Bowl," where Willy and his friend embark on an adventure to uncover the secret behind the irresistibility of Crunchy Nut.
They shrink themselves and explore the world of honeybees and engage in a Judo match with squirrels to secure the delicious nuts. The campaign includes a nutty song created by Leo Burnett, with lyrics written by What Willy Cook, and animated elements by Bite Collective and Absolute. The film will be accompanied by 15-second edits released on TikTok and Instagram. The aim of the partnership is to increase the recognition of Crunchy Nut's catchy jingle and generate excitement around the brand.
With TikTok star Keith Lee, Pepsi hopes to draw Gen Z to Black-owned restaurants
PepsiCo's Pepsi Dig In platform has joined forces with TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee in an effort to promote and support Black-owned restaurants across the United States. As part of the Restaurant Royalty program, Lee will use his TikTok platform, which has 13 million followers, to encourage users to nominate their favorite local Black-owned restaurants. Pepsi Dig In's campaign includes QR codes placed in the restaurants, allowing customers to nominate participating establishments and enter to win prizes.
The selected restaurants will receive funding and opportunities for growth, such as an eight-week program with expert consulting services. PepsiCo aims to leverage Lee's authenticity and influence to reach Gen Z consumers, allocating a portion of its marketing budget to promote the campaign on TikTok. The initiative is part of Pepsi Dig In's $50 million commitment over the next five years.
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Interesting People
Getting To Know Brianna Lynn: Influencer Turned UGC Creative Agency Owner
Brianna Lynn, founder of INTUITIVE SOCIAL, has transitioned from being an influencer to focusing on her UGC creative agency. With over a decade of experience, Lynn's micro-influencer background has allowed her to provide innovative solutions to clients worldwide. She emphasizes the importance of balance and self-care to avoid burnout in the industry.
Lynn sets herself apart by prioritizing collaborations with brands that align with her values, rather than solely pursuing monetary gains. In her UGC agency, she establishes long-term partnerships with content creators to ensure optimal conversions and consistent exposure. Lynn believes in fostering genuine connections, delivering meaningful content, and creating lasting brand relationships. She also emphasizes the significance of authenticity, diversity, and inclusivity in the influencer industry.
Baby Gronk's' father on the endgame of marketing young influencer
Madden San Miguel, known as "Baby Gronk," is a 10-year-old viral football sensation with over 320,000 followers on Instagram. His father, Jake San Miguel, discussed the marketing strategy behind his son's sudden surge of exposure. Jake revealed that he manages everything related to Baby Gronk's brand and movement, leveraging his connections in the NFL, college sports, and social media to coordinate photoshoots and collaborations. He emphasized that the content they create is purposeful and planned, and they separate the online persona from real-life and sports training.
Jake acknowledged that Baby Gronk is advanced and skilled in football and plays multiple sports, including baseball. Their goal is to build a platform and following for Baby Gronk to generate income and secure his future, aiming for him to become a millionaire by the time he reaches high school. They see the internet as an insurance policy behind his sports aspirations, ensuring financial stability even if he doesn't make it to the NFL. Jake highlighted the importance of building a strong following and influence to create opportunities and open doors for Baby Gronk.
OTK launches creator-led publishing label Mad Mushroom
One True King (OTK), a creator-owned media company, has launched its own publishing label called Mad Mushroom at the OTK Games Expo. Mad Mushroom aims to give indie game developers increased visibility through its network of prominent gaming personalities and their cross-platform social followers, which total 38 million. Unlike traditional publishers, Mad Mushroom involves creators early in the development process to ensure games resonate with viewers and prioritize replayability, audience participation, and engaging content.
The company plans to hire 10-15 employees initially and establish mutually beneficial agreements with indie developers, offering high revenue splits in favor of the developer and transparency. Mad Mushroom seeks to disrupt the standard publishing model by creating partnerships that benefit developers, publishers, fans, and creators.
