As Advertising Week APAC launches for 2023, TikTok will be making its presence at Luna Park felt as an event partner.
Mediaweek spoke to Denny Handlin, head of global business marketing at TikTok Australia & New Zealand about Advertising Week APAC as well as what people are currently loving on TikTok.
What is the benefit of being involved with Advertising Week APAC for TikTok?
“Being involved with Advertising Week APAC provides numerous benefits for us. It’s not just an excellent stage to showcase our creative community, our brand, products, and advertising solutions. It also helps us connect with the broader marketing industry. We gain so much valuable feedback and perspectives from our peers that really helps us to continuously improve our platform and advertising capabilities.”
What can punters expect from TikTok’s presence at Advertising Week APAC 2023
“We’re thrilled to be leading and participating in a range of discussions across the two days. Our general manager, Brett Armstrong, is kicking it off with a panel deep diving into the current state of the ad-funded web. Anthony Dever, our brand and creative consultancy lead, will then be chatting with creative agency leaders from CHEP & BMF about navigating creativity in a data-driven world, and our head of agency, Andrew ‘Cambo’ Cambridge, is on a panel discussing how high-performing brands are partnering with creators. I’ll also be judging a spicy debate on advertising mistrust and AI – and that’s all just on day one. To wrap up, day two sees one of our phenomenal industry leads Danielle Rigg-Smith, hosting a conversation with our friends at Canva unpacking their marketing success. We’re looking forward to great conversations and connecting with our industry colleagues and friends.”
Looking wider, what are some of the highest trends you’ve noticed in the industry over the last 12 months or so?
“A lot has changed in the past 12 months. Three key industry trends I’ve noticed are:
• AI + Humans – let’s get this out of the way first because everyone’s already read 10 articles about it this morning. Whether you see it as the imminent arrival of Skynet or a groundbreaking tool that gives everyone the ability to do more, there’s no denying these technologies are here to stay and will continue to improve. But despite all the advantages of AI, human insights will continue to power creativity. As David Droga said when referring to 2023’s four Titanium Lion winners: “The best ideas were made possible because of technology. But they weren’t technology ideas.”
• Community-first creativity: Brands that are leaning into communities, using collaboration and co-creation are winning right now. Triple Lion-awarded ‘Rosalia MOTOMAMI Live Experience on TikTok’ saw Spanish musician Rosalia realase her new music live on platform, shot the new album entirely on an iPhone, and offered exclusive access to her community. A great local example is what Nike just launched with their first ever TikTok community powered documentary, #1000Victories. As part of the Women’s World Cup, Nike is asking the Australian football community to share their victories, no matter how big or small, for the chance to feature in the documentary. The campaign is still live, so make sure you get your victories in.
• Joy in advertising is back. Post Covid, a lot of the work was either trying to make sense of the madness we we were all experiencing or striving to repair our fragmented world (think Burger Kings’ ‘Strange Times’ or Backup Ukraine). Today, what I’ve been chatting to other creative leaders about is that joy is retuning to advertising. Brands are having fun again. Look no further than Italian auto brand Fiat’s new campaign, Operation No Grey where they announced in an entertaining, optimistic, and quintessentially Italian way that they’re no longer making grey cars. We’ve all witnessed the plethora of brands jumping on the Barbie brandwagon. Or even McDonald’s who, in celebration of Grimace’s 52nd birthday, released ‘The Grimace Shake’ which is currently spreading some unhinged joy with over 2.9B views on TikTok.”
What sort of content are people particularly paying attention to at the moment?
“Ultimately, TikTok is an entertainment platform. So the type of content that continues to resonate with people is just that – entertaining. That means making people laugh, cry, say aha!, or just feel something. Modibodi just released “I’m dying inside”, a period drama following four housemates navigating the awkwardness of life as young adults while on your period. Created by Howatson+Company and production company Finch, the series stars TikTok comedian Samantha Andrew, and has already clocked over 2 million views on platform in just a few weeks. Our community are also strong advocates for creating a better world. So content that addresses social issues, promotes sustainability, and showcases brands’ social responsibility resonates strongly. Some great examples of this are the multi-Cannes Lion winning work from creative agency BMF for UNHCR, ‘The Reluctant Shanty‘, which drove awareness for refugees by leveraging the popular TikTok sea shanty trend, and the Spikes For Good Grand Prix winning work from TBWA Sydney for Consent Labs, ‘Classify Consent‘. Both of these campaigns were launched and proudly supported by our team.”
Where will TikTok be focusing its attention over the next 12 months or so?
“TikTok moves at lightspeed, so it’s a little hard to say where we’ll be in 12 months. But for right now, we’re focused on 3 things:
• Creativity and innovation: We’re a platform with a simple mission – inspire creativity and bring joy. We’re going to continue to innovate our advertising solutions, providing brands with more creative and immersive formats to connect with their audiences effectively. We look forward to sharing more at this at our #ForYou Summit Australia in September.
• Commerce and measurement: The TikTok community is disrupting the purchase cycle, from linear to an infinity loop – meaning that our community discovers products, shares their experiences with them on platform, which then fuels more purchases and sharing. We’re looking to further integrate e-commerce features into the platform, making it easier for brands to connect with customers and drive sales directly within the app. In addition to this, we’re continuously looking to improve our measurement tools to showcase the effectiveness of the platform.
• Safety and transparency: We will continue to prioritise the safety of our community and maintain a transparent ecosystem for advertisers. This includes robust content moderation tools, brand safety measures, and clear guidelines to ensure a positive and secure environment for everyone on TikTok.
“Overall, our focus remains on providing an engaging, creative, and safe platform for our community and advertisers alike – whilst pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of entertainment. Looking forward to seeing you all at Adweek APAC!”
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Top Image: Denny Handlin