LESSONS FROM TIKTOK’S MARKETING STRATEGY
At this point, if you’re looking to increase brand awareness, distribute content, monitor trends and strengthen consumer engagement, social media should be a pivotal part of your marketing strategy. As a PR and marketing pro, the importance of staying on top of social media trends in order to leverage appropriate channels and ensure a successful campaign strategy, cannot be overemphasized. Living in this social media era, social networking platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter and so on have undoubtedly added significant value to brands who have included them in their marketing strategy and utilized them properly.
One social media platform that has recently been making waves especially amongst the younger audience (people ages 16-35) is TikTok, a mobile video-sharing app that has been described as a combination pack of vine, Twitter, and Instagram. It allows users to create and share 15 to 60 second videos composed of fun, thrilling, creative, challenging and humorous content and has now become part of the marketing equation as a number of big brands now use the platform to reach a large percentage of their younger audience.
The app combines the lip-syncing features of Musical.ly, which was acquired by ByteDance (the company behind TikTok) and the amusing features of Vine, making it a hub of catchy songs and viral videos. In September 2018, TikTok surpassed Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat in terms of monthly installs on the App Store. The app has witnessed a 275% YoY growth in monthly new users, surpassing rival companies like rival companies like Netflix, YouTube, Snapchat, and Facebook with more than 500 million monthly active users, one billion downloads in 150 markets worldwide and 75 languages.
While the other social media apps are still necessary for marketing, platforms like Instagram and Facebook are facing heavy content saturation and an increased number of fake profiles. So, businesses that want to promote their products or services to a younger demographic (especially) can strike gold with TikTok. Here are three things TikTok’s marketing strategy has taught us:
Digestible Content is still in: TikTok is quick, fun, and spontaneous. The videos shared and created are in a 60-second format. It understands its audience and this format helps consumers enjoy one content and quickly move on to the next thing. It leverages on the knowledge that people prefer more digestible, personalized and short-form content, usually sprinkled with humor. The platform encourages raw forms of expressions and creativity and this has helped increase its popularity.
The power of vision: TikTok leverages on the power of vision, keeping consumers hooked on the exciting and engaging content being shared. Videos have become more popular in online communities and vertical video is now on the rise, with research showing that it’s not slowing down anytime soon. BusinessApp also reported that TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app, either watching or creating videos, and most times with a mobile phone.
Authenticity will always be a priority: Ninety percent of consumers say authenticity is important when choosing which brands to support. TikTok videos are realistic, engaging and most times relatable, with fun challenges, memes, and behind-the-scenes videos. Many users are resonating with the brands who have honed their voice and remained authentic to who they are on the platform.
It is important to remember that marketing on any platform must be done strategically and with purpose. Not all platforms will suit all marketing campaigns and vice versa. It is also vital to ensure that your content suits whichever social media platform of choice. An example of a big brand who was successful on TikTok is Makeup brand, e.l.f. cosmetics. The makeup brand used the hashtag format to engage with the creator-driven community, by developing its own challenge with the hashtags #elfcosmetics and #eyeslipsface. The challenge encouraged raw and authentic videos as opposed to the widely polished videos being pushed on Instagram, and got over 4 million organic views. e.l.f. designed its campaign from scratch and was the first brand to create original music for a TikTok hashtag, with celebrities like Jessica Alba joining the fun. The campaign broke the record for the most user-generated videos in a TikTok brand campaign and was the first sponsored brand to hold the #1 trend spot on TikTok.
IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO LOOK WITHIN
We have all become so accustomed to living fast-paced lives. Waking up before the cock crows and going to bed long after the owl has fallen asleep. The past couple of months forced many of us to take a breather. During this time at home, people rediscovered things about themselves that had faded in between attending events, client meetings, conferences, workshops and so on. Several people rekindled old hobbies while many others picked up new ones. Others enjoyed the rare practice of being still; no pressing deadline, no persistent distractions, no traffic, just peace and quiet.
While a large number of people were surprised by how much they enjoyed this “time-off”, unfortunately, there were those whose homes were not havens. During an online forum, Karestan Koenen, PhD, a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health said that the pandemic could cause “an emerging potential crisis concerning mental health”. A report from the Well Being Trust, said the effects of the pandemic could lead to 75,000 additional “deaths of despair” from drug and alcohol misuse and suicide due to unemployment, social isolation, and fears about the virus.
