TikTok has launched a promotional solution that intends to help entertainment company marketers better target fans on the platform.
Spotlight identifies relevant TikTok videos for a given entertainment intellectual property and attributes an anchor link that takes audiences to a dedicated landing page for the title.
The landing page includes additional details such as synopses, cast listings and relevant videos from official accounts and creator content.
It also tells users on where to watch the content on streaming services or where to buy tickets to see it in cinemas.
Spotlight is targeted at marketers in the entertainment industry. A spokesperson for TikTok explained that “to fully reap the benefits of TikTok, we encourage the entertainment industry to think like marketers but act like creators” — and the tool is intended to help “take the guesswork out of” doing so.
For marketers, Spotlight provides a “comprehensive analytics dashboard” to glean insights about their fanbase on TikTok.
TikTok had previously rolled out a comparable feature for short-term projects, such as a four-week activation to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary last autumn. It had also previously tested the Spotlight solution with select partners, including Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) for the launch of Dune: Part Two.
As part of Spotlight’s broader launch, TikTok has partnered with WBD streaming service Max to activate House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones through the new feature.
Cameron Curtis, executive vice-president, global digital marketing, at Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, called Spotlight an “invaluable tool” that has allowed it to “elevate the social buzz around our movies”.
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Spotlight is reminiscent of IMDb, which also provides in-depth details about films and TV. By integrating such information into TikTok itself, the social media giant will look to improve user engagement while providing entertainment partners with another way to better promote their films and TV shows.
TikTok global head of publishers James Stafford called the feature an extension of the “digital water cooler” that is meant to appeal to entertainment buffs as a way to access communities of fellow fans.
“Gone are the days of huddling around a water cooler to talk about last night’s episode or weekend blockbuster,” Stafford said. “Today, there is TikTok, where our community of 1bn comes together to discover, share and connect around their favourite programming.
“With TikTok Spotlight, we are harnessing the ‘water cooler effect’, offering a full-service marketing platform that is supercharging our organic ecosystem, driving community and business results for entertainment marketers.”
The message is reminiscent of TikTok’s prior attempts to persuade advertisers that the platform represents the future of community. In recent years, its competitors — especially Reddit — have also emphasised the importance of community and suggested brands should take advantage of new tools to lean in to various subcultures.
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