Fanbytes CEO Timothy Armoo explains how the Gen Z agency can create viral content for toy and game brands. 

March was a month of massive change for the whole of the UK, but for six of Britain’s biggest TikTokers it was one of even greater change. These TikTokers joined the UK’s first TikTok house – created by us, Fanbytes – and in the last few months it’s been a whirlwind of crazy content, lots of laughs and endless livestreams as they document their lives. The house itself produces content ranging from lip syncing, reality TV series spoofs and pranks, to covering the house in millions of Orbeez, all for an audience of 16m+ Gen Z fans.

One of the brands that wanted a share of that audience early on was What Do You Meme? Its aim was to increase awareness and sales of its games just as lockdown was beginning, and over the last month we’ve done just that. Our games-night style content was viewed over 10m times, and received over 4m likes from our fans on TikTok.

Our format included the influencers getting together once a week to play one of the games while filming for the likes of TikTok and YouTube. This content was used for a series we called BytehouseWeekly Games Night, a format we knew our followers would love. Here’s three reasons why What Do You Meme x Bytehouse did so well on TikTok – but, most importantly, what other toy brands can take home from this campaign.

1. It prioritised the influencers and their content style

Branded content often results in showcasing the product and nothing else, which forgets a key point; it’s the influencer, on their own channel, posting this content. The reason this content performed so well was that we prioritised the influencer’s content styles and the relationships in the group, all while playing a card game. This created engaging content that felt natural to followers, but really showed how seamlessly the games could fit into the TikTokers’ lives, and therefore the audiences’ lives too.

2. It was a repeatable format that people bought into

This campaign wasn’t a one-off, but a month long series called Bytehouse Weekly Games Night. Followers were waiting for the next part to be released and were reminded about the games regularly, creating a re-targeting technique that encourages followers to check out the brands being highlighted. This is reflected in our views for the second week; TikToks received 4m views in total, compared to 2m+ in the first week. This was driven by the heightened anticipation for the next games night.

3. It felt attainable

The content itself was always filmed around a kitchen table with the Bytehouse Family, so viewers could easily see themselves playing this sort of game with their own families. This smooth integration into a viewer’s own life makes purchasing the product an easy decision. In turn, this leads to a clear increase in sales; this method reduces the need for viewers to imagine how the product could affect their lives.

Overall, the campaign was a success due to these three simple approaches, all of which toy marketers can use to supercharge their TikTok campaigns; the clear audience-product fit, the organic content, and the ease with which followers could see themselves enjoying the product. TikTok has burst onto the scene as the new kid on the block, but it’s important we don’t rush into it trying to use the same old rules. Understanding these three tips will help equip you for running your next successful campaign.

For more information, check out Fanbytes’ The Toy Marketer’s Guide to TikTok by clicking here.