Callers flooded the lines of phone centers to talk about health fears, job losses, relationship strains, and lonely days spent in isolation. Even among frontline health care workers and their families, there was an increased level of emotional stress as a result of anxiety. In a country like Nigeria, where its citizens thrive on communal living and social integration, having to be confined to one’s home was an unfamiliar safety measure. Jolade Phillips, Communications Head of Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI), during a live chat with Ventures Africa said they experienced a 70 percent increase in the number of people that reached out to them during the lockdown. The world saw an increase in emotional distress and mental illness risks as a direct result of the pandemic and the various lockdown orders.
Now that the world has gradually opened up again, lockdown measures have been eased, interstate travel bans have been relaxed, a number of businesses have resumed, albeit with strict adherence to WHOs Health and Safety regulations, we have returned to a semblance of normalcy that we are familiar with. Unfortunately, for some people, their normal has changed forever. While some get to resume work, physically and virtually, others who were furloughed because of the effects from the pandemic, have been plunged into the hostile pool of unemployment.
With the understanding that these are not guaranteed to work for everyone, below are a few tips on ways to calm your anxiety and embrace your new reality:
Prioritize safety: Although businesses have resumed and some have been required to physically be in the office, it is important to still adhere to all safety regulations. Wash your hands regularly, have a sanitizer with you at all times, wear your face masks in public and maintain the recommended distance between you and the next person.
Control your thoughts: Your thoughts travel to a million and one places but as someone somewhere once said “your mind is like a radio, tune it to a particular station”. Calm yourself by controlling your thoughts. Tune it to a positive place. Think positive thoughts, download apps dedicated to reducing anxiety and download meditation apps.
Time out: Don’t get sucked back into a busy schedule that you hurriedly forget all the good things you were able to accomplish on your “forced time-out”. Self care will always be necessary. Spend time with family and friends: Although we are still required to socially distance ourselves, remember that social distancing is not emotional distancing. You can still spend virtual time with friends, family and loved ones. Spending quality time with people you love is always uplifting. It can get you out of a bad mood.
Good sleep and a balanced diet: The benefits of a good night’s sleep can never be over emphasized. Poor sleep can negatively impact your mood and affect the body's ability to cope with stress. Not eating the right food can also starve your body of the nutrients it needs to function properly. So eat right and sleep well.
Exercise: Knowing that gyms are still inaccessible in some parts of the world, you can keep fit by taking walks, running, skipping, Pilates, Zumba, and Yoga amongst others. Being active is scientifically proven to put you in a great mood, relieve stress, improve memory, boost your energy and help you sleep better.
Know you are not alone: It’s important to remember that you are not alone. That we are all facing this together and have all had to adjust. We are all a bit anxious and uncertain. So find comfort in the fact that we are all in this together and we will get through it together.
It’s a different reality for every individual, and it could definitely get lonely and overbearing sometimes, but it’s great to remember that “We’re all in this together” and we can draw strength from one another. So protect your mental health, stay active and remain positive.
PRODUCTIVITY MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK IT IS
Productivity is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in our professional vocabulary. People often tend to think that multitasking or having a long to-do-list equates being productive, on the contrary, studies have proven that multitasking interferes with certain types of brain activity that should boost your productivity. Inc.com, one of America’s most influential magazines wrote “Business should not be confused for busyness.”
The founder of one of the biggest and most valuable brands ever, Steve Jobs, says that focus brings about success. "People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done."
Here are 4 questions to ask yourself to help determine your productivity:
What am I doing today? Asking yourself this question puts your day into perspective. Once you know the activities needed to be actioned, write them down in order of importance, pick the most important 3 or 4 and get to work.
Is this activity helping me achieve my goal? Distractions come in many faces, shapes and forms and our social media apps, emails, phones and even computers are prime examples. You have to make a conscious effort to eliminate all distractions and interruptions. Laser focus on one activity on your to-do-list for 2 hours straight and see how much headway you would make.
How long have I been working on this activity? This question helps you determine when you need to take breaks. If you have been working on a particular activity for a number of hours, take a break. This will help your body and brain reboot their energy as well as boost your motivation.
