ICYMI: Here is what we covered at Outsmart, Don’t Outspend: How to Approach Investments in 2023 presented by Direct Agents and TikTok.
On Tuesday, March 21st 2023, Direct Agents and TikTok co-hosted our first in-person content event of the year, “Outsmart, Don’t Outspend: How to Approach Investments in 2023,” at our NYC headquarters. We had the privilege of hearing featured speakers Jessica Malloy (VP of Marketing, Marvel Entertainment), Audrey Haener (Agency Partnerships Manager, TikTok), Sebastian Flores (Growth Team Lead, TikTok), Corey Levine (VP of Integrated Media, Direct Agents), Megan Conahan (EVP, Direct Agents), and Trevor Clune (Associate Director of Paid Media, Direct Agents), share their insights on driving campaign results, best practices for TikTok, navigating new consumer buying behavior, & more. Our guests enjoyed charcuterie and signature cocktails designed specially for the event.
Session 1: How to Position Your Brand for Success on TikTok
Corey Levine and Sebastian Flores kicked off the event by sharing that there are 159 million Americans who use TikTok and, on average, there are 300 billion video views monthly. 58% of TikTok users discover new brands and 44% of users buy a product immediately after viewing it on the platform. These significant statistics reflect how the entertainment platform can grow brand awareness, serve as an additional search engine, expand content viewership, and more. Sebastian discussed best creative practices on TikTok by sharing the following content strategy funnel: awareness, consideration, and action.
Full the full session recording here.
Session 2: Advertising for Direct Response on TikTok
Audrey Haener and Trevor Clune joined Corey and Sebastian on the panel to discuss common misconceptions, barriers to entry, measuring effectiveness, and why brands should be excited about advertising on TikTok. Audrey addressed one of the larger misconceptions that TikTok is an entertainment platform, not a social media platform, and therefore should be treated as such by brands. Trevor dove into the importance of having a creative consultant or partner to discuss best practices in order to adapt a brand’s content for success. Trevor explained that the Direct Agents teams constantly cross-collaborate with our in-house creative studio to address “what’s actually going on on TikTok and what kind of ads are you seeing and creating?”
View the full session recording here.
Session 3: How to Pivot Your Strategy for the Budget-Conscious Consumer
Megan Conahan and Jessica Malloy wrapped up the event with a fireside chat where they discussed themes like consumer buying behavior, increased focus on value, and how to be more thoughtful with your 2023 investments. Jessica explained that marketers have had to balance spend and performance this year, so its important to implement a pulsing strategy across platforms rather than being “on” in order to reach consumers. When asked about navigating today’s fractured digital landscape, Jessica explained that “the word ‘fractured’ is actually an opportunity, because it gives us an increased ability to be in different peoples’ lives.” Moreover, they shared that with an increasing number of platforms comes the responsibility to focus on value and how you can allocate your investments to reach those audiences successfully.
View the full session recording here.
For additional information or to get in touch with a Direct Agents expert, please contact [email protected].