Business on TikTok: After the Hype, the New Norm?

Business on TikTok: Beyond the
hype, the new norm?

AGENDA
01 / TikTok’s XXL performance
02 / But who really uses TikTok?
03 / What opportunities are there for brands?
04 / TikTok: Go or No Go?

01 / TIKTOK’S XXL
PERFORMANCE IN 2021

Let's firstly go back to the origin of TikTok: its merger with Musical.ly
01 / TIKTOK’S XXL PERFORMANCE
4
/ TikTok is a video-sharing mobile application, launched in
2016 by the Chinese company ByteDance.
/ In 2018, TikTok merges with Musical.ly, an app already
popular among young Europeans especially.
/ This merger gives TikTok a boost, which quickly goes on
to become one of the most downloaded applications in
the world.

The TikTok phenomenon: a meteoric success over the last two years
5
689m 2bn
monthly active users in the world
in August 2020 (54m in January
2018).
downloads in April 2020.
It is the 4th most downloaded
application (excluding games) in 2018
and 2019, ahead of Instagram.
Source: Digimind

The growth of TikTok greatly boosted by the health crisis
6
/ Recently, the health crisis has given a new
boost to social media.
/ In January, TikTok counted 800 million
members, since then, it is nearing a billion
accounts.
/ The application recorded its best quarter at
the beginning of 2020, with 315 million
downloads in three months (155.2 million more
than in the first quarter of 2019).
TikTok global downloads by quarter. 2017-2020. SensorTower

A trend that is particularly visible in France with lockdown…
7
6.5m 35%
of French internet users said they
spent more time on TikTok during
lockdown.
of 15-24 year olds used TikTok in
May 2020, which is an increase of
27% compared to 2019.
Source: Harris Interactive
13%
monthly active users compared
to 4.4 million in June 2019

… and which is also on the rise in the Grand Duchy
8
935k
views on #luxembourg
438.9m
the number of followers @jasminejessy has, the most
followed influencer from Luxembourg
(that’s 1.5x the population of Luxembourg)

How can the meteoric and ever-increasing success of
the TikTok app be explained?

A USER-FRIENDLY PLATFORM
EVERYONE CAN BECOME A CREATOR:

TikTok: infinite possibilities of video creation
11
/ Lots of effects to try depending on
trends
Video creation interface
/ Extensive musical library offered
by TikTok
/ Video format (3 secs to 1 min,
slideshow, live)
/ Speed of video recording
/ Adjustments: beauty mode, range of
filters, self-timer, flash

Two news feeds: “Following” and “For You”
Welcome page
/ Thanks to its unique configuration, TikTok offers its
users the possibility of switching between two news
feeds: Following and For You
▪ The “Following” feed remains classic. Like
on all other social media, here you can find
content shared by the people you follow.
▪ It is on the personalised “For You” feed that
the platform stands out from its competitors,
with suggested content tailored to the
preferences of each user.
/ Profile, likes, comments and shares
/ Tabs: Feeds, discovery, video creation,
notifications, profile
/ Feeds : Following and For You
12

The “Discover” tab, the holy grail of brands
“Discover” tab
/ In the “Discover” tab, users can find the current most
popular trends and music. Here in particular you can find
challenges, launched every day in the form of hashtags.
/ It’s THE holy grail for brands, who are here able to start
a challenge and see content created freely for them, by
users.
/ For emerging brands who don’t have a large community,
or simply for those who want to reach their goal more
quickly, social media offers a paid option so that the
hashtag created is more visible.
/ Challenges popular with brands as
picked up by users and therefore reach a
significant number of people.
13

Some examples of hashtag challenges
14
Mercedes Benz has launched the hashtag #MBStarChallenge. The brand encourages users of
the platform to recreate its world-famous logo in their own style. A way of increasing brand
awareness and creating engagement among TikTok’s audience, younger than the star-clad
firm’s usual fans.
RESULTS
850 million
views
185k
videos created
73k
participants
#MBStarChallenge

