Revving up Relevance: Igniting TikTok's Storytelling Spark to Fuel Ford's Success!

Breaking Through the Noise: Navigating the Era of Ads Overload

In today's fast-paced marketing landscape, brand marketers face a multitude of challenges in the ever-evolving digital realm. Understanding audience behavior, decision-making journeys, and effective communication channels has become crucial. Brands must continuously learn and adapt to maximize investments and maintain impact. However, amidst the overwhelming noise and repetitive messaging across multiple screens and channels, it's easy for brands to lose their way.

Embracing Relevance: Stepping forward into the Attention Economy

It's time to recognize that reach alone is no longer enough to captivate consumers' attention. The battle has shifted to the exciting realm of the "attention" economy, where brands must go beyond reaching their audience and instead strive to build meaningful connections.

TikTok has captured significant attention from marketers as its undeniable business impact prompts brands to strive for viral trends, high viewership, and a beloved presence on the platform. TikTok's explosive growth has made it one of the top channels worldwide, amassing over 1 billion users in under 5 years. This trend extends to the GCC region, where TikTok captivates users' attention and reshapes the digital media landscape. It is increasingly clear that entertainment is the key driver of results, transforming how brands engage and connect with their target audiences.

By embracing the power of "relevance," brands can unlock the key to standing out and thriving in this attention-driven era. Understanding this concern, TikTok has partnered with Neurons/IPSOS to develop an insightful study. This groundbreaking research unveils how TikTok addresses the need for undivided attention, delivering unmatched levels of relevance and awareness. (The science behind TikTok's Relevance).

Having uncovered the insights behind TikTok's impact, the question arises: How can businesses effectively leverage these findings and deliver captivating relevance on TikTok?

Bringing Relevance to Life: Ford's TikTok Campaign for the 'Ford Territory'

Ford, a brand known for pushing boundaries, embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration with TikTok to launch their latest SUV, the Ford Territory, in the Middle East. Seeking to engage a younger, tech-savvy audience seeking vehicles that matched their personality, Ford set out to create a campaign that would defy expectations and leave a lasting impact.

Stepping away from traditional approaches, Ford's objective was clear: go big, bold, and break new ground. They recognized TikTok as the perfect platform to amplify their message and connect with their target audience in a fresh and innovative way. With its dynamic and creative environment, TikTok provided the ideal stage for Ford to unleash their creativity, captivate attention, and stand out from the competition.

The Relevance Framework: Unleashing TikTok Success through What, Who, and Where

TikTok joined forces with the WPP | Ford team in the Middle East to spearhead a groundbreaking framework that amplifies the brand's relevance on the platform. The strategic collaboration between WPP and TikTok aims to unlock fresh avenues for creative excellence, benefiting both WPP agencies and their clients. The success of the Ford Territory campaign stands as a testament to this dynamic partnership.

This innovative approach revolves around three key questions:

First we looked at "WHAT" is being said..

To unlock the true potential of TikTok as a storytelling platform, it is essential to understand what makes a creative resonate with its unique audience. The first question we explore is: What is being said? This delves into the creative aspect of the framework, focusing on crafting content that is tailored specifically for TikTok.

To gain insights into what truly works on TikTok, we conducted an in-depth analysis of nearly 40 creatives.

And we uncovered the principles behind Storytelling on TikTok ¹

1. The first 2-6 secs of the ads play a crucial role in the viewer’s Attraction

   1. Crafting a compelling message on TikTok entails leveraging visual elements, incorporating upbeat music, and preferably featuring human presence within a captivating storytelling format.

2. The response post 3s is strongly linked to the story Anticipation

   1. As the story unfolds, it is crucial to keep evolving by integrating human elements and expanding on product demonstrations in sync with the engaging combination of music and visuals.

3. Finally, make sure to determine the Action required from user in the last 3-5 seconds

   1. Showcasing diverse visuals of your brand while providing a clear call-to-action is imperative for sealing the deal and driving conversions on TikTok

Ford's campaign for the Ford Territory provides a compelling example of leveraging this aspect. By crafting a compelling message within the first 2-6 seconds, incorporating upbeat music, and featuring human presence in captivating storytelling formats, Ford effectively grabbed viewers' attention and sparked their interest. The story then unfolded by integrating human elements, product demonstrations, and a combination of engaging music and visuals. Finally, by showcasing diverse visuals of the brand and providing a clear call-to-action in the last 3-5 seconds, Ford sealed the deal and drove conversions on TikTok.

But what's also important is "WHO" is saying it?

When it comes to effective storytelling, the identity of the messenger holds great significance. This character should be Authentic, Relateable and Influential. The character should be relatable to the viewers and possess the power to influence their perception.

And TikTok Creators have emerged as the new age of influence, embodying these essential qualities.

Collaborating with TikTok creators has demonstrated remarkable results for brands, including Ford.

• 82% of TikTok users consider creators on the platform to be authentic, while 76% find them relatable. Furthermore, 69% of users acknowledge the influential impact that TikTok creators have on their audience. ²

• Our studies indicate that partnering with creators on TikTok leads to higher ad recall, amplifying the brand message and fostering a lasting impression. ²

• Furthermore, this collaboration breaks the traditional marketing funnel by seamlessly guiding users from discovery to purchase. Astonishingly, 85% of users who were exposed to videos featuring TikTok creators transitioned directly from discovering the product to making a purchase. ²

• The influence of TikTok creators is undeniable, as evidenced by the fact that 67% of users have made a purchase after encountering a product in a creator's video. This highlights the immense power of creator partnerships in driving tangible business outcomes. ²

For this campaign, Ford created several creatives, all creator-led and saw striking results!

Lastly, we delve into the vital aspect of "WHERE" its being said:

Where are creators most influential, authentic and relatable?In their Communities! Unlike traditional one-to-many influencer-to-followers models, TikTok fosters a many-to-many dynamic, where users actively engage and participate in their respective communities. The platform's algorithm recommends content from creators that resonates with users who are part of multiple interest-based communities. As a result, users feel a strong connection with the content recommended to them, leading to active participation and replication.

A significant majority of users, 81%, replicate content recommended by creators, while 67% are inspired to post their own content as a result. This highlights the profound community-driven nature of TikTok, where brand messages can organically spread and ignite engagement across diverse communities. ²

Furthermore, the impact of TikTok's content extends beyond the platform itself. Users not only actively participate in the community but also share the content they enjoy with others. Sharing content has witnessed significant growth (3x) year on year, with approximately 50% of TikTok content being shared on messaging and social media apps. This expansive reach amplifies the impact of TikTok's content, exposing brands to broader audiences beyond the platform. ³

And the best part? There is a community for everyone! Catering to various interests, passions, and demographics, whether you're a mom looking for parenting tips or a mechanical keyboard enthusiast seeking the latest trends, there's a community on TikTok that caters to every interest.

By understanding the significance of this, brands can tap into the power of TikTok's vibrant communities, leveraging their authenticity, relatability, and influence to propel their brand narratives to new heights.

Unleashing Extraordinary Results: The Impact of the Relevance Framework on Ford

Following the implementation of this framework, Ford produced 15 creatives that were creator led, tapping into TikTok communities that were relevant to Ford's potential audience. The results were nothing short of extraordinary, demonstrating the immense impact of this approach: ⁴

• Firstly, Ford witnessed a remarkable increase in Click-Through Rate (CTR), with a staggering 2.4X improvement compared to industry benchmarks.

• Furthermore, Video Completion Rate (VTR) experienced a significant boost, surpassing expectations with a 3x improvement to their benchmarks.

• It continues with a notable 25% increase in VTR to 100%, indicating that viewers were fully engaged and watched the entire video.

• In terms of Brand Lift Study (BLS) results, Ford experienced an impressive uplift in Ad Recall that was 3X Higher than norms in KSA and 2.8X Higher than norms in UAE.

We sat down with Ms Kiko Roest, who is the Marketing Communication Manager Ford ME to gain insights into the transformative impact of the Relevance framework on their business results.

According to Ms Kiko Roest, "It was definitely interesting to see how such an "Entertaining & fun" platform can impact the brand and generate tactical results that supported our main awareness objective, and contributed to Ford's full funnel objectives."

This successful campaign, leveraging the Relevance framework, serves as a blueprint for brands across various industries, not limited to auto, demonstrating the immense potential of TikTok as a platform to deliver impactful campaigns that drive tangible business outcomes.

Revolutionizing Marketing with Relevance on TikTok: Results Beyond Branding

TikTok is not just a platform that captures consumers' attention; it is the key to unlocking the full potential of Relevance. By harnessing the power of TikTok, brands have the opportunity to elevate their mind-share and drive significant impact on market-share.

In fact, studies have shown that TikTok delivers a staggering 2.4x higher impact on brand awareness compared to other digital channels. But the benefits don't stop there. TikTok's influence extends across the entire purchase funnel, translating into tangible results with an impressive 2.3x return on Ad spend compared to any other measured media, including TV and total digital. ⁵

For brands looking to maximize their marketing efforts, embracing Relevance on TikTok is the gateway to higher consideration and increased sales. It's time to tap into the unrivaled potential of TikTok and unlock the power of Relevance for your brand's success.