Podcast: to conquer TikTok, luxury labels must remain authentic, says Tatiana Dupond

By

Samuel GUT

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jul 21, 2023

Luxury labels have a wide variety of communication channels at their disposal. Labels are increasingly less wary of these channels, in fact more and more inclined to shift to them, but they still need advice on how to proceed. This is the job of Tatiana Dupond, head of luxury, fashion and beauty at TikTok, and the latest guest in the Luxurynsight x FashionNetwork podcast (in French).

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TikTok claims one billion monthly visitors. A traffic that generates the kind of visibility luxury labels dream of. But producing TikTok content is complex. In some cases, labels set up dedicated internal content generation teams, but the know-how of TikTok’s staff is still needed. Dupond, who previously worked at The New York Times and LinkedIn, has developed a specific expertise in advising brands on how to tap new communication channels.

“TikTok isn’t a social network,” said Dupond in the podcast. It is more like a platform for expression, where one can talk about any subject, tell any kind of story. It hardly matters whether the post is short or long: each video has its own objective, its own target. However, it is crucial that luxury labels’ identities are consistent with TikTok's DNA. The TikTok trend a label may tap, the best way to gain visibility quickly, must be appropriate to the label itself. In other words, it will be hard for a brand whose signature graphics are in black and white to ride the trend for colour that has been booming on TikTok following the release of Wes Anderson’s latest movie, Asteroid City.

Getting the best out of TikTok

According to Dupond, luxury labels must adopt a curated editorial line. For example, Loewe broadcasts, among others, various videos on craftsmanship, an element of its brand identity. Starting from this, labels have various interaction strategies at their disposal. Long-format videos (lasting up to 10 minutes, since March 2022) are informative; short-format ones are better suited to posts about trends, teasers, or something a touch quirky; and video shopping ads are designed to stimulate purchases. The scope of possibilities is broad. 

To support luxury labels, TikTok relies on its strategic planning team, which analyses opportunities and informs on how to get the best out of TikTok. The human touch takes over from metrics, providing a fuller understanding of the platform and tweaking brand strategies. However, according to Dupond, one of TikTok’s unique elements, the pull of authenticity, remains paramount.