TikTok seeks to second-screen the big moments

After years of incredible growth, the short video platform TikTok is now well established in advertising as it settles into a rich new position in the media mix, even amid controversy.

Why it matters

The Super Bowl is a TV event with many commercial breaks packed out for the big game with expensive advertising, but some practitioners are looking to the more competitively priced second screen alongside TV viewing. However, this is ultimately a story about mixed media and short investments built on long-term planning.

What’s going on

For some brands, like US insurance firm State Farm, a play for the second screen in the big moments is enough. Ahead of the Super Bowl, TikTok offered ad credit to the tune of 3%-5% for brands that spent between $50,00-$300,000 on Super Bowl campaigns. State Farm took advantage of the offer to gain a foothold on the biggest moment in the US TV calendar, Marketing Brew reports.

It’s the second year running that the company does TikTok-only advertising, tapping the talents of the hyper-expressive and platform's most followed Khaby Lame in something of a meta-ad about how to advertise at the Super Bowl.

While hard effectiveness data is yet to appear, the campaign has so far “exceeded expectations,” Kristyn Cook, CMO at State Farm, told the marketing website.

Can TikTok replace TV?

There’s a key detail here: the 2023 Super Bowl was played at the State Farm stadium in Arizona, naming rights the brand acquired in 2018, and just one of many similar investments. While the precise cost is not publicly known, this is a hefty long-term investment that the brand is now tapping into, given that State Farm appeared on screen (and in commentary) at the actual broadcast.

Still, TikTok is incredibly popular and has continued to grow its young audience – a recent report found that 44% of under-18 users globally use the platform and watch for an average of 107 minutes a day, rivalling long-form video platforms. However, this reach diminishes somewhat among older users more likely to be in the market for insurance.

In context

Despite its popularity, the news comes at a time of political trouble for the platform. Canada and the EU joined the US in efforts to stop government employees from using the app on work devices because of data-sharing concerns amid wider geopolitical tensions.

In a statement, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said: “I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones, many Canadians – from business to private individuals – will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices.”

Sourced from Marketing Brew, WARC, The Guardian, Statista

[Image: State Farm]