15
For the release and promotion of the film Jumanji, the account @jumanjimovie called on actor
Dwayne Johnson (@therock) to invite all users to respond to the #JumanjiChallenge. This
challenge consists of diving into the Jumanji universe and transforming into the character
you’d like to be in the game.
RESULTS
5.9tn
views
48k
videos created
#JumanjiChallenge

16
McDonald’s, on their @mcdonaldsfrance account, also usually launch challenges. To reach their
young target audience about the release of the CBO, McDonald’s launched the #cbochallenge. To
do this, they called on three French influencers, putting together a creative challenge that
encourages users to participate, by using the audio they created for the challenge.
RESULTS
10.8 million
views
400
videos created (approx.)
#CBOchallenge

17
The television channel @w9lachaine, which has more than 141.7k followers on TikTok, launched the
#lesmarseillais challenge for the launch of the new season in the Caribbean. Users were invited to
join in with cult phrases of the programme’s stars, by reusing the special “Les Marseillais” playlist.
RESULTS
401.3 million
views on
#lesmarseillais
481
videos created with
the audio
#LesMarseillais

TikTok stands out from other social media for its interface and functionality, but
above all for its algorithm.

How does the TikTok algorithm work?
19
The algorithm analyses the views, likes,
comments, shares and downloads it
receives.
The video is presented to a small
group of users likely to enjoy it
The user
publishes their
video
TikTok analyses
the video
TikTok predicts an
audience
Good performance
End of cycle
Bad performance
Widespread
circulation
This algorithm can also allow new
accounts or accounts with fewer
followers to grow overnight with quality
content, which isn’t possible on
“historical” social media.
Prioritising quality content

When the cycle skyrockets on TikTok: the example with Bella Poarch
20
/ An influencer specialising in lip sync (lip synchronisation), Bella Poarch is a very
good example for illustrating the effects of the TikTok algorithm.
▪ When she had a growing community (1 million followers), she released a new
video on 16 August 2020, where she lip-synced to a popular mash-up.
▪ The video was incredibly popular, you can see the gain in followers building up
over several days, with a following that increased six-fold in less than one
month.
/ So, it only took one piece of content, that was sufficiently effective, for Bella Poarch
to multiply her community on TikTok by 6.

02 / BUT WHO USES
TIKTOK IN 2021?

WORLDWIDE
DEMOGRAPHICS AND USE

TikTok users worldwide
8,1
36
50,5
100,6
10 FRANCE
3 BRAZIL
2 UNITED STATES
1 INDIA
In which countries is TikTok the most downloaded in 2020?
• In millions, as of 6 July 2020
• Source: Priori Data
…
17
11 10,7
9,8
8,8
1,6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Great
Britain
France Germany Italy Spain Norway
Distribution of active users in the 6 main European countries
IN EUROPE
AROUND THE GLOBE
* In millions of active users in 2020
Source: Bloomberg
o India represents 30.3% of installations, generating 611 million downloads.
o The United States are the third country with 165 million installations, making up 8.2%.
o France comes in 10th position, with 11 million users.
02 / BUT WHO USES TIKTOK IN 2021?
23

Active and loyal TikTok users
/ TikTok has a very high engagement rate, higher than
Instagram and Twitter, evidence of the application’s success.
The percentage of monthly users who open the application
several times a month is over 73%.
o Engagement among users in the USA has increased over
the past year, with frequent users representing 22.6% of
total users.
Average engagement rate on TikTok vs Twitter and
Instagram in 2019
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
24

An application to which more time is dedicated
25
52 MINUTES/DAY
66 minutes/day
74 minutes/day
82 minutes/day
UNITED STATES
GREAT BRITAIN
NORWAY

Focus on France: social media that's young and female
26
Men Women
67 %
33 %
Source: Digiday Pitch Deck
11-24
years old
78%
25-49
years old
19%
50+ years
old
3%
Age distribution on the platform Sex distribution

TikTok in France, 2019:
27
spent on the application
per user and per day, on
average
videos created by
French users
videos shared
hashtag challenges
created
hearts received by
French videos
hearts given by
French users
48 mins 270m
12bn
11bn
10m
248

60% of TikTok users are part of Generation Z, a young and ultra-digitised
population… let’s take a look at the reasons for this popularity:

Who is this Generation Z?
30
16 million+ in France: great potential for brands
1995 - 2012
“Digital natives”: born with the
internet
/ Born:
/ Distinguishing
features:
/ Demographics:
IDENTITY
PROFILE

Focus on Gen Z: hyper-connectivity
31
On average, Generation Z use their
smartphone for 4 hours a day. It is a multi-
purpose tool for staying informed as well as
interacting with a wider network. Digital use is
intuitive and habitual.
GEN Z
TikTok responds to this hyper-connected
tendency.
The user-friendly app suits everyone - there is
nothing simpler than scrolling with your thumb.
The variety of content available on TikTok also
meets the expectations held by different types of
user.
TIKTOK
Source: BFMTV

Focus on Gen Z: a rationale of immediacy and fluidity
32
Generation Z’s relationship with time has been
transformed through the use of phones. This
generation has developed a culture of
immediacy, in terms of communication as well
as consumption and access to information. They
are comfortable and capable of great reactivity.
They also grew up alongside the culture of
zapping.
GEN Z
TIKTOK
On TikTok, the video clips are very
short. Thanks to the functionality of the
app, it is possible to watch hundreds of
videos very quickly, particularly by
zapping, only devoting time to those
that you enjoy or that interest you the
most.
Source: comarketing-news

A window to the world
33
Thanks to social media facilitating
communication between individuals,
Generation Z is more open to the
world. For example, almost 70% of
them would be willing to work
internationally.
GEN Z TIKTOK
Depending on the country and culture, the
application can be used differently.
European users love comedy, fashion and
beauty. Chinese users prefer sketches and
fake hidden cameras. Japanese users
regularly enjoy choreography.
Source: Team RH

03 / WHAT OPPORTUNITIES
ARE THERE FOR BRANDS IN
2021?

DISCOVER “TIKTOK FOR BUSINESS”

Don’t make ads:
How do you best use the platform as a brand?
Make TikToks
Make a new trend
Make it interesting
Make a connection

Communicating on TikTok as a brand
03 / WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR BRANDS?
TIKTOK ADS
TikTok officially launched its
advertising offer for French advertisers
at the end of 2019. The application
offers 4 different categories of
advertising: brand takeovers, in-feed
videos, hashtag challenges and filters.
INFLUENCE
TikTok sees new influencers emerging
very quickly. A collaboration allows
you to create distinctive content. An
influencer allows you to address your
target audience on their turf, with
their codes.
CONTENT
More and more brands are starting to
use TikTok’s services. For a brand,
posting content on TikTok
demonstrates their creative talent,
and allows them to increase their
visibility and engagement.
37

VARIED ADVERTISING OFFERS
TIKTOK ADS

The different paid formats offered by TikTok
BRAND TAKEOVERS
Allows you to broadcast a video lasting 3
to 5 seconds upon opening of the mobile
application.
IN-FEED VIDEOS
An in-feed video format allowing you to
redirect traffic to a landing page or grow a
brand’s account.
HASHTAG CHALLENGES
The promotion of a hashtag for 6 days to
encourage users to use it for their TikTok
videos.
FILTERS
Brands are able to offer filters (2D or 3D)
which users can use in their videos.
39

Too Faced – Brand Takeover
40
To raise mainstream awareness and stimulate direct sales, Too Faced created a Brand
Takeover advertisement which, upon opening TikTok, presented a full-screen video for five
seconds, attracting maximum attention with a precise and instant message.
RESULTS
7.6 million
impressions
Too Faced is a cruelty-free beauty brand. With its “Lip Injection Extreme” gloss, it hoped to
reach young women from Generation Z in the United Kingdom.
CONTEXT
SOLUTION
1.3 million
clicks
18.38%
CTR

MINI – In-Feed Video
41
A creative TikTok campaign, with energetic music, to emphasise the timelessness of the
MINI Electric Hatch, while making the concept of electric cars entertaining to this new
audience. Thanks to In-Feed video-format advertising, it was one of the first advertisements
users saw in their For You stream, with a native feel.
RESULTS
1.2 million
impressions
The launching of the new MINI Electric Hatch in Australia and New Zealand led to the creation of a
new campaign to reach new audiences.
CONTEXT
SOLUTION
1.24 %
CTR
4.6 %
Engagement rate