Does it have to be perfect? Perfectionism is a thief of joy. It’s good to remember that ‘perfect’ does not exist. Aiming to be perfect will leave you constantly feeling dissatisfied and stressing over one activity for the whole day. Ensure that you are thorough and take due diligence in whatever you do. Aim to be a high achiever as opposed to being perfect. Nathan W. Morris says “Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.”
Once you have assessed your current efforts to be productive, identify the areas that have been successful and those that have not. Improve on your system and stay focused, and you will begin to see positive changes.
BWL AGENCY WINS THE SABRE AWARD FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR
BWL Agency, has bagged its third SABRE award for Superior Achievement in Brand Building. The Strategic Communications Agency which was founded by Ronke Bamisedun, took home the Gold SABRE award for its work with Universal Music Group Nigeria.
Winning the SABRE award for the third consecutive year makes BWL Agency the only agency within the market to achieve this feat, further reinstating its position as an industry leader in the communications industry.
In addition to this, the agency received a Certificate of Excellence for its “More than Afrobeats!” campaign with Universal Music Group Nigeria and was shortlisted for the The Diamond SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Brand-Building amongst global giants like Volvo and Kaspersky.
In 2019, BWL won the Gold SABRE Award for the best Public Relations campaign in Western Africa, in the “Media, Arts and Entertainment” category for its work on Homecoming, a four-day cultural exchange founded by Grace Ladoja MBE, Skepta and BBK Africa.
In 2018, the communications agency secured the Gold SABRE Award for PR Campaign in Western Africa for its Jameson Irish Whiskey campaign, as well as two Excellence Certificates for their work with Martell Cognac.
Commenting on the award, Founder and CEO, Ronke Bamisedun said “Winning an award as prestigious as the SABREs for three consecutive years is such an incredible feeling. Over the last three years, we have won various categories with multiple clients, showing our diversity as an agency, our understanding of the local market landscape combined with an international outlook”. “ This win is not only a testament to the level of work we produce as an Agency but our ability to develop and execute campaigns that can compete on a global stage.” she added.
BWL is a strategic brand development and communications company in Nigeria, with a team of young communications disruptors, who have challenged the status quo within the sector.
The SABRE award is the world’s biggest public relations awards event, dedicated to benchmarking the best PR work from across the globe.
THE POWER OF DISRUPTIVE CAMPAIGNS
Lagos is experiencing a cultural shift.
Each year, hundreds of young consumers return home, bringing with them the trends and nuances picked up from their years spent abroad. These returnees - adventurous and non-conformist - arrive in search of spaces and communities that resonate with their evolving identities and the unpretentious values brought back with them.
What began as a subculture, the trends and practices of these alternative consumers have quickly pivoted into popular culture, offering brands in market a new, more receptive audience to engage with.
A strong example of a brand that understands the demand for campaigns which elicit emotional connections from consumers is Jameson Nigeria. Launched in 2014, Jameson Nigeria continues to challenge the status quo with disruptive experiential events and strategic partnerships, that integrate the brands many passion points.
Jameson Nigeria is known for building authentic human connections with and among their consumers. Through properties like World Beard Day and the 2018 Sabre award winning Jameson Connects, the brand has positioned itself as one that does not conform. From unique locally crafted invitations, to inclusive guest lists and unconventional event locations, Jameson continues to create spaces where ‘social outsiders’ can be seen, heard and accepted.
Through its strategic partnerships, Jameson has been able to play in the music, food, fashion and film space. Collaborating with events like Mainland BlockParty, Homecoming, NATIVELAND and Brunch Out, Jameson Nigeria has been able to engage with consumers on a level much deeper than surface.
By creating genuine moments of togetherness within the consumer marketing space, Jameson Nigeria has solidified its brand equity and image, generating talkability through thousands of pieces of coverage. Jameson’s experiential approach aligns perfectly with the way the Nigerian market is heading, their ability to be at the forefront of identifying and connecting with the new wave of subculture it what sets them apart from other products.
BWL 2019 FIRST HALF UPDATE - OUR YEAR SO FAR
As we approach the end of the first half of the year 2019, we thought we should share with you how the first half of the year went. Over the past couple of weeks, we have worked on some amazing projects and had the chance to work on some cool campaigns!
