How The BBC Changed The Way It Thinks About TikTok
TikTok isn’t just a social media app, it’s a cultural game-changer. What began as a quirky platform for lip-syncing videos has evolved into a powerhouse that even legacy organisations like the BBC can’t ignore.
Fast, creative, and endlessly engaging, TikTok presents an exciting opportunity for businesses, but also a challenge. How do you harness its potential while staying true to your brand?
The BBC partnered with us (MTM), to tackle this question head-on in their study, “TikTok: Behind the Filter.”
TikTok Knows What You Need
TikTok has become a digital phenomenon for a simple reason: it’s addictive in all the right ways. Think of it as that friend who knows exactly what you need whether you’re bored, stressed, or looking for a quick laugh.
The algorithm feels like magic: it learns your viewing habits, so that content feels tailored specifically for you. This delivers on a wide range of emotional needs and avoids decision fatigue, by surfacing bite-sized entertainment that fits into your life, at a time to suit you.
What Did The BBC Do Differently?
To truly master TikTok, the BBC and MTM went all in on data-driven experimentation to analyse how audiences engage with its content. Using a clever TikTok “rating wheel,” MTM gamified the research, testing over 150 videos across genres and tagging metadata to understand what really draws people in. MTM also used a multi-screen interviewing technique that provided ‘guided tours’ of users’ TikTok feeds and spoke to cultural experts to explore predicted future behaviours.
The insights from this approach gave the BBC a clear blueprint of what works, allowing them to tweak their content strategy for maximum impact. The result? The BBC didn’t just create TikTok content; they created the right TikTok content. By tailoring their approach, they broke engagement records with viral clips like Sabrina Carpenter’s video (7.8M views) and BBC Sport’s Tony Bellew tour (5.7M views, 530K likes).
This programme of work was shortlisted for two leading industry awards, with judges highlighting the rigour and innovation in the approach, and how the results “transformed the BBC’s approach to TikTok output, at all levels of the organisation”.
What’s the Big Picture?
TikTok isn’t just a fleeting trend; it’s a shift in how people consume and engage with content. The BBC’s success shows that the key isn’t just jumping on trends – it’s understanding the platform’s nuances, using data to make smarter decisions, and embracing creativity with intent.
Don’t just follow the crowd, lead with purpose. TikTok might seem overwhelming at first, but with the right approach, it can become one of your most powerful tools for connection and growth.
Want to know how to make TikTok work for your organisation? Get in touch with the MTM team today!