With TikTok Under Fire, Brands That Rely on It Worry
Summary
Retailers, whether Sephora, Walmart, Target or Amazon, have also been big beneficiaries of TikTok, said Razvan Romanescu, chief executive and co-founder of Underlinings and 10PM Curfew, a firm that connects content creators with brands. The quick how-to videos can show the best way to mix and match spring sweaters and jeans or the order in which to apply toner, serums, moisturizers and sunscreen in a morning skin care routine. “For a direct-to-consumer business like ours, the platform is very unique,” said Nadya Okamoto, who started posting TikTok videos about the organic menstrual products of her company, August, in the summer of 2021. It has figured out how to advertise both in traditional forums (it’s now sold in 4,000 Walmart stores in the United States) and in more creative ways (sponsoring Jason Kelce’s pregnant wife, Kylie, at the Super Bowl when his Philadelphia Eagles played in the game last year). “I think it’s really important that brands have a bulletproof, robust marketing plan in a variety of media channels, both traditional and emerging, in order to weather any prospective challenge,” Ms. Hirschhorn said.