In March, the Jameson Hats and Tats party was everything we wanted it to be and more. Here, we introduced the alte stan and new Jameson Nigeria brand ambassador, Alani Adenle to our media friends and influencers. The opportunity to enjoy a glass of Jameson, great gourmet junk food and have awesome conversations, always makes for a good event! We generated some great coverage pieces for Alani by having him on TV Shows such as Spice TV’s 360 daily as well as some online pieces on platforms such as Pulse and Accelerate.
Easter weekend was a whirlwind of activities for us. This year, BWL led the press office for Homecoming 2019, a cultural exchange festival between Africa and the world, set in Lagos, Nigeria. The event featured a fashion pop up, where our media friends got to customize their Nike Jerseys. The panel talks were very insightful and our founder, Ronke Bamisedun, shared some tips at one of the sessions, themed: “Self Made: Pushing The Envelope In Your Field”. Jordyn Woods was also in town for Homecoming and in less than 48 hours, we put together a beauty brunch for her and some influencers sponsored by YSL Beauty and Grey Goose. The event finished with the Homecoming concert where we invited media and key influencers to experience the awesome concert.
In the same weekend, our favorite cognac brand, Martell Nigeria, were official sponsors for the 2019 Arise Fashion Week, Lagos, which has to be the most exclusive fashion show in Nigeria. We made sure that our brand cut through the noise by partnering with influencers such as Mawuli Gavor and Jules Olanipekun (Lovefromjules) who took their fans through their front row experience.
Still on our favorite cognac, Martell Nigeria, the brand ambassador, Mayowa Eyitayo hosted an amazing Mansion Party! It was nothing but great vibes, the event featured an Arabian themed Shisha room, a games room and a high energy outdoor party space where the guests were on their feet all night!
Moving away from client work, we have been working on some BWL projects. We recently launched our Talent division and we have already got some cool clients on our roster! We would like to welcome DRB Lasgidi and DJ Spinall to the fold! The BWL PR workshop aimed at giving young creatives an opportunity to hone their creative skills, returned with a bang. The last session featured the very talented, Niyi Osidipe, founder of Venn Agency, where she shared some of her tips and tricks on making it in the marketing industry. For more updates on when the next session will be, make sure to follow our Instagram @bwlagency.
It has definitely been a crazy couple of weeks, but we would not have it any other way!
BWL PR WORKSHOP
MARKETING 101
Our PR Workshop is back!
On Saturday 6th April 2019 we hosted our first workshop of the year, Marketing 101!
Self- taught Marketing wiz Niyi Osidipe spoke animatedly at this filled to capacity workshop. She is the founder of Venn Creative Agency, an agency of agile creatives that serve as a link between brands, influencers, and consumers. She manages Adekunle Gold and strategises his brand growth. She was also responsible for building the highly popular Hans & Rene brand by using experiential events, and influencer management to give the brand a voice that has increased its attention from niche to a sizable audience.
Last year, we looked at how traditional PR has lost its relevance with digital and new media changing how brands communicate with their audience. The workshop also discussed the best ways for brands to integrate digital into their PR campaigns. This session further explored the difference between PR and Marketing and how to achieve direct revenue through marketing activities to boost your brand’s success.
The workshop is FREE, however, we only have 30 slots available per session on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in joining us at our next session, please send an email to hello@bwlagency.com with your full contact details and why you would like to participate.
BWL WINS SABRE AWARD FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW!
More Gold for BWL ! We are so excited to have been awarded another SABRE award, for the second year in a row!
Last year we received the Gold SABRE Award and Certificates of Excellence for our work with Jameson Irish Whiskey and Martell Cognac respectively. This year, our hard work did not go unnoticed. We were announced as winners in the Media, Arts and Entertainment category, and received a Certificate of Excellence for the Gold Sabre, Western Africa for our work on The Homecoming.
The Homecoming, founded by Grace Ladoja MBE, Skepta and BBK Africa, is a three day cultural exchange which takes place annually in Lagos. The event features art, fashion and music, with performances from an extensive list of local and diaspora artists.
The SABRE ( Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement ) Awards is the world’s largest Public Relations awards program, which recognizes outstanding PR work from agencies all across the globe. This year, the award ceremony is set to take place on May 16th in Kigali, Rwanda.
