In June of 2021, lesser-known artists MightyBay and Number9ok released the song “574”. The title 574 comes from New Balance’s signature shoe model 574. The entire song and lyrics are about how the artists feel about the shoes and how they wear them. This song praising how stylish the 574 shoes are went viral on TikTok. New Balance created the 574 Challenge using this song on TikTok. Creators were encouraged to use the audio and post themselves wearing 574s. To do the challenge, you had to already own or purchase 574s, of course. The posts doing the challenge had the caption “It’s all about how you wear them”, again encouraging people to wear these shoes. The success of their campaign illustrates how custom audio can be the foundation of a great TikTok campaign.
What Are TikTok Challenges?
TikTok challenges can include anything from viral dances to recipes to pranks. Challenges encourage users to post their own version of each trend. Users participate in the challenges to either prove their version is better or to avoid FOMO (fear of missing out). As more people continue to complete the challenges, the trend spreads rapidly across the platform. This encourages all content creators, no matter the size of the following, to participate in the challenge.
Importance of Hashtags on Challenge Videos
When participating in challenges on TikTok it is crucial to use the specific hashtag that is associated with said challenge. This has become increasingly important to make sure your video shows up when the hashtag is searched. By using the hashtag, users are ensured that their video has the same potential to go viral as other users under the same hashtag. Another important aspect about using challenge related hashtags is the potential for recommend videos to show up on other users for you page. If a TikTok with a specific hashtag is liked by a user, more videos under that hashtag will be recommend to them on their For You Page based on TikTok’s algorithm.
How does TikTok’s Algorithm Work?
TikTok’s algorithm is based upon specific preferences for each individual user on the platform. This means that depending on which videos you like, comment, or share while using TikTok, they will generate similar videos onto your For You Page. For example, if you like videos pertaining to a certain TikTok challenge or a specific audio, they will provide more videos onto your For You Page that are similar in nature. There are many pieces that influence the types of videos that show up on your For You Page;
- Hashtags
- Audios
- Accounts Followed
How a Sense of Urgency Pushes Consumers to Buy
A sense of urgency describes the feeling consumers get when they are encouraged to act quickly about purchasing a specific product. This feeling of urgency can cause a consumer to purchase a product impulsively without giving them the proper time to think about the purchase. Marketers and many businesses today take advantage of this sales tactic to urge consumers to purchase immediately rather than waiting. There are many ways a sense of urgency can be used in sales tactics;
- Limited Time Only
- While Supplies Last
- Seasonal Discounts
- One Day Only Sales
- Free Shipping within a certain checkout time
- Limited Edition Items
All these different sales promotions, urge consumers to act quickly when it comes to purchasing their products. Another reason consumers will be persuaded to purchase a product is to avoid FOMO. FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is one way to describe the urgency brands can put onto consumers to push them to purchasing their product sooner rather than later. When there is a limited supply of a certain product, the urgency in consumer behavior is created persuading them to act quickly in order to avoid missing out on the product.
New Balance Created a Sense of Urgency
In a recent trend in the summer of 2021, New Balance capitalized on the song ‘574’. With many popular content creators participating in the #574Challenge, this created new demand. With millions of users viewing this challenge, this urged consumers to buy the 574 sneakers in order to participate in this challenge, or at the least own the popular shoe. With consumers from all over, looking to purchase these sneakers, it heavily increased New Balance’s sales to the point of sell out in many popular color ways.
#574Challenge – “It’s all about how you wear it”
The #574Challenge was so successful on TikTok from the help of popular influencers participating in the challenge proving that “it’s all about how you wear it” – the caption that was used to compliment the #574Challenge on all the posts. Some of the biggest names that participated in the challenge included;
- @justmaiko (52.1 Million Followers)
- @alyssamckayyy (9.6 Million Followers)
- @iamoliviaponton (7.9 Million Followers)
- @katiefeeneyy (7.0 Million Followers)
- @usimmango (4.9 Million Followers)
New Era of Advertising
With brands increasing their exposure on TikTok be on the lookout for new challenges to drive sales. It may be hard to tell if a challenge was started organically or if it was brand endorsed. With TikTok’s rising popularity, we can only assume to expect similar challenges in the (very) near future.
Have you participated in a TikTok challenge? Will you in the future?
Teaching Social Media 