How Reverse Marketing is Pushing Brands Forward on TikTok

No one likes being sold to, especially Gen Z. Their skills in ad-skipping and bullshit detection are unparalleled. They demand authenticity and transparency from the brands they love and have plenty of advice for the ones they don’t. Through a bit of marketing ju-jitsu, forward-thinking brands are focusing less on proving why they are a good fit for Gen Z, by having Gen Z prove why they are a good fit for the brand.

Increasingly, brands are taking an “inside-out” approach to social marketing through promoting fun, dream jobs for Gen Z as a way to break through and connect in a way that transcends product and builds trust. The strategy also gives brands a way to prove that their public values align with their internal practices.

TikTok’s recent beta test of TikTok Resumes transformed resumes into video-first content that drove earned media for Chipotle, Target, Spotify and Sweetgreen among others. With more than 30 companies as a part of the pilot, popularity is rising for related hashtags like #TikTokResumes (307M) and the meme-able #Dreamjob (2.5B views). With 75% of 16-34-year-olds saying they would apply for a job through social media (according to a recent YPulse study), the interest is certainly there.

Mixing in a little LinkedIn logic to your TikTok strategy can be a marketing force multiplier. In addition to raising awareness and word of mouth, encouraging applications in the form of short-form videos simultaneously creates a stream of engaging user-generated content, compelling consumer insights around the brand and category and provides a way for future-focused brands to grow their own influencers.

As one of Gen Z’s favorite brands, Nerf wanted to break through on TikTok. So instead of launching a branded hashtag challenge (now costing over $400k), they put out a call on the platform for a Chief TikTok Officer (CTO). The role requires the person hired to create 10-12 TikTok videos per month, and meet with Nerf’s marketing team weekly to brainstorm new ideas.

This level of transparency and collaboration, along with pay of $30k for three months of work, drove interest from applicants who were asked to “post the perfect Nerf-related TikTok video” on the app using the hashtag #NerfApplication, which received over 109 million views. Sophie Jamison, a junior at the University of Southern Maine and lifelong Nerf fan, was the lucky hire. Sophie’s @Nerfers101 account on TikTok soon swelled to 1.9 million followers, expanding organic reach for the brand across the platform.

Backpack brand JanSport tapped into the “dream job” approach for their 2021 back-to-school strategy. Starting in July the brand cheekily announced an opening on Tiktok for a “CMO, or Chief Mood Officer Requirements included having a passion for “sending memes to friends and being an authentic advocate for self-care.” Providing relatable comedy to the brand’s social feeds throughout the 2021-22 school year was a key requirement. This includes developing weekly content on TikTok for the brand’s channel including product reviews, skits, and interviews with creators.

As compensation, the “CMO” receives $3,000 in cash, including $1,000 for textbook payments, a monthly JanSport wellness package of products, and a home studio to produce content. To apply, candidates were asked to upload a video explaining why they are perfect for the role using the hashtag #ChiefMoodOfficer which generated 437k organic views in its first 30 days.

Bringing in passionate Gen Zers as advisors provides “reverse mentoring” insights that help brands better understand young consumers. As a part of Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, Moving Image & Content produced an event that brought c-suite executives from major beauty, fashion and luxury brands together with Gen Z thought leaders for conversations covering everything from social media, to shopping, sustainability and sex. Despite the working session only lasting one day, our clients still talk about how much they learned from connecting with Gen Z as collaborators and not just consumers.

As digital marketing costs continue to rise and it becomes harder to break through organically, smart brands need to recalibrate their Gen Z strategy. A new way to think about it? Offer Gen Zers a job, and have them market themselves to you instead.

EPISODE 5

The Value of Live Streaming with Top Twitch Gamer, Jericho

In Episode 5 of Kids in control, top Twitch gamer, YouTube influencer and music producer Jericho explains how gaming has gone mainstream, why live content on platforms like Twitch is so effective in building community and how brands can tap into live streaming’s meteoric growth.

–––––––––––

In collaboration with Advertising Week, we invite you to listen to Kids In Control where we explore the world of Gen-Z culture through the lens of its most prolific thought leaders. 

Created for future-forward marketing professionals, this series taps into the Gen Z mindset that is changing how we work, play, shop and socialize. From brand loyalty and influencer marketing to social media and social justice, Kids In Control offers insights into the changemakers themselves through candid conversations.

This article originally appeared in the August 12th, 2021 issue of Moving Image & Content’s agency newsletter. Subscribe here.