Shein – Brand lenses
42
To promote their show, Shein created a brand filter. It offered TikTok users the
possibility of using this filter and sharing their nicest outfits on the occasion of PFW
2019.
Shein opted to use a 2D filter for the face in addition to a 2D effect in the
foreground.
SHEIN is an international online B2C platform selling clothes. In 2019, the brand
organised their first show for Paris Fashion Week.
CONTEXT
SOLUTION

ALDI Nord – Hashtag Challenge
43
To achieve this goal, ALDI Nord launched a dance challenge #FeaturingALDI, which asked
users to show off their dance moves. The TikTok community responded in their thousands,
submitting their own versions of the dance - all put on a main “challenge page”.
RESULTS
200 million
views
ALDI Nord is a discount supermarket brand popular in Germany, known for being a real innovator in its
sector. ALDI Nord needed to reach a market of young digital natives to promote its new national
campaign based on low prices.
CONTEXT
SOLUTION
168k
videos created
12.92%
Engagement rate

REPRESENTING YOUR BRAND THROUGH AN INFLUENCER
INFLUENCE

Influencers from all walks of life
It should also be noted that many more traditional celebrities (singers,
athletes, reality TV stars, youtubers, etc.) have joined TikTok and,
since they already have a strong following, can also act as
influencers.
TikTok has facilitated the emergence of new influencers very quickly.
On this app, audiences tend to climb at full speed, which is also a
plus for brands hoping to activate the levers of influencer marketing.
45

The most represented content categories on TikTok
46
Fashion and beauty influencers are very
present on TikTok, which offers a
format that’s just as visual as Instagram.
You can find a number of beauty
tutorials and fashion inspiration.
Dance and lip sync remain the main content
present on TikTok, be it professional
dancers or amateurs reproducing
challenges.
Comedy is becoming increasingly prominent
on TikTok. In particular, the app favours self-
deprecation and acceptance.
ART & DIY
DANCE AND LIP SYNC
The video format lends itself to small DIY
tutorials but also to artistic performances and
tips of all kinds.
HUMOUR
COOKING AND FOOD
The short TikTok videos allow the sharing of
recipes in a visual and creative way. A very
current trend, especially during lockdown.
FITNESS FASHION AND BEAUTY
Another trend that has made a giant leap
forward with lockdown: sport. The app lends
itself well to tips and daily routines, and sport
blends in perfectly with the rhythmic and
musical side of TikTok.

Top global creators
CHARLI D’AMELIO @charlidamelio – 92m
Dance
47
ADDISON RAE @addisonre - 63.7m
Dance/lip sync
ZACH KING @zachking - 50.3m
Entertainment
LOREN GRAY @lorengray - 48m
Singing/lip sync/challenges
SPENCER X @spencerx - 45.3m
Beatboxing
RIYAZ AFREEN @riyaz.14 - 43.4m
Entertainment

Top French creators
Rose @rose.thr 3.8m
Entertainment/challenges/lip sync
48
Léa Elui Ginet @leaelui 12.7m
Belly dance
Cyril Schreiner @cyrilschr 3.5m
Entertainment

Top Luxembourg creators
Wen @wen.xx 247.2k
Entertainment
49
Jasmine Jessy @jasminejessy 936k
Entertainment
Claudina Monteiro Silva @cleumonteirosilva 218.7k
Entertainment

What type of influencer should you choose for your brand?
/ Celebrities are personalities who are
now part of pop culture. TikTok has
already made certain influencers into
real muses who sometimes pursue
their career in music or cinema.
/ Macro-influencers offer strong visibility
to campaigns. They can allow a brand to
improve their image. Their engagement
rate is weaker, but they have a wider
reach.
CELEBRITIES
2.5 MILLION+ FOLLOWERS 750,000 - 2.5 MILLION FOLLOWERS
MACRO-INFLUENCERS
/ Their community is growing and they
have often already worked with one or
multiple brands. They allow a balance
between reach and engagement.
150,000 - 750,000 FOLLOWERS
MID-INFLUENCERS
50

