Viral marketing and customer engagement of animated films on TikTok

Abstract

This thesis explores the use of viral marketing strategies on TikTok in the context of animated films and how these strategies influence customer engagement. The study aims to identify which strategies, including content types and engagement prompts, most effectively contribute to customer engagement and the involvement in the consumer-brand interaction on TikTok. As TikTok has transformed the execution of viral marketing, it requires further investigation. This study addresses a research gap in entertainment marketing, where prior studies have focused on other platforms, and provides deeper insights into the strategies that promote engagement. A multiple case study approach was used, analyzing the TikTok marketing campaigns of three popular animated films. Both qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods were used to examine content elements that contribute to engagement, measured by engagement rates.

The findings of the study present that most engaging posts used emotional appeal, humor or memes, relied on film scene clips, trailers, reveals, behind-the-scenes, cross-marketing, or bonus content, highlighted the voice actors, characters, or the soundtrack, and either participated in trends or initiated them. Additionally, interactive prompts, call-to-action, and encouraging user-generated content (UGC) were found to be crucial in promoting active participation. The results support existing theories such as the STEPPS model, meme marketing, and Uses and Gratifications Theory, which emphasize the importance of emotional and entertaining content as highly engaging, and address the consumers’ motivations to engage, such as the need for social interaction. The findings present that viral strategies on TikTok are not solely for achieving a broad reach, but also a strategic asset to build customer engagement and connection to the film.

The findings can be applied not only to entertainment marketing but also to broader strategies targeting digitally native audiences. This research highlights TikTok’s role as a powerful platform for film marketing, offering both viral visibility and deeper customer engagement. Since success on TikTok depends on trends, marketers must closely follow trends and viral moments and respond rapidly. Moreover, encouraging UGC fosters community and is beneficial for films, as it influences purchase behaviors. For animated films, TikTok provides an extended storytelling platform, allowing studios to showcase the characters and stories in a creative and engaging way.