TikTok has had a big impact on Fashion, specially last year, because it was a way to consume and create Fashion content very quickly, and with no need to leave the house to do it.
When one thinks about going on social media for fashion inspiration and finding the newest trends, Instagram and Pinterest might not be the platforms that come to mind now. In the last two years, TikTok has really stolen the spotlight. But how big really is the app’s influence on the Fashion industry?
TikTok is still a new social media platform, it was was just launched in 2018 - and has been downloaded more than 100 million times ever since. It is mainly popular among Generation Z, teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24. The idea behind it is pretty simple: anyone can post videos with a maximum length of three minutes, which get shown on the users’ “For You Pages“. Those users simply scroll down their personally customised page and interact with the videos that interests them. The whole construct of the app is based on very fast-paced experience, as the users don’t have to do anything but scroll down to get the content they like.
TikTok has had a big impact on Fashion, specially last year, because it was a way to consume and create Fashion content very quickly, and with no need to leave the house to do it – which was still a big deal just a few months ago.
Everyday, more and more brands are now using the platform to both determine trends and drive sales. If you are of a certain demographic or a regular online shopper – it is likely that fashion brands often show up on your For You Page, and the videos that go well enough to go viral tempt you to buy the next most wanted product of the month.
The urge of the youth for infiltered expression
Unlike Instagram, where all contents tend to be highly filtered and almost fake, fashion on TikTok is all about showing the reality.
Fashion content on TikTok tends to be more accessible and more influential – that is the reason why fashion videos, along with the products featured, often go viral. That’s why brands are tapping into hashtag challenges and sharing videos made by it’s users for content on their own official channels. For example, the ‘Gucci Model Challenge’ went viral last year was a trend which saw users pitch themselves in an unofficial Gucci model, with layers of clothes, scarfs on the head and much more. The hashtag 'guccimodelchallenge' had over 260m views - with Gucci itself jumping on the trend as an attempt to reach Gen-Z.
However, what really is catching the eye of Fashion brands on TikTok is it’s demographic and their spending power. More than 60% of platform users are young people of the Generation Z, with a spending power of over 150 billion dollars.
The power of the new TikTok Influencers
Another way that brands are reaching young consumers on TikTok is based around big events and the influencers that drive interest in them.
Brand sponsors usually gain exposure through TV coverage and in-person spectators, however, overall, consumers are watching less TV – for that we blame the huge amount of streaming platforms that are now available - and spending more time on social media, TikTok is proving to be an effective marketing channel. Influencer partnerships are a natural choice for many fashion brands on the platform.
As TikTok continues to invest in social commerce, it is likely that more fashion brands will become part of it, but, it is crucial for them to not lose sight of the reasons why the platform creates such a deep bond with users. Actually, the ones that are able to embrace the fun, authentic, and quite often random side of the platform are the ones that are most likely to be successful and connect with the audience. The more authentic the better!