Why Brands Are Swapping the Norm for the Niche on TikTok

In its '90s heyday, under the creative eye of Tom Ford, Gucci's billboards were all about sex, glamour and Kate Moss. More recent campaigns have been fronted by A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator and Iggy Pop. However, at the start of this year the fashion house made its boldest move yet when it turned to enthusiastic TikTok trainspotting phenomenon Francis Bourgeois to bring its collaboration with The North Face to life. At first glance, Bourgeois, best known for his wholesome train content, may not seem like the obvious choice for Gucci to showcase its $3,000 puffer jackets or patterned backpacks. But as the luxury fashion house looks to engage Gen Z, it's forging deeper relationships with niche creators on TikTok—and it’s certainly not the only one. https://www.tiktok.com/@highsnobiety/video/7054985041142926639?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7070178337474643462 Beauty challengers The Ordinary and CeraVe have seen sales rocket thanks to SkincareTok. Elsewhere, Toymakers like IMC Toys and Mattel are turning to creators like Rhia (@rhia.official), who appeals to tweens with unique unboxing-meets-ASMR content. Book of the Month, meanwhile, has built a full creator program around “BookTokers”: a strategy that’s driving up conversions. Why now, then, are brands starting to look beyond TikTok’s dance challenges and see it as a space to cultivate personality and community? Gen Z’s platform of choice TikTok has now surpassed one billion users globally and its reach is highest across the Gen Z spectrum (which includes anyone born between 1997 and 2012). According to Hootsuite 25% of women aged 18 to 24 and 17.9% of men use the app globally. Elsewhere, insights agency YPulse says 46% of 13-to 19-year-olds report opening the app daily. Bolstered by a boom in young sign-ups, active fan communities are springing up within TikTok’s walls, representing a plethora of interests. These subcultures are more than trends—they’re communities. They span everything from BookTok (for avid readers) to WitchTok (a community of spiritualists), Autonomous sensory meridian response (more commonly known as ASMR or soothing sounds) to Dark Academia (an aesthetic where classic literature meets preppy style). Want to watch frogs frolic around in tiny houses and TV sets? Then FrogTok is the place for you. https://www.tiktok.com/@dankfrogsbro/video/6949762888143736070?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7070178337474643462 For Jay Richards, CEO and co-founder of Imagen Insights which works with brands like Amazon and the NFL on Gen Z research, TikTok has shone a light on subcultures which may once have been confined to a remote corner of the internet or the edge of the school playground. “In society, people are now finding their niche in places like Reddit and TikTok and all they do is engage with the subject they care about and other people that share it too," he explained during a recent event hosted by social media agency Fanbytes. "The beautiful thing about this generation is they don’t give a crap [if people don’t like their interests], they go after it,” he observed. These niche, playful spaces offer an untapped lens into the inner workings of Gen Z culture and, naturally, brands want a slice of the pie. Currently though, they’re just testing and learning as they go. Virgin Atlantic is another that recently tapped into the ASMR trend, jumping on a hashtag which currently has 283 billion views with a video showcasing the sights and sounds of air travel. Marketing beyond the mainstream Richards said brands looking to work with the creators driving these subcultures need to make sure they’re in the same space as their own “tribe.” “You don’t always have to be there [selling],” he argued, “just be present and listen.” A good starting point for marketers is getting a feel for their own hashtags on TikTok and seeing where their brand shows up." Though advertisers are on a relentless quest to connect with Gen Z, the demographic is a tough sell. Recent research from Adolescent Content shows that only 8% of Gen Z-ers thinks brands understand them. Fanbytes senior strategist Celeste Houlke believes that in order to unlock the spending potential of this generation brands need to submerge themselves in culture beyond the mainstream. “It’s really important [for marketers] to listen to these niche interests, as well as learning and understanding what it is that Gen Z likes about their hobbies,” she explained at Fanbyte's event. “Gen Z is a generation that loves things to be personalized. They love to express themselves and they love to show off what they’re interested in. We need to understand why and meet them there,” she added. Sourcing unique talent Grace Fung leads influencer marketing and communications for Gucci’s parent brand Coty, working across its luxury color and fragrance brands. She oversees an in-house team dedicated to influencer marketing and the evolution of Fung’s job spec alone underscores the shifting prominence brands are now giving to creators in a creator market worth $15.2 billion. “We used to have a separate PR budget and my title was [PR lead] but now it’s 80 percent influencer marketing and the budget is seen as one overall marketing budget," she said at the Fanbyte's event. “Our brands team really sees the impact of influencer marketing now, especially when it comes to authentic content." Authentic creator partnerships are high on brands’ wish lists right now, but that doesn’t always mean handing over creative control. Fung admits that Gucci is “very specific” about how they work with creators, but at the same time extremely open to working with people who are unexpected or “completely off the grid.” “It could be someone who is into witchcraft but is also an architect. Finding that person in a sea of creators is a challenge,” she admitted. Speaking to talent and agents is key in finding these intensely unique collaborators. “I also do a lot of scrolling, jumping on back to hashtags [on TikTok]. My go-to [for finding niche talent] is always Dazed. You can go down that rabbit hole and end up anywhere.” The influencer POV Creator @rhia.official, who has found fame on TikTok with 13 million followers and counting thanks to her colorful unboxing and ASMR content, offers a perspective from the other side. https://www.tiktok.com/@rhia.official/video/7054634064145403142?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7070178337474643462 Having worked with the likes of Mattel, Amazon Prime and Disney, she says if brands want to have honest conversations with Gen Z they must give the creators speaking to them artistic freedom. “If you give us a rigid brief to follow and say, ‘This is how you must do it,’ then instantly our audience feels like that's a fabricated video. It doesn't feel authentic at all,” she said at the event. “We know our audience and we know what's going to do best. So let us use the hashtags but come up with our own caption. And then it breaks that barrier down. Don’t make it copy and paste for the same 10 influencers.” For brands, more lessons on working with these creators will come as they adapt to the platform and find their “tribe.” In the interim, there’s plenty of content over on FrogTok and BookTok to keep them busy. What Influencers Look for in Brand Deals

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Why Brands Are Swapping the Norm for the Niche on TikTok

Forget dance challenges—marketers are going down the rabbit hole

Rebecca Stewart

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Rebecca Stewart