We could not have achieved this without the amazing Homecoming team and this year again, we will be leading the press office for this amazing event! Thank you to the homecoming team for your support and for trusting us to make your dream a reality!
We look forward to working on more groundbreaking campaigns!
BWL 2018 HIGHLIGHTS
2018 was such an Incredible year for us at BWL Agency! The year started with some amazing highs from winning big at The Sabre’s, our founder making the Forbes 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa to our insightful PR workshops.
In November 2018, the All Africa Business Leaders Awards, AABLAs, one of the world’s most prestigious business awards that recognises outstanding individuals who are defying the status quo in their communities and the industry, in partnership with CNBC Africa announced the 2018 West Africa finalists. After a rigorous and extensive selection process, our founder Ronke Bamisedun, emerged as a finalist in the category- Young Business Leader of the year for West Africa.
To end the incredible 2018, we were shortlisted by Nigeria's leading finance and market intelligence news report, BusinessDay, as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing SME’s in Nigeria!
Last year was a great year for the company with multiple awards, certificates and recognition. This year promises to be even more remarkable and we have hit the ground running!
BWL WINS BEST PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN IN WESTERN AFRICA
We won Gold! We are thrilled to have won the Gold SABRE Award for the best Public Relations campaigns in Western Africa, how cool is that? We were also awarded two certificates of excellence in two categories and shortlisted alongside some of the largest brands and agencies in the world for The Platinum SABRE Award for Best in show, the highest category of the award.
BWL was the smallest of all the agencies shortlisted for this prestigious award. Albeit small, we are mighty! Our unique disruptive campaign for Jameson Connects Nigeria secured us The Gold SABRE Awards and The Platinum SABRE Award shortlist, whilst the fun curiosity led FOLLOW THE SWIFT campaign we implemented for Martell Cognac earned us certificates of excellence in the practice area categories: Marketing to consumers (new product) and Food and beverage.
We were also shortlisted as finalists for the 2018 SABRE EMEA from over 2,500 global entries, nominated for The Gold SABRE AWARD under the geographical category of Africa! This amazing recognition of “Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation and Engagement” for our Jameson Connect campaign was evaluated and selected by a panel, of over 40 industry leaders as part of the best work in Africa.
The SABRE (Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement) Awards is the world’s biggest Public Relations Awards Program, dedicated to benchmarking the best PR work from across the globe. The award ceremony took place on Thursday May 10th 2018 in Gaborone, Botswana.
We could not do this without an amazing team or client! Thank you to the Pernod Ricard team for having us as an extension of their team and for trusting us to bring to life their vision. We can't wait to develop more award winning campaigns!
Forbes 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa 2018
Our amazing founder Ronke Bamisedun was recently profiled by Forbes Africa as one of the 30 remarkable young entrepreneurs transforming Africa today.
The seventh annual Forbes 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs list was published April 2018. Ronke was selected from over 650 nominations by a panel of A-list judges.
Super proud of our founder!
BWL PR Workshop
PR 101
We hosted our very first PR workshop, Saturday June 30th titled PR101. Of course the first speaker was our founder Ronke Bamisedun! It was super informative, interactive and so much fun! We covered the basics of PR, such as The art of storytelling, Drafting a press release and Reviewed some of the the world's best PR campaign to name a few.
We looked at how traditional PR has lost its relevance with digital and new media changing how brands communicate with their audience.
Digital 101
We were joined by Lanre Odutola, a seasoned Digital and Marketing specialist. . Lanre has deployed disruptive campaigns for brand such as Diamond Bank, Knorr amongst others and currently works with Pernod Richard as a community Manager on Jameson, Martell, Chivas, Absolut and G.H. Mumm to clearly interpret their goals and develop their identity through disruptive and seamless solutions. This workshop showed how to integrate digital into your PR campaign to boost your brand's success!
The Workshop targets anyone interested in communications as a career or small business owners, needing support with creating awareness for their venture. Over the next few months we will be hosting a half-day session, once a month that will touch on marketing, branding, advertising with the aim giving a birds eye view of the industry to future communicators and business owners.
The workshop is FREE, however, we only have 30 slots available per session on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in joining us at our next session, please send an email to hello@bwlagency.com with your full contact details and why you would like to participate.
