TikTok made me buy it: the phenomenon of viralization of makeup brands through reviews on TikTok

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to identify the reasons why user content in the form of reviews on TikTok using #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt is linked to the viralization of makeup brands on the platform. We identified the elements that these contents have in common, in order to then find a way for brands to take advantage of them when making their own content. The study was exploratory in scope, and the research approach was qualitative, content analysis. The sample participants were the 15 most shared, commented and liked posts from 3 makeup brands: Fenty Beauty, Maybelline and L'Oréal. Analyzing