What type of influencer should you choose for your brand?
/ Micro-influencers have a community that is often more
engaged and responsive. A micro-influencer will tend to have a
more focused audience, which enables you to take advantage of
high engagement and conversion rates. Micro-influencers also
have the advantage of offering lower rates, which means
different profiles can be used for the same campaign.
/ Nano-influencers are consumers who guide other
consumers. They have a small community with which
they’re close and they in fact have strong powers of
direction. There are lots of them and thus they represent a
strong potential to unlock.
MICRO-INFLUENCERS
50,000 - 100,000 FOLLOWERS 5,000 - 50,000 FOLLOWERS
NANO-INFLUENCERS
51

Yes to influencers, but for which audience?
Source: HypeAuditor
27,31
24,03
7,21
1,16
0,34 0,12
10,78
12,82 12,78
2,69
0,62 0,14
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
13-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
The audience of TikTok influencers in France, in %
Female Male
/ The profile type of potential audiences for
influencers in France in 2020 is made up of
60.2% females and 39.8% males, mostly
aged between 13 and 24 years.

WHICH RESPECTS CREATIVE CODES
CREATING CONTENT

There is one final way to communicate with your brand on TikTok: creating content
which respects the creative codes of the application.

How do you create good TikTok content?
MAKING YOUR CONTENT ATTRACTIVE
Since the description is limited to
around a hundred characters, it is
important to fully utilise the video
and audio.
55
You should share the right
message in less than one
minute, in a creative and
native way.
To reach creative users: access to an
extensive musical library and to several
effects offered by the application.

FOLLOWING A TREND / BEING ORIGINAL
56
When creating your own trend, it is important that
the action to carry out is simple and that everyone
can reproduce it by watching and adding their
personal touch.
Joining in with a trend or challenge can guarantee
a specific audience.

NEITHER INTRUSIVE NOR AGGRESSIVE
/ To convince them, opt for storytelling rather than classic
advertising. The ideal is creating advertisements
integrated with TikTok content as well as in the form
they’re created: advertising that respects the user
experience and combines performance and discretion.
57
/ Gen Z rejects traditional marketing and often
tends to avoid advertisements. It is important
they don't feel “marketed to” and that the video
is of genuine interest to them.

HASHTAGS
/ The use of hashtags means videos on TikTok can be indexed. Since the caption of the video is limited to around a
hundred characters, it needs to be concise and relevant.
/ The key is choosing relevant hashtags. For example, a challenge is always linked to a particular hashtag. There are
certain hashtags that are very popular and used on a lot of videos, while others are more niche. It is also important to
track statistics to find the best hashtags.
58

The #1: The NBA
59
/ The NBA was one of the first brands to use TikTok. Today, it is the most followed brand on the app.
The group has seven employees working full-time on TikTok content.
11.8 MILLION followers 255.9 million
likes
Contrary to their Instagram account, which focuses mainly on games and highlights, the NBA’s
TikTok account is a place where you can get your dose of comedy, memes and motivation. They
often share videos of players practising to dramatic music, spinning around the basketball court or
team mascots doing their best dance moves.
KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS

A French success: Merci Handy
60
/ Merci Handy is a French cosmetics brand founded in 2014 which specialises in making hand gels.
The brand is very skilled with social media and already very popular on Instagram (2nd brand in
the world with the best engagement rate).
308.2k
followers
12 million
likes
Attracted by the freedom and interactivity TikTok offers, Merci Handy cultivates the image of a fun
company by sharing videos that are mostly humorous. To do this, it doesn’t hesitate to ride the
waves of trends and challenges of the moment, to show its premises, but also its employees.

