TIK TOK STRATEGIES FOR LIQUOR, SPIRITS, WINE BRANDS

Unless you’ve been meditating on the top of the mountain looking for enlightment for the past couple of years, you’ve heard, seen, and used Tik Tok. With its dynamic growth, user engagement, and killer algorithm, it’s become Gen Z’s favorite social media platform, and according to Semrush, as of February 2024, it is the 11th most visited website in the world, and the second most downloaded app in the world.

With the creator economy booming, Tik Tok has been embraced by the influencer crowd, and the liquor space has been one of the highlights on the platform. Mixologists, cocktail aficionados, and liquor/spirit-specific ambassadors have built a significant following and success on Tik Tok.

However…BRANDS are almost not represented on Tik Tok at all.

Why? The rules largely prohibit it. “You must not post Branded Content which promotes products or services from the following prohibited industries: Alcohol – Alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, spirits, etc.), alcohol clubs/subscription services, alcohol-making kits, or alcohol-sponsored events. This includes alcohol-free or no-alcohol alternatives and soft drinks presented as mixers for alcohol.” That’s the rules according to Tik Tok, and it’s not a surprise, given the fact that the majority of their audience is younger.

Given that, most alcohol brands have completely avoided the platform, and because of that avoidance, there is a TREMENDOUS opportunity for liquor/spirits/wine brands to use the platform to gain attention in an uncluttered space.

So how do you do it without getting blocked? It largely depends on your brand.

DRINKTOK: The low hanging fruit that is being utilized by some brands at the moment. This popular niche of Tik Tok allows brands to partner with content creators, and then those creators use the brand in visually stunning and delicious cocktails. Brands can partner with local bartenders and influencers either on a regional or wide-scale, depending on needs and budget.

Drink Tok

CONTENT BEHIND THE BRAND: What does your brand stand for? Chances are it’s not just about a liquid that’s made out of some rye or barley. Is it exploration? Is it rebellion? Creativity? Standing out? Your brand pillars are a great opportunity to tell stories from a brand account that aren’t about drinking and consuming alcohol. In fact, putting the actual liquor to the background can be a wonderful exercise in building your brand story and will build a community in a more authentic way than re-purposing a :30 second spot would be.

AUDIO & ART: Tik Tok is specifically tailored to audio and visually arresting content. What is the artistic inspiration behind your brand? This could be a great way to kickstart your liquor/spirit brand account. From there, you can pull visuals and audio that builds on that inspiration, and further ties it into the audience who is interested in that creative discovery.

BUSINESS & PROCESS: While liquor/wine/spirits brands often want to position themselves as fun, exciting lifestyle brands, at their core, they are a business. And there is a huge audience interested in how these types (and any types) of businesses are built. If there are brands comfortable with a peek behind the curtain to show the growth of their company, the successes, and perhaps more importantly, the failures, the following would be significant.

These are just top of mind ideas for liquor/wine/spirits brands. If there’s something here that spurred some ideas on your end, wonderful!

If you would like SALUK & CO. to do a deeper dive on your brand and provide a strategy for Tik Tok, social media, and messaging in general, contact peter@salukandco.com