TIK TOK EVALUATION
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, social media platforms play a vital role in shaping how brands interact with their audiences. As of January 2025, the digital landscape is dominated by over 5.24 billion social media users worldwide, with an average individual engaging 6.83 social media platforms monthly (Dean, 2025). One fast-growing platform in both user engagement and marketing is TikTok, known for its short-form videos and algorithm-driven content. It has become a key channel for brands to reach younger consumers (Rollison, 2024). This evaluation examines TikTok’s marketing use and critically analyses it through the social media zones (Solomon and Tuten, 2013, p.4).
（Tuten & Solomon, 2013）
Solomon and Tuten (2013) divide social media into four key zones, helping marketers align their strategies with platform functions and user behaviours.
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Social Community focuses on building relationships and conversations through platforms like Facebook and forums. It allows brands to foster loyalty by encouraging interaction and dialogue (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p.5).
Social Publishing refers to content-sharing platforms such as blogs, news sites, and video-sharing channels. This zone supports storytelling, visibility, and SEO-driven content strategies (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p.5).
Social Entertainment is centred around fun and engagement, including games, virtual environments, and humorous content. Brands in this zone often use creative and playful formats to drive emotional connection and virality (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p.6).
Social Commerce integrates social interaction with online shopping. It includes reviews, ratings, and buy-now features, helping influence purchase decisions and streamline the buying experience (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p.6).
TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms globally. As of January 2024, TikTok had over 1.5 billion monthly active users, making it a leading platform for short-form video content and youth engagement (Statista, 2025). The platform is especially popular among Gen Z users, who favour visual, fast-paced, and entertaining content formats (Rollison, 2024).
Marketers’ Use
Marketers leverage TikTok for its unique algorithm, which promotes content based on engagement rather than follower count. This enables even small brands to go viral (Mahnoor Sheikh, 2024). Strategies often involve influencer collaborations, branded challenges, user-generated content, and paid ad formats such as TopView or In-Feed Ads. With interactive features like trending sounds, hashtags, and duets, TikTok enables brands to connect with younger audiences in a more authentic and participatory way (Christina Newberry, 2025).
Social Community​
This zone focuses on relationship-building and interactive participation. TikTok’s core demographic—Gen Z and young Millennials—seek connection, relatability, and co-creation. Shiseido effectively nurtures this community by embracing the platform’s cultural codes. Through influencer-led campaigns like the collaboration with Anne Hathaway, the brand taps into shared values such as trust, self-expression, and authenticity (Emplifi, 2025; Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick, 2019, p.509). These campaigns invite users to emotionally engage with the brand while building a loyal and socially connected audience.
TikTok User Distribution (Emplifi, 2025)
Anne Hathaway image on Shiseido Tik Tok channel, 2025
Social Publishing
In this zone, the focus is on distributing branded content. Shiseido leverages TikTok to publish visually captivating short-form videos that showcase product benefits and lifestyle narratives. The consistent output of content aligned with TikTok’s native style (trend-driven aesthetics, rapid storytelling, and visual appeal) positions Shiseido as a content-savvy brand. Publishing high-performing videos that attract substantial views, likes, comments, and saves helps the brand gain visibility and reinforce thought leadership in the skincare sector.
Social Entertainment
TikTok exemplifies the Social Entertainment zone through its blend of music, humour, and creativity. Shiseido activates this zone by producing content that aligns with the platform’s playful nature and fast-paced trends. By integrating trending sounds, influencer storytelling, and community involvement, the brand invites users to participate in narratives that are both emotionally resonant and entertaining. Tools such as Duet and Stitch further enhance the entertainment value by enabling users to remix or respond to content, making them part of the brand story.
The #VITALPERFECTION campaign featuring Anne Hathaway to promote its anti-aging product line. The strategy combined influencer credibility and community-driven engagement to reach users concerned with skincare and aging prevention—aligning content tone with both TikTok’s fast-paced culture and the brand’s premium positioning. (see Picture below).
Social Commerce
TikTok combines entertainment with shopping by enabling users to view, interact with, and purchase products within the same platform. Features like reviews, shoppable videos, and influencer content help guide purchase decisions. TikTok Shop reflects this well, allowing users to buy directly from engaging videos—streamlining the buying process and improving conversion rates.
Shiseido's campaign in Vietnam, where the brand achieved a 200% increase in livestream views and a significant uplift in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) through TikTok Shop. These results were driven by a well-defined strategy that involved understanding the target audience and tailoring the product portfolio to align with consumer preferences on TikTok (TikTok Business via LinkedIn, 2024).
(TikTok Business via LinkedIn, 2024).
Overall, TikTok’s unique blend of entertainment, community-building, content distribution, and integrated commerce makes it one of the most versatile platforms in the current digital marketing landscape. Shiseido’s success illustrates how brands can strategically operate across all four zones to achieve awareness, engagement, and conversion.