I have chosen TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/en/ )as my company. TikTok was once known as a platform to show off dance moves and funny videos. In our digital age it has grown to be a strong tool in shaping beauty standards and influencing how people view themselves. I wanted to talk about this company because they have recently gotten backlash for a recent filter they uploaded, "Chubby Filter". This started as a promotional tool, but it quickly got turned around when influencers started using this filter to body shame others. This topic will highlight the company's marketing strategy, and the harm digital effects can have on body images.
TikTok's value proposition is to allow users/influencers/brands to
create, discover, and share short videos that are informative, funny,
authentic, and entertaining. It is meant to be a platform where people can
connect with others all around the world, learn about cultural norms, and even
discover opportunities.
For the most part TikTok is great at keeping their content clean and all posts go under review before they get posted to the For You page. On the other hand, sometimes videos slip through the cracks and get posted for a brief time or just never get taken down! The comments I have seen on TikTok can range from the nicest, most uplifting, genuine comments all the way to racial slurs, bullying, and body shaming. As someone who enjoys creating and discovering TikTok it makes me really upset when I see negative comments that TikTok community guidelines did not catch, or simply allow.
One of the comments I saw when looking at the "chubby filter" trend was posted by a young woman, "it’s so triggering, I'm sick of seeing it" and another saying "if you are triggered by this you got some work to do" and another posted by a young man "why are so many people offended, y’all chubby?" ... WHY? Why does TikTok allow so much bullying and body shaming? TikTok community guidelines state "we do not allow showing or promoting disordered eating and dangerous weight loss behaviors", so why do they allow comments that encourage people starve themselves because they are "too big?" Or comments that belittle bigger people?
TikTok has billions of users and uses other platforms such as
Instagram and YouTube to promote their app. TikTok released this filter
to promote engagement but ended in a dilemma between viral marketing and
social responsibility. After TikTok released this filter influencers
and regular users switched to X or Instagram to talk about the disappointment in in the company's decisions relating to the release and retrieval of the filter. One influencer @selfacceptancewithjess made a video on TikTok about how enraged she is with this trend/filter. You can watch her video here: https://www.tiktok.com/t/
TikTok did not use storytelling or newsjacking to promote this new
filter but instead they used a viral gimmick that was supposed to grab
attention, it did not have any deeper connection to their brand. TikTok
brand is made to be creative, inclusive, and authentic and when this viral
trend lacked any of that it triggered many people. This shows that the company cares more about virality over keeping its users safe and taking responsibility
in their digital marketing. The awareness that they needed to remove the filter but the lack of an apology shows pure insensitivity.
If I had the opportunity to be TikTok brand manager I would want to
make multiple changes, I will highlight three main changes. There are too
many times I am scrolling, and a naked body shows up on my screen. Sometimes
its women in underwear making a "get ready with me" video and other
times it is children in minimal clothing or even just a diaper. When I see
these videos, I look at how many people have saved that video, and it is
sickening to think about why they needed to save that video. If I were in charge,
I would not allow any videos that show nudity, no matter what age you are.
As I mentioned before, videos can slip through the cracks on any
platform, it just seems to happen on TikTok more than any other. When
those videos and hateful comments slip through and there are people saving
those inappropriate videos, I would flag any account that did those things.
They would receive a warning and suspension on their account, after 3 warnings
you no longer have access to the app for at least 1 year. I would also review
what is considered a hateful comment and pull the rein in on it, too many
hateful comments are considered appropriate right now.
Finally, I would create a formal apology to all users, apologizing for
prioritizing virality over our user’s mental health and well-being.
I learned from this assignment how important it is for brands to stay aligned with their values and be socially aware. When a company/brand loses control of their value proposition it makes room for other competitors to swoop in and offer the same benefits but without controversy. This happened with the Poppi vs Olipop feud! Not only will it make room for other companies, but it damages the company's reputation and confuse its users about their brand. I would love for this happen, a new app that is like TikTok but with much stricter community guidelines.
If TikTok does not make a change I
predict they will start losing users who promote kindness rather than
virality.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/
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