While this quarantine has been detrimental to the global economy and businesses everywhere, there is no doubt in my mind that TikTok’s stock has gone through the roof (based on observation alone, still waiting on an official company report). Now that people don’t have many better things to do, there has been a great influx of TikTok users. I’ll admit that I had my doubts for it as a platform, but after spending hours a considerable amount of time examining the platform, I have come to realize that it’s a lot more than kids doing elaborate dances that I couldn’t have even imagined my uncoordinated preteen self doing.
If you give it a chance, you’ll find that TikTok showcases a lot of singing ability, artistic talent, humor, wholesome content along with the complex dances that it’s famous for. For the most part, everyone is still experimenting with the platform, trying to find their niche, and how to maximize the platform’s capabilities. As TikTok becomes more mainstream for the masses, it will only become that much more of a powerful tool for brands, influencers, celebrities, etc.
We’ve already seen how imperative it has become in the music industry: The top song right now on The Hot 100 is Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, which not-so-coincidentally is the soundtrack to a very famous TikTok challenge many people are doing with their families in quarantine.
Artists are recognizing the importance of TikTok in the younger generation. Dua Lipa, whose album Future Nostalgia recently debuted, commissioned Charm La’Donna to craft a TikTok dance to her hit single Physical as a marketing tactic to increase sales. Songs that have had a meteoric rise due to TikTok include: Say So by Doja Cat, Roxanne by Arizona Zervas and Savage by Megan Thee Stallion. Users on Twitter have even speculated whether Drake’s new song Toosie Slide was literally made for TikTok.
As with every platform, as you accumulate followers, you start to gain a level of fame. Zach King is in third with the 39.7 million followers, Loren Gray has been number one on TikTok with 42 million followers, up until Charli D’Amelio recently surpassed her now with 46.1 million followers. As top dog on TikTok, Loren had the luxury of making a guest star appearance in Taylor Swift’s newest music video, The Man. Swift, in an interview with Billboard said,
“Andrew [Lloyd Weber] will walk through the door and be like, “I’ve just seen this amazing thing on TikTok!” And I’m like, “You are it! You are it!” Because you cannot look at what quote-unquote “the kids are doing” and roll your eyes. You have to learn. I only see [TikToks] when they’re posted to Tumblr, but I love them! I think that they’re hilarious and amazing.”
Outside of music, brands are considering TikTok celebs within their business model. We can see TikTok stars entering a space more familiar with mainstream culture; TikTok’ers are getting invites to the hottest shows New York Fashion Week has to offer. 15-year-old Charli D’Amelio sat front row at Prada’s fashion show in Milan about six weeks ago. She even scored a guest feature in a Super Bowl commercial for Sabra Hummus.
We also see celebrities trying to break into the TikTok space by trying to create their own TikTok space: a TikTok experience. As per Britney Spears‘ pop-up website, “The Zone is a one-of-a-kind pop-up and immersive retail experience through the iconic career of Britney Spears.” It takes visitors through interactive rooms that mimic some of Spears’ most iconic music videos … conveniently perfect for TikTok.
Rihanna has done something similar by opening her Fenty Beauty TikTok House. According to a press release outlined by Harper’s Bazaar,
“Burgeoning TikTok users will be able to “raid the fully stocked ‘Make-up Pantry'” to create their own beauty-focused content with “Fenty Beauty spotlighting their creative excellence along the way,” a press release from the brand says. [Rihanna] went on to say that she finds today’s generation to be “the sickest, illest” and “the most creative”—which is what precisely inspired Fenty Beauty’s new venture.”
Furthermore, we can see celebrities try to sell themselves via TikTok and try to maintain relevance. Whether you are a YouTube influencer like James Charles or ‘Bop Star’ Lizzo, celebrities are entering TikTok with the hopes of expanding their presence and converting their fame into an internet personality.
You have celebrities like Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp recording viral TikToks at the SAG Awards.
You have JLo showing off dances and challenges with her family as well as promoting her #JLoTikTokChallenge mirroring her Super Bowl performance.
You have Tyler Cameron and Hannah Brown stuck in a quarantine house perpetuating everyone’s hopes that there is still hope for their relationship.
TikTok is taking on a whole new level of popularity. The earlier you get to it, the easier it will be to carve out your own space as a pioneer before it gets even bigger. There is still some resistance to the platform, but it’s more likely that this ‘fad app’ is more than a passing trend. There is so much capital within TikTok that has not been completely manifested or leveraged, making now the perfect time to create opportunity.