How Europe's 'Mr. TikTok' Sees the App Growing in Importance, for Users and Advertisers

The rise of TikTok continues globally and specifically in Europe, where the social media app now reaches more than 100 million monthly users. That audience is growing beyond Gen Z, or "Generation TikTok" as it's called by the company. A year ago, Stuart Flint joined from Verizon to become the platform's head of Europe and global business solutions at the business. Even in the intervening period he has seen a maturing in terms of the public's perception of TikTok, explaining that his local cafe used to tell him he worked at "that dance app" but now has its own account and calls him. "Mr TikTok". They even add the TikTok logo to his morning flat whites now. His role sits within the international commercial arm of ByteDance, and he is building a team that supports clients and agencies while offering account management services to optimize brand performance. He says that a year ago there were only “10s of people” in the business across Europe but that has now grown to “hundreds” and growing. Flint admits that he has yet to meet most of the team in person following the Covid-19 restrictions that made remote work mandatory. Safety is the bedrock of everything we are doing—Stuart Flint, head of Europe, global business solutions at TikTok He talks about research that has been commissioned by the ByteDance-owned platform and conducted by Clear M&C Saatchi, the growth consulting arm of the M&C Saatchi Group. Covering five European markets: the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain, between October 2020 and January 2021, it had over 4,000 respondents around their behavior in using TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.One outcome of the research discovered the mindsets of the TikTok community and their reasons for using the platform. They have now been categorized into four pillars based on why they come: Entertain me, Participate, Uplift and Discover. He also discussed the opportunity that changes to data regulation, including the death of third party cookies, has for the community-driven platform as brands are forced to improve their direct to customer engagement strategies. What TikTok discovered about its community Research findings include that three-quarters of users come to the app to be entertained while they also use it for discovery and escapism. 83% of the community were also found to be responsive to branded content and that almost two-thirds (60%) of users felt more positive having used the platform. “When we think about ads and we think about making ad-based TikToks, we are creating an environment that is unique in the market. And that excites me,” he said. Flint said he's reminded of the public's enthusiasm for the app each time he visits his local coffee shop, where he is referred to as "Mr. TikTok" and the baristas draw the company’s logo on the top of his flat white. “People are crazy for it,” he said. “The hub of the home has always been the television, but entertainment is not just what's in front of you at 9 p.m. on a Saturday, it is what's in your pocket every single day. And it's these snapshots that you get of your life within your communities." The research shows that the community comes for the content, but they may also come to shop now too after the platform announced its Shopify partnership in October last year to enable e-commerce transactions. “There's this really special moment that we're seeing right now in the ad industry, on our platform of commerce, advertising and content all coming together very closely.” He added: "We have become very important to people. So, entertainment is key, and 75% of our audience has said how entertained they feel in that environment, which is just phenomenal.” Why advertiser interest is growing Flint also cites research from Kantar, released last September across 25 countries that reported that over 67% of TikTok users are over 25, a statistic the platform is keen for more advertisers to be aware of to alter the misconception that it is solely focused on younger users with dance crazes and lip synch videos. “The way that advertisers are coming to the platform now is changing,” he said, citing the work that Apple has developed and how that has evolved with 661.3 thousand followers. “When they first used the platform, they came on and they ran beautiful iPhone 12 ads… they've evolved now and started to create almost Tiktok-esque ads, which are unique to Apple, moving away from the comfort zone of almost great and beautiful ads to this guy dancing around in his white headphones. That for me is an evolution.” https://www.tiktok.com/@apple/video/6940021325981355269?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6942461201238787589 Flint also cites work by Garnier, which recently released a face mask challenge that drove engagement and signified the creativity available to advertisers working on TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@sophiehannah/video/6958836831827873030?is_commerce=1&name=GARNIERMASKMOMENT&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAALDl0sq-uDumshs7oG2c0oKKM0gbYhNCZECvXrF1R3ArqAbV8Hh39Lqh_iYtlD--G&share_app_id=1233&share_link_id=4B0000CD-2696-4A7A-B537-33D1EDD0287C&tt_from=copy&u_code=dc7l45gbk92c16&user_id=6822995475801654277&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&source=h5_m&_r=1&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6942461201238787589 “They're quite happy for our creators to be part of that journey with them. With our creator marketplace, we've got all of these creators that we have access to, and we pair them with brands and get them talking. Then they utilise that talent to open-up and allow access to thousands and thousands of individuals within their communities. That then sparks the snowball effect of these hashtag challenges that evolve and grow and become trends.” The way that advertisers are coming to the platform now is changing,—Stuart Flint, head of Europe, global business solutions at TikTok With third-party cookies set to be consigned to the grave, Flint sees an opportunity as brands must up their game in developing first-party connections with consumers instead of bucketing people into categories. “If we can create great mindsets and you can inspire people and help them discover new ways of experiencing your brand, that is the golden ticket… if we and our users keep putting out great content and advertisers see the opportunity within that across these four core pillars of mindset and you can click to buy - That for me is perfect.” The safety of young users He said data collected by the business is now done so with respect and that “safety is the bedrock of everything we are doing”, adding that the platform’s age gate and respect of not capturing information from anyone under the age of 16 is “important”. TikTok has been working with Media Smart, the nonprofit education program from the advertising industry to develop a series of videos offering viewers advice to help navigate misinformation and give practical tips for safer use of online platforms. Another report is also set for release to educate parents about advertising on the platform, while also teaching parents how to ensure the app is set up for their children to use in an appropriate manner. “The data capture pieces is very limited at the start and we made sure that we are keeping those individuals incredibly safe,” Flint states. According to a recent survey run through Adweek/Media Consult, 49% of TikTok users said they have purchased a product or service from a brand after seeing it advertised, promoted, or reviewed on the platform. Nearly Half of TikTokers Are Buying Stuff From Brands They See on the Platform