The report "What's Next 2024 Trend Report" was released by TikTok and mainly explores trend forecasts for 2024, including trend forces, key signals, community highlights, and action guidelines, aiming to help marketers and advertisers create in bolder ways. The specific content includes:
1. Trend Methodology: TikTok defines trends based on impact and lifespan, distinguishing between short-term and long-term trends through the "cultural velocity" approach. This report focuses on long-term trends, namely trend forces and signals, which will shape 2024.
2. Trend Force One: Curiosity Peaks:
- Phenomenon: Users on TikTok are looking for more than just a "right answer"; they want to discover new interests and perspectives, which leads to real actions.
- Trend Signals:
- Serendipitous Discovery Browsing: Discoveries on TikTok are full of surprises. People can find new specific interests and shareable obsessions, such as #newfinds and #tiktoktaughtme. These hashtags prove TikTok's power to drive action. Brands can tap into the needs and curiosity of the communities users belong to and create related content.
- Borderless Entertainment: TikTok makes the world local. Users can learn and explore different perspectives, and popular trends and voices cross geographic boundaries. For example, Canadian ice hockey, creators like Kris, and organizations like the NFL have gained widespread attention on TikTok. Brands should showcase the uniqueness of their own culture to resonate with diverse audiences.
- Community Highlights: Different TikTok communities demonstrate the phenomenon of curiosity peaking, such as creators and brands in beauty, fashion, CPG/food, and other fields sharing unique content.
- Case Study: Clinique achieved growth in click-through and conversion rates through a full-funnel marketing campaign, leveraging TikTok's power of discovery, creativity, and community.
- Creative Solutions: Give brands personality through music and sound, using TikTok's commercial music library and collaborating with sound partners; expand creative partnerships by working with TikTok Creator Marketplace and Creative Challenges.
- Advertising Solutions: Use the search ad switch feature to showcase unexpected ads; reach diverse audiences through Pulse; use video shopping ads to spark curiosity and authentic commercial activity.
3. Trend Force Two: Storytelling Without Boundaries:
- Phenomenon: The structure, characters, and plot of storytelling have become more unpredictable. Everyone on TikTok can unleash their creativity and subvert traditional storytelling methods.
- Trend Signals:
- Community-Driven Storytelling: TikTok users are no longer passive content consumers. Instead, they maintain dialogue with the community through experimental story arcs and fresh creative hooks. Brands can involve the community in shaping their identity and narrative.
- Staying Loyal to Fantasy: #delulu is a mindset and story format upgraded by the TikTok community. Brands can join in the fun of fantasy to connect with their audience.
- Community Highlights: Different TikTok communities demonstrate the phenomenon of storytelling without boundaries, such as creators and brands in gaming, QSR, retail, and other fields adopting unique storytelling methods.
- Case Study: Viking Rise IGG leveraged TikTok to showcase creativity during the launch of a new game, attracting players and interacting with users through brand missions and unique brand effects.
- Creative Solutions: Use script generators and creative assistants to create and customize video scripts; get inspiration from high-performing ads on the Top Ads Dashboard.
- Advertising Solutions: Empower community-driven storytelling through brand missions; use Spark Ads to share genuine joy; use Focused View to reach the community through connective storytelling.
4. Trend Force Three: Bridging the Trust Gap:
- Phenomenon: The trust gap between consumers and brands continues to widen. Consumers expect brands to lead positive social change and be transparent. TikTok provides opportunities for brands to communicate with consumers.
- Trend Signals:
- Let's Talk TikTok: TikTok has redefined some vocabulary, such as #quietluxury, #cleangirl, #girldinner, etc. Brands can build trust with audiences by using relevant cultural terms on TikTok.
- Trust FYProcess: Brands build open and honest dialogues with audiences by showcasing authentic processes and stories, cultivating networks with creators, and establishing relevance and influence.
- Community Highlights: Different TikTok communities demonstrate the phenomenon of bridging the trust gap, such as creators and brands in financial services, automotive, health/wellness, and other fields building trust by sharing authentic content and interacting with audiences.
- Case Study: Endy improved average ROAS and reduced CPA by using TikTok-first creativity and the right targeting solutions.
- Creative Solutions: Open new creator pathways in the TikTok Creator Marketplace, use video insights to analyze video creative performance, and obtain real-time learning and insights through the Creative Center.
- Advertising Solutions: Build organic presence through the TikTok Creator Marketplace and Creative Exchange, collaborate with creators to create authentic content, and use brand missions to engage audiences in a credible way.
5. How to Be Braver in 2024: The report poses several questions to guide readers in thinking about how to take action in areas such as curiosity peaking, storytelling without boundaries, and bridging the trust gap, such as uncovering the uniqueness of the brand, subverting traditional storytelling, and building trust with audiences.
In 2024, creative courage on TikTok stems from three major shifts in user expectations: curiosity peaking, storytelling without boundaries, and bridging the trust gap. Each trend force has two key signals. Therefore, this report provides marketers and advertisers with trend and strategy recommendations for creative marketing on the TikTok platform in 2024.
