As TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States, brands in the beauty sector must reconsider their marketing strategies. The ongoing legal challenges for the app’s parent company, ByteDance, serve as a wake-up call for marketers who have come to rely heavily on TikTok for their promotional activities. A glance at the Indian market, where TikTok has been absent since 2020, provides valuable insights into how brands can adapt in a post-TikTok landscape.
TikTok’s Impact on Beauty Marketing
In recent years, TikTok has revolutionized the beauty industry, turning obscure products into instant bestsellers overnight. For instance, the K18 Molecular Hair Mask and the Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence achieved viral status thanks to TikTok’s influential platform. This surge in product popularity signifies a significant shift in consumer purchasing behavior and represents the unique power of TikTok for beauty marketers.
With TikTok potentially exiting the American market, beauty brands are left pondering the future of their marketing budgets and strategies. According to federal judges’ discussions during TikTok’s legal appeal, there is a growing recognition of the fragility of this platform, echoing sentiments expressed by many US-based influencers and marketers who cannot fathom life without TikTok.
Lessons from India
Turning to India, where TikTok was banned back in 2020, reveals how beauty brands can pivot successfully. After the ban, Instagram emerged as the primary platform for beauty content, capturing the attention of ex-TikTok users. With the abrupt cessation of TikTok, brands in India had to adapt to a new social landscape without the app’s influence, leading to changes in their marketing approaches.
According to Sonalee Kumar, director at TCC, an advertising agency in New Delhi, the departure of TikTok necessitated a shift towards short-form video content and more localized marketing strategies. As brands transitioned to Instagram, they noticed a less polished style of beauty content that resonated better with their audience’s desires for authenticity and relatability.
The Dominance of Instagram Reels
Instagram has capitalized on TikTok’s absence by launching Reels, and it has since become the main avenue for beauty content in India. As Arjun Sawhney from TCC states, “Nothing comes close [to Instagram].” This transition was smoother in India because the ban happened earlier in TikTok’s growth phase when many beauty brands were still evaluating the platform’s full potential.
While Instagram embraced short-form videos, the nature of content has evolved. According to a 2023 Mintel survey, relatable content now significantly influences follower engagement. Humor and authentic reviews dominate the factors driving consumer connections with influencers, reflecting a substantial cultural shift from the highly curated aesthetics of Instagram.
Beauty influencer Seerat Saini elaborates: “In India, influencers treat Instagram more casually than their US counterparts. There’s less pressure to present a highly polished image.” This contrasts with how US beauty influencers utilize Instagram as a curated showcase, which could lead to challenges in audience migration in the event of a TikTok ban.
Potential Challenges in the US Market
Though the Indian market has shifted towards Instagram effectively, experts caution that not all trends will naturally transfer across markets. One notable concern is the cooling effect on the viral “TikTok made me buy it” phenomenon. While TikTok routinely propels beauty products like Dior Addict Lip Oil to sold-out fame, Instagram still struggles to replicate that viral sales impact.
Shamika Haldipurkar, founder of skincare brand D’you, notes, “A direct sales boost from Instagram content is rare. Content here nurtures a warm audience rather than pushing for immediate sales.” This difference signifies a fundamental change in how marketers need to approach consumer engagement if TikTok is no longer available.
Additionally, the cost implications are profound. As highlighted by Namrata Nayyar-Kamdar, founder of skincare brand Plenaire, acquiring customers on platforms like Instagram can be significantly costlier than on TikTok. Thus, a marketing strategy centered around Instagram will require brands to increase their spending or adjust their economic expectations for returns.
A New Strategic Landscape
In light of these challenges, brands in the US might find value in diversifying their influencer networks, as Indian marketers have done. Rather than relying heavily on a few major influencers, companies may opt for a broader base of micro-influencers with niche followings. In India, agencies are shifting from campaigns featuring five major influencers to working with thirty to forty smaller ones, thereby expanding their reach while managing costs more effectively.
The experience of India serves as a potential model for US beauty brands if they face a TikTok ban. Adapting to this new reality necessitates exploring various strategies, from leveraging different platforms to engaging with a multiplicity of influencers.
In summary, as the future of TikTok remains uncertain, beauty brands must proactively consider the strategies employed in markets already devoid of the app. India serves as a compelling case study, illustrating that while challenges abound, opportunities also exist for growth and innovation in how beauty brands engage with consumers.
