TikTok is the latest app to take the world of social media by storm. While its focus is on short-form videos, TikTok pulls elements from other popular apps including commenting, liking, and sharing posts, as well as filters and video effects. However; TikTok stands out from other social media platforms because of its incredibly broad audience, ranging from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. For a more in-depth discussion of the structure and increasing power of TikTok, head to our previous blog post, Why Tik Tok Should be Included in Your Marketing Strategy. In this article, we’re shifting our focus to how, and why, you should utilize TikTok to promote your Food and Beverage brand.
The How
The enjoyment of food and beverages comes in two forms: taste and visuals. We’ve all had that moment where we’re scrolling through our feeds and see a colorful, eye-catching photo of gourmet doughnuts, or a juicy steak with perfect grill marks, and instantly our mouths are watering. TikTok operates using this same method: showing consumers the delicious food they could be eating. TikTok takes this visual attraction a step further by providing unlimited ways for brands to showcase their food and beverages. Aside from the classic videos of cheese pulls, bartenders pouring up mixed drinks, and the always popular recipe videos, TikTok’s community-centered platform allows brands to tap into the ever-growing influencer market. Popular forms of this type of advertising include simple brand shoutouts, “come along with me” tours of one user’s experience at your restaurant, customer reviews, and more.
Additionally, food and beverage brands can take advantage of already existing trends. Kentucky Fried Chicken was one brand to take a stab at a recent TikTok trend that involved calling out your friends or family for their behaviors. While this trend had nothing to do with the company, and the TikTok didn’t even mention their brand name, they were able to showcase their products to thousands of viewers by participating in this popular trend. Sticking with KFC as a case study example, they also were successful in terms of capitalizing on user-created content. After releasing their Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders, TikTok users went crazy for the signature crunch that could be heard when biting into one of their chicken strips. Countless TikTokers recreated the original video, showcasing their first time biting into the now-viral chicken tenders. When this trend was at its peak, many KFC locations were often sold out of this famous menu item because the demand was so high as more and more users wanted to be a part of the trend.
Why It Works
These are just a few examples of the countless ways that food and beverage brands can utilize TikTok in their marketing efforts. Reposting user-generated content is one of the easiest ways for brands to promote their products without having to create their own advertisements. Additionally, TikTok can be used to showcase a snippet of the experiences users can have at your brewery, winery or restaurant. And of course, visuals are everything so a quick video of your food and beverages being made or even a clip of the final product can go a very long way. At Paperkite, we have experience creating TikToks for our clients, and we would love to help your business grow using this new and exciting platform. Let’s Talk about how we can help you showcase your food and beverages in a way that will drive business and build your brand!