A local example: Clean and Car
61
/ Clean and Car is a brand of car wash based in Luxembourg. The brand already has a small
presence online (Facebook, Instagram, website), and has had a TikTok account for less than two
months, which has already taken off well.
830
followers
6,592
likes
Clean and Car posts regularly on TikTok. Its video content is adapted to the TikTok platform
and allows it to showcase its business. Even though its account does not have a huge
following, this does not stop certain videos from performing on the platform. One of its videos
received more than 280k views.
600k+
views

/ TikTok represents a real opportunity for brands with a target audience of 30s and under, and is becoming
more and more key for influencer marketing.
/ The platform has completely exploded in popularity with the health crisis of 2020 and lockdown, offering a
new means of entertainment, at your fingertips.
63
TIKTOK: A REAL OPPORTUNITY
04 / TIKTOK: GO OR NO GO?

BEYOND THE HYPE, SHOULD
YOUR BRAND (STILL) BE ON TIKTOK?
6

65
Ask the right questions:
The question may appear simple but in the sometimes blind
enthusiasm for TikTok, it merits an answer. 75% of TikTok users are
younger than 25.
Among them, more than two thirds are female.
Does that correspond with your target audience?
/1. Is my target audience on
TikTok?
1. Time passes and young people (also) get older.
Whilst an audience may not currently be your target, it could be in
the near future. It can be useful to plant your brand in the minds of
these target audiences.
2. Frankly speaking, it is unlikely you will find your next B2B lead on
TikTok.
Incorporating TikTok into your digital strategy
/ Tips

66
Unfortunately, not all brands start with the same “capital success”
when it comes to performing on the TikTok platform. Depending on
the consistency of their audience, their image, identity or even their
editorial tone of voice compared to those on TikTok, a brand starts
with more or less of an advantage.
/2. Does my brand universe lend itself to TikTok’s codes?
Depending on the consistency of their audience, their image,
identity or even their editorial tone of voice compared to those on
TikTok, a brand starts with more or less of an advantage. It is crucial
to find “common ground” and to create synergy between your
brand universe and the highly specific codes and mechanisms of
TikTok.
Do not try to distort your brand and change everything to try and
make yourself a place on TikTok.
/ Tips

67
Many brands have already invested in the platform to then abandon it
for lack of time, resources and eventually results. Producing content
on TikTok is an intense and time-consuming process that needs to be
followed to the letter.
/3. Do I have all the resources required to guarantee a relevant presence?
To avoid wasting your time and resources, you should clearly
define the range of possibilities and think up your strategy within
this defined perimeter of budget and skills.
Don’t hesitate to seek assistance from a digital agency.
/ Tips

68
Sporadic campaigns, influencer activation, year-round community
management?
Depending on your goals, there are many possibilities for profiting
from the platform’s power and immediate ROI,
But never overlook the possibility of a long-term presence.
/4. What type of presence do I want to develop for my brand?
Approaching TikTok with a long-term attitude and situating yourself
firmly at the outset can become a winning bet on the future when
we consider the prospects of potential development of the
platform, such as the integration of social commerce like Instagram,
for example.
/ Tips

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR
TIKTOK?
71

What does the future hold for TikTok?
72
/ Still not widely used by French and Luxembourg brands, it's the ideal time to get started on TikTok!
/ We can already predict the appearance of e-commerce functionalities on TikTok, as its equivalent “Douyin”
in China shows. The point is to start establishing yourself now to anticipate the wave of social commerce
and attract the interest of users with relevant content.

“THE HYPE HAS NOW PASSED, TIKTOK HAS ESTABLISHED
ITSELF AS THE HIGHEST PERFORMING SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG
GEN Z/MILLENNIALS AND INTENDS TO STAY THAT WAY! ”
- Joffrey Martin, Social Media Director at Vanksen
7

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
email: jmartin@vanksen.com
Twitter: @MartinJoffrey
THANK YOU
for your attention, please don’t hesitate to get in
touch with us.
Joffrey MARTIN
INTL. BUSINESS DEVELOPER
email: jbastin@vanksen.com
Jeremy BASTIN
BUSINESS DEVELOPER
email: flepage@vanksen.com
Florence LEPAGE
Thank you to Maxine Putoud-Daise for her contribution to the conception of this official report.
PARTNER
email: clorenzini@vanksen.com
Cécile LORENZINI
email: acamus@vanksen.com
Anne-Lise CAMUS
BUSINESS DEVELOPER

Business on TikTok: After the Hype, the New Norm?

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