TikTok Audio: Playing it by ear

On TikTok, brands and retailers are playing marketing by ear, quite literally.

 This is because TikTok sounds are a crucial aspect of the app. Viral sounds on the platform, such as Harry Style’s “As It Was” have been used in a total of over 3.6 million videos- but brands don’t always have access to them due to licensing issues.

 In order to navigate through the legalities, retailers have begun partnering with artists and launching challenges on TikTok to reach more consumers in an on-trend manner.

For example,  Pepsi announced a partnership with singer and actress Chlöe Bailey recently, to release a new version of the song “Footloose,” encouraging TikTok users to join a dance challenge using the sound. Pizza Hut also collaborated with Jon Moss, a TikToker with nearly 7 million followers, to create a Detroit-inspired anthem to celebrate the return of Detroit-Style Pizza.

For brands, a viral sound offers visibility and a higher likelihood for them to reach more users’ “For You” pages.

However, many of the brands partnering with artists for TikTok songs are trying to recreate what has already worked. But that doesn’t always mean the song will be a success.

Alessandro Bogliari, CEO and co-founder of marketing firm the Influencer Marketing Factory said in a recent statement;  “TikTok sounds have been important since the beginning. Brands can actually use it to their advantage because the algorithm tries to push what is working.”

And using original sound or music as an advertising tool isn’t new as retailers have been creating catchy jingles on television and radio for decades to drive brand awareness and consideration. But on TikTok, marketers have to adjust to a platform’s short-video format, its ever-changing trends and work with its unpredictable algorithm. This makes it a fast paced, and uncertain way of garnering interest and interaction on the platform. However, in the digital sphere, it’s interesting to CTM to see multiple big brands recreate the audios in order to go viral, and stay on trend. It is marketing that joins the level of your own audience- and even if it’s tricky to get spot on, it is effective when done well.