While older consumers have become passively accustomed to the lack of escape from commercial advertisements, Gen Z has become too tech-savvy to be susceptible to ads.
If you’re one of the people who have the most basic subscription to Hulu, you’ve surely gotten used to its frequent ad breaks that last an excruciating minute and a half. However, there is an easy fix to tide you over the lengthy break: your phone.
Why watch a series of ads about cars, obscure medications, or irrelevant politicians when you can easily open your TikTok ‘for you page,’ which caters to your humor and interests? Or your Instagram feed, flooded with friends and your favorite celebrities? Or perhaps you’re like me, and take interest in Pinterest to make a board of fall outfit ideas. In any case, it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself invested in a commercial with no personal significance.
By introducing ad questionnaires, YouTube has attempted to personalize ads in order to maintain users’ attention, asking questions like ‘Which athleisure brand would you most likely shop from?’ or ‘How interested are you in __?’ Despite this attempt, the option to skip the survey is more tempting.
The skipability of advertisements may be their downfall entirely. A sponsored Instagram post is easily recognized as an ad with just a quick glance and scroll. On TikTok, it’s even quicker with the gray ‘sponsored’ box below videos.
But why does our generation have such a deep disdain for marketing products to consumers? Frank Rose, author of The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories, tells Branding Strategy Insider, “…people are so much more media savvy than they used to be and it’s not hard to figure out that advertisers are simply trying to advertise.” According to Rose, the issue lies within interruptive advertising format.
Allen Adamson, a celebrated branding expert and author, says that “branding is about signals –the signals people use to determine what you stand for as a brand. Signals create association.” What he means is that in order for a company to remain ‘brand-safe,’ they must have morals and a message attached to their products. An excellent example of this is Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez, which stands for unique and natural beauty. Skims, by Kim Kardashian, works toward making clothes for all bodies, and therefore, all people. Consumers are more likely to buy from these multi-million dollar brands because they are marketed to make us feel good about ourselves. It’s easier for celebrity-owned brands to create a positive association, because if their founder embodies the message, so will their brand.
However, sponsored influencers promoting products they likely don’t use won’t convince us to buy them. We know ads just tell us what we want to hear; for example, all skincare ads promise the same thing: clear skin, hydrating, barrier protection, etc, whereas a friend or reviewer delivers an honest opinion. The words of actual customers matter so much more.
TikTok has caught onto this shift in consumer desires and introduced TikTok Shop. The basic premise of TikTok Shop is that users can buy and sell products through the app. Creators can even shop for free products in return for making a video showcasing the product and linking it.
Some influencer brand deals even come with a monetary incentive instead of just a free product, but the cost of giving creators free products doesn’t even compare to the massive revenue they generate. So, why is TikTok Shop working?
Business owners are targeting small creators for these ‘product exchanges,’ such as people who haven’t amassed a large following, or may have never had a brand partnership before. They are more likely to take these deals and post a quick, low-effort TikTok showcasing a product. In some cases, TikTokers will simply say they have to make a video in order to get new products. Conversely, reviews are not compelled to be positive or negative. People are delivering their true opinions, which drives viewers to buy the products.
Instagram and Snapchat have yet to follow up with a new way to market products in the innovative way that TikTok has. Since advertisements have played an integral role in human society since the first printed newspapers, it’s hard to believe they won’t be able to adapt to the new digital era. Companies need exposure, and the most effective way to get exposure is through new marketing strategies. This shift from interruptive advertisements to reviewing content is sure to alter the way businesses market their brands, grow, and become popular in the coming years.