Alta Sweet Tabar: Learn How This Multitalented Influencer Pursued All Of Her Passions And The Challenges She Faced Along The Way
In a landscape where influencer presence is crucial, Alta Sweet Tabar's multitalented approach has garnered her significant followings on Instagram and TikTok. Engaging in a diverse range of activities from dancing and singing to cheerleading and acting, Tabar creates vibrant content that resonates with her audience. She's found success in balancing her passion for performing arts and academic pursuits, largely attributed to effective time management.
One of her unique challenges has been maintaining relevance without sacrificing authenticity; she addresses this by adding her unique spin to trending topics. Looking ahead, Tabar plans to explore new creative avenues, particularly within music and dance. Influencer marketers can learn from her approach to audience engagement and authenticity in content creation, potentially setting a new standard in the industry.
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Industry News
TikTok seeks up to $20 billion in e-commerce business this year, Bloomberg reports
According to Bloomberg News, TikTok, owned by ByteDance, aims to significantly expand its global e-commerce operations and generate up to $20 billion in merchandise sales this year. This projection marks a substantial increase from the $4.4 billion in gross merchandise value the platform achieved in the previous year. TikTok is focusing on Southeast Asia, particularly markets like Indonesia, to drive this growth.
The company's e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, enables users to make purchases through links during live broadcasts. TikTok is also seeking to strengthen its sales in the United States and Europe. The expansion into e-commerce comes amid ongoing concerns regarding data privacy and potential Chinese influence, which have led to increased scrutiny of the app by governments and regulators. TikTok has not yet responded to Reuters' request for comment.
Black creators drive higher media value for marketers, study finds
A recent study by Group Black and Nielsen reveals that Black creators outperform their non-Black counterparts in terms of engagement, follower growth, and media value for brand sponsors across various social media platforms. The report highlights that Black creators have been largely unrecognized and undervalued by brands and marketers, with a pay gap of up to 35% compared to their white peers.
The analysis shows that Black influencers in lifestyle, fashion, and gaming consistently deliver higher media value than non-Black creators, indicating their significant impact and influence. The report emphasizes the need for more equitable investment by brands to close the pay gap and recognize the potential of partnering with Black creators. Black consumers are shown to have higher purchasing and brand engagement behaviors, making them a valuable audience for influencer marketing. Despite their contributions to digital media culture and trends, Black creators have faced appropriation of their work and unequal treatment in influencer campaigns.
Meta Expands Instagram API to Incorporate Creator Accounts, User Tagging in Reels
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, is expanding the capabilities of the Instagram API to offer more posting functionality for third-party platforms. The new features include the ability for third-party developers to facilitate content publishing via Instagram Creator accounts, allowing users to manage their content from a central dashboard. Additionally, the API now supports user tagging and original audio re-naming within Reels, providing more options for creators to customize their content.
Meta has also increased the daily media post limit from 25 to 50 posts per account across all media types. These updates aim to improve content management and flexibility for Instagram users, giving them more control over their presence on the platform through third-party apps and tools. Developers will need to integrate these new functionalities into their apps, and users can expect to see them available in social management apps in the near future.
TikTok influencers and celebrities overtaking journalists as news source
According to a report published by the Reuters Institute, TikTok influencers and celebrities are becoming the primary source of news for young people, surpassing journalists. The study found that 55% of TikTok and Snapchat users and 52% of Instagram users rely on ""personalities"" for news, compared to 33-42% who turn to mainstream media and journalists on those platforms.
The report is based on interviews with approximately 94,000 individuals across 46 countries. The study highlights the challenge faced by mainstream journalists in gaining attention on newer social media networks like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. The shift in news consumption patterns is considered a more fundamental change for the news industry than the transition from print to digital media. While Facebook remains the leading source of news globally, its influence is declining as younger audiences prefer video-based platforms like TikTok and YouTube. The report also indicates a decline in direct website visits to traditional news outlets, with more reliance on social media links. This presents challenges for media firms dependent on subscribers and ad revenue.
TikTok launches new AI ad script generator
TikTok has introduced a new feature called Script Generator, which utilizes AI to generate ad scripts for advertisers. The tool is available to all TikTok Creative Center users with a desktop TikTok for Business account. Advertisers input basic information about their products or services, such as the product name, description, and relevant keywords, and select the desired length of the ad clip. The tool then generates various video scripts with hooks, scenes, calls to action, and visual/audio cues.
