TikTok is a platform for sparking positive change, from helping people overcome adversity to enabling small business growth to cultivating community. TikTok mirrors the American experience, where people of all ages, races, abilities and backgrounds share passions, connect, and build livelihoods. Over half of our target non-user audience cited negative news as a barrier to using TikTok, so we highlighted the positive impact on everyday Americans. 36% felt they 'don't need another app,' so we showcased TikTok's unique, relevant content. 17% viewed TikTok as 'childish,' so we shared impactful stories of creators and small businesses of all ages benefiting from the platform. Our task was to reinforce the ways TikTok has been a source of community, education, and passion, highlighting a diverse set of content creators driving positive change in their lives and others'.

What better way to overcome a lack of trust and understanding of a platform, than to find real examples of how it can be used for good? We decided to let the platform speak for itself, making a series of short TikTok user documentaries that could authentically expose audiences to worlds, people, and ideas about the platform in a relatable and trustworthy way. Sourcing real stories meant kicking off this campaign with a months-long journalistic research mission to uncover a range of TikTok users across The United States—from surgeons to teachers, nuns to ranchers, and veterans to restaurant owners. Our team developed relationships and trust with subjects; we came to understand their lives and worldviews, their hopes and dreams. These weren’t scripted pieces— our subjects shared their authentic stories with us, letting us capture meaningful moments from their lives that have, in part, been impacted or shaped by TikTok.

Our breakthrough was when we realized that TikTok doesn't have much familiarity or credibility with these non-users & Key Opinion Leaders, and they're unlikely to take our word for it. However, we could give our community of creators & small businesses the microphone, letting them tell their story about how TikTok has changed their lives for the better. That's why we chose the language TikTok Sparks Good. We do is provide the spark, it's the human beings on this app that make it what it is. This campaign was aimed at everyone across the country that said "TikTok? That's just for young kids dancing" to which we get to now say "Have you met Kenny? Or Jessie?"

In January of 2023 we kicked off the project with a story hunt across the United States to find stories that demonstrated “the unexpected positive impact of TikTok” and looked for creators that were “relatable and credible”. Given non-users tended to associate us with young people and more frivolous content, we aimed to showcase useful and impactful content (raising money for charity, saving a failing business, educating veterans, etc). interviewed hundreds of TikTok users who were using the platform to Spark Good.

In February 2023 we started production. We shot six Sparks Good documentaries across seven cities.

In April 2023 Sparks Good spots began airing on national TV.

In October of 2023, we began production on 10 Sparks Good documentaries across 10 cities, we wrapped production in December 2023.

The purpose of this campaign was to shift perceptions among non-users and key opinion-leaders to show that anyone could find relatable, useful, and engaging content on TikTok. The two metrics we aimed to shift were perceptions of relatability and perceptions of usefulness among non-users as well as key-opinion leaders. We were extremely successful, seeing statistically-significant increases in both metrics. The campaign garnered positive mentions among media and KOLs. The creative performed exceptionally well, with assets performing "significantly above normative benchmark for Brand Consideration". Our media plan continues to improve over time, impacting both KPIs and on channels. We learned that premium television placements allowed for brand-building opportunities as well as contextual storytelling. We reached over 86% of our national target audience, shifted their perceptions of relevance & usefulness, and generated a national conversation around the diverse set of users, creators, and small-businesses that find value on TikTok everyday.