TikTok Series: one of the ways for creators to share their stories, talents and creativity. TikTok is also gathering steam as a platform for corporate events in Asia. Photo Credit: TikTok
TikTok cemented its status as a powerful tool for events when it was
chosen, for the second year running, as the official entertainment
partner for the Eurovision song contest. One of the world's most watched
non-sporting events, Eurovision took place last month in the UK, with
TikTok’s contribution viewed as a game-changing collaboration for the
event.
TikTok is also gathering steam as a platform for corporate events in
Asia. As Ilma Afzal, strategy director at Jack Morton, Asia said it is
the fastest-growing social platform in Asia this year, with the region
accounting for 67% of the increase in social users globally, according
to Insider Intelligence’s Asia-Pacific Social Media Outlook 2023.
“Seeing that it is an incredibly powerful platform to curate, share
and connect with Zoomers, Gen Z and Millenials, it's no wonder that this
channel can no longer be ignored for marketing/promotion/engagement for
event brands and its industry professionals,” she said.
Afzal said while certain sectors, such as FMCG, are particularly
receptive towards using TikTok, it was important to recognise that not
all events can be broadcasted publicly to mainstream audiences, either
because of guest privacy concerns, or because they may not be of
significant interest for TikTok content - such as banking and finance
closed-door events, or specific technology summits.
“The platform can definitely be used to generate buzz and excitement
for events, as well as position event companies as great places to work
in,” she says. “Our Asia teams regularly experiment with both LinkedIn
and TikTok to not only help curate creative client ad content, but also
behind-the-scenes interactive videos from permissible on-ground events.”
Lorela Chia, founder and managing director at GR8 Dreams, believes
that TikTok is the latest craze among event professionals in the Asia
Pacific. “Short-form video content is effective to hype up their events,
from teasers and highlights of past events, previews of what attendees
can expect at the event, to advertisements calling for sign-ups and
registrations,” she said. “TikTok is also useful for engaging with
attendees before, during and after an event, with fun challenges,
updates and interactive gamification to keep attendees coming back for
more.”
Chia added that TikTok can also be used to create exclusive content
that takes attendees backstage to see how the magic happens, as was the
case with Eurovision. From event setup and preparation, rehearsals,
interviews with speakers, performers and exhibitors and collaborations
with influencers, she said the reach and buzz generated on TikTok can be
powerful.
“This behind-the-scenes experience creates an amazing customer
experience journey for attendees, instead of a one-time experience, and
it helps build loyalty and community around the intention and cause of
an event,” said Chia.
For event attendees, TikTok can be a fun way to share their
experiences, all of which helps promote an event's success or failings,
highlights, attractions and overall vibe.
“Attendees can also connect with fellow participants by using
hashtags, reposting and commenting on each others' videos, making the
event a more social and even more interactive experience,” added Chia.
Oliver James, director of account services at Invnt, says event
professionals in the Asia Pacific are viewing TikTok as a platform
offering new avenues to promote exclusive event offers, drive relevant
content and increase pre-event ticket sales.
“The trick is to stay authentic to your audience and create content
that will truly resonate,” he said. “TikTok is great for event
professionals as it provides an exclusive window beyond the event itself
to showcase backstage content, post-event recaps, live-streamed content
for those who can’t make it in person, and curated content from content
creators with high reach.”
One of the most important things to note when using it, added James,
is that TikTok needs to be factored into the event planning process from
the beginning, and cannot be considered as an afterthought.
“And it’s not just TikTok content creators that can be the promoters
of your event - user-generated content from event attendees is also a
great way to capture and repost valuable content,” he said. “That’s why
you need to make your brand experience space as vibrant as possible -
anybody who has a phone has access to TikTok.”