TikTok: We don’t want to take down TV
The Media Leader Podcast
“From a user perspective, we do not view ourselves in the same light as TV, in terms of: we are not trying to compete for TV audiences necessarily and we do not have the dual-screening narratives that other channels have put out. We think that TikTok and TV actually in a lot of ways are quite complementary to each other.”
This is what TikTok’s head of client measurement for Europe, Israel and global gaming, Steve Lockwood, told Jack Benjamin on The Media Leader Podcast when asked about how the platform views itself compared with other social media companies.
Lockwood also stressed the need to create an “overall media measurement currency” in the UK to reflect the relationship between TikTok, TV and other channels.
“We’re investing a lot in terms of establishing the relationship of our audience to the TV audience,” he explained. “But we don’t want to use that to push out the message that TikTok is like TV. It’s just not the way we think about it.”
Lockwood also emphasised that TikTok does not view any other channel, whether it’s TV or another digital channel, with an “opportunistic angle” and the focus was on creating an experience that was “as strong as possible” for TikTok users and advertisers.
“Essentially, it’s not a major part of our strategy to take down TV,” he said.
Lockwood also discussed the company’s approach to measurement and how the industry needs to rethink the practice for the contemporary era, particularly when it comes to attention and cross-media measurement.
Listen to an excerpt of the episode or read a transcript of the conversation below:
The Media Leader: Earlier, you mentioned that you view TikTok as an entertainment company. That’s how TikTok views itself. And, to me, it brings up this debate among advertisers that I’ve heard a bunch, which is how much is TikTok like TV as opposed to like social media companies. I’m curious, from a measurement perspective, would you want to be considered more like TV in terms of measurement effectiveness and what you guys might be able to offer?
Steve Lockwood: I think there’s really a few components to that before the measurement perspective. I think from the user perspective, we don’t view ourselves in the same light as TV, in terms of: we’re not trying to compete for TV audiences necessarily. And we don’t have the dual-screening narratives that I think some other channels have put out. And we think that TikTok and TV in a lot of ways are quite complementary to each other. And I think that I see a lot of content on TikTok which reminds me of all TV shows that I used to watch — and so then I’ll go back to TV.
The Media Leader: I’d actually be curious to see what you see on your own platform. So it’s a lot of older TV shows that you see?
Lockwood: I do see a lot. I’m not sure I’ll show you — I’ll think about it. I might show you my “For You”; I may not.
But there’s that connection. And I think that a lot of the things that we’re all generally interested in that we watch on TV, we’ll start to see that reflected naturally in what is served on TikTok, so I think there’s the relationship based on the interests and hobbies and passions that we have — that’s all going to be reflected on TikTok in an automated way. With TV, we’re more in control of what we consume. And we see it as a complementary relationship.
From a measurement perspective, the idea of joint industry councils — I wouldn’t say it’s a major part of our strategy. However, we have invested a lot in our relationships with the WFA [World Federation of Advertisers], ANA [Association of National Advertisers], Isba, IAB. From a pure measurement perspective, the process that we’re going through in many markets is looking to integrate with accredited cross-channel measurement platforms where the advertisers can see the view of TV alongside the digital channels, in terms of incremental reach and audience verification, based on demographics.
So in the UK, we’re involved with Project Origin, which is going on throughout the year, where all of the digital channels and the TV networks are involved, and the big six agencies and some independents and the biggest advertisers. What we’re trying to create in the UK is an overall media measurement currency which does reflect the relationship between TV and TikTok and all these other channels as well, and not really been previously available.
And there’s a number of similar projects happening in different markets, certainly in the US. And we’re speaking to measurement providers that have got connection to both TV panels and digital panels. And so we’re investing a lot in terms of establishing the relationship of our audience to the TV audience, but we don’t want to use that to push out the message that TikTok is like TV. It’s just not the way we think about it.
The Media Leader: Would you say it’s unfair to say TikTok is almost coming for TV? Or that TV should be concerned about viewers using your platform more?
Lockwood: I don’t think they should be concerned. In terms of the competing channels, like the other advertising channels, we don’t focus too much on what they’re doing in terms of their own advertising experience, really.
We’re focused on making the user experience and the advertiser experience as strong as possible on TikTok and, obviously, we are aware of what the other channels are doing, but we certainly don’t view any other channel, whether it’s TV or another digital channel — we don’t view them with the opportunistic angle. Essentially, it’s not a major part of our strategy to take down TV. That’s just not how we think about it.
The Media Leader: It’s more important to collaborate on measurement?
Lockwood: Exactly.