While the tool can make ad creation easier, there are potential risks associated with relying solely on AI-generated content, including the possibility of inaccuracies and generic content that lacks originality. TikTok has cautioned marketers about this and emphasizes their responsibility in ensuring accuracy and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Despite potential concerns, some industry professionals, like Google's Head of Creative Partnerships APAC, have praised the tool for its understanding of the importance of creativity.
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Great Paywalled Content
Daddy, Are You an Influencer? - The New York Times
The rise of "dadfluencers" in the creator economy has been fueled by the pandemic and the popularity of TikTok. These dad influencers, or dads who have amassed significant followings on social media platforms, provide content about their experiences in fatherhood. The pandemic played a role in highlighting the increasing involvement of fathers in domestic life, and platforms like TikTok have provided a more natural and relatable way for dads to share their parenting journey. Advertisers have taken notice of this trend and are leveraging dad influencers to reach an audience that may not traditionally seek advice or inspiration from other men online.
Dad influencers are seen as authentic and relatable by their audience, creating opportunities for brand partnerships and collaborations. The dad influencer community offers support and solidarity to fathers who are navigating the challenges of parenting, and their content resonates with many parents who appreciate the honesty and vulnerability displayed. While the dad influencer space is still relatively small compared to other influencer categories, it is diverse and includes dads from various backgrounds and family dynamics. Sharing family life online does come with risks, but dad influencers continue to provide a valuable platform for sharing experiences and challenging societal norms around fatherhood.
A Reckoning Arrives for Creator Economy Startups - The Information
The creator economy is experiencing a reckoning as startups catering to creators struggle to find enough customers to sustain their businesses. Many of these startups, offering products such as link-in-bio tools, accounting software, and video-editing apps, are now seeking buyers, pivoting to new markets, or shutting down altogether. The target customers for these startups, smaller creators with less following and lower earnings, are not generating enough revenue to support the growth of these companies, especially amid a decline in advertising.
While some creator startups have managed to survive and thrive, the majority are facing the reality that their offerings were not relevant or compelling enough for most creators. This consolidation and shakeout in the creator economy is a common occurrence in the tech industry as weaker players are weeded out, leading to a reset and eventual market consolidation.
How YouTuber 'Blogilates' Went From Fitness to CEO of 8-Figure Brands - Insider
Cassey Ho, the founder of the YouTube channel Blogilates, has transitioned from posting fitness content to becoming the CEO of multiple 8-figure brands. Ho started her YouTube channel in 2009, initially posting fitness routines for her students. Over time, Blogilates became a brand, and Ho began selling branded merchandise and fitness products. Today, Blogilates generates eight figures in yearly sales revenue through digital and physical fitness products. Ho also founded the DTC activewear brand Popflex, which also generates eight figures in sales. Ho has pivoted away from fitness content and now focuses on her work as a designer.
She showcases her fashion design work on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, leveraging the opportunity for virality with short-form content. As the CEO of Blogilates and Popflex, Ho manages design, product development, and marketing teams. The companies operate under the parent company OGorgeous Inc., and Ho takes pride in bootstrapping the companies without external investors. The brands have experienced significant revenue growth, doubling their revenue year-over-year for four consecutive years. Ho plans to continue expanding her brands and will soon be launching a swimwear collection for Popflex based on audience feedback.
TikTok’s Star D’Amelio Family Starts New Venture to Help Influencers Grow Beyond Social Media - WSJ
TikTok sensations and social media powerhouses, the D'Amelio family, are launching a new venture aimed at boosting the careers of other influencers. Partnering with music-industry upstart Firebird, the D'Amelios will form a management company called DamGood Mgmt. With an initial investment of $20 million, the company will manage the family's various ventures and seek to sign other online stars with musical inclinations.
The move comes as influencers strive to expand their revenue streams beyond platforms like TikTok and YouTube. The D'Amelio family, consisting of Charli, Dixie, and their parents, collectively boasts over 400 million social media followers and generates an estimated $30 million in annual income. DamGood Mgmt represents an early test for Firebird's ambitions in tapping into the lucrative creator economy.
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