The Youth Lab

A HELPING HAND

Everyone loves a bit of advice! In particular, there is big interest in advice content from older dudes. The unlikely hero of TikTok this year so far in Ireland has been the Solicitor Richard Grogan, joining the platform in December 2021 and quickly rising to fame. His catchphrase ‘That’s a law, and that’s a fact’ is quickly becoming a part of Irish Twitter vernacular. Grogan started focusing on debunking common legal misunderstandings to give people advice on their (mainly workers’) rights as part of an initiative from The Law Society of Ireland to do pro bono work. The content is helping people learn more about the law and is extremely engaging to just stay watching. On the global stage, young people go to Gary Vee with over 12.5 million followers for his wise words of wisdom.

“For young people in 2022, it’s about being progressive! Knowledge is so important and these kind of advice TikToks are relevant to my everyday life. Brands can take note of this and incorporate information and ways to give back to consumers. People buy from useful brands.” Bridget George, THINKHOUSE’s Breakthrough Scholarship Recipient

More helpful content on TikTok is blowing up via the live-streaming element of the platform. People are tuning into ‘study with me’ sessions, where you can collectively study, or live tutorials to join a craft class, learn how to DIY or even read together. This is really building out that sense of unity and allowing people who might be feeling isolated as the pandemic rages on to feel less alone.

WHO’S HUNGRY?

TikTok is literally teaching young people how to cook. From Korean whipped coffee aka dalgona coffee to *that baked feta* pasta to the green goddess salad that Lizzo has even tried out, there is a lot to be said for getting in on the cooking trend on the platform - especially if you’re in the food game. Last year there were reports of the sales of blocks of feta increasing by 200% in a grocery store in the US due to the ‘TikTok Feta’ craze.

“The learning curve on TikTok as a brand has been really exciting. The more you allow creators to create in ways that cater to their audience the more authentic, credible, and engaging the content ultimately becomes. Rigid briefs have evolved into open-ended creative direction, resulting in an end product that is raw and authentic. That 'hands off' approach might scare some brands but for us it's a way to ensure our campaigns are inherently credible and land our products in relevant, relatable situations." Brian Farnan, Brand Manager, Birds Eye UK & Ireland

Tiktok is developing a new service to connect with users after announcing at the end of last year a partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts in the US to launch TikTok Kitchens, a delivery service utilising ghost kitchens to cook up the trendiest recipes on the app and to get them delivered to your door. When a recipe is chosen, creators accredited with the original recipe receive a portion of the revenue from orders.

THE INSIDE TRACK

Tiktok users appreciate and really engage in being shown the creation process and journey in a way that other channels don't really have. This means behind the scenes content is popular, and you can get to know creators on a whole new level. For example, Charlie Puth is releasing a song that he basically created on TikTok and has documented the whole process, offering his fans the in on his thoughts and process. Employees are also jumping on these behind the scenes trends and showing what’s happening in their workplaces. The point of view (POV) content format is a popular trend showing the reality of workplace standards, as seen in the videos outlining the day of a life from the POV of working in an Amazon warehouse.

IT’S ALL COMING BACK WITH CLASSICS

The TikTok challenge is still in full force. Old musical hits from the past are still influencing young creatives and what Gen Z is listening to. Songs that trend on TikTok often end up charting on the Billboard 100 or Spotify Viral 50, and classic songs released over a decade ago are re-entering the charts because of challenges going viral on the platform. The latest musical-related challenge that caught our eye is people using the legend Celine Dion’s ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me’ in a new challenge. People are lip syncing to the song and creating appropriate popstar drama using accessories in their homes, like hair dryers as wind machines. These trends show how unpredictable and random youth culture can be - it’s fun to go all in on something that’s a bit unexpected!

BRAND TAKEOUTS

Explore ways to make your content more interactive; from filters, duets, challenges to asking fans what they want and giving this to them.

Quirky characters help get potentially dull messages across in engaging ways. Despite Zoom fatigue here’s also still great value placed on the ‘live’ experience when it comes to connecting over shared passions and productivity.

Get testing and be ready to think outside the box by changing up your briefs! Partner with creators who are in that territory and let their creativity lead. Maybe there is an unexpected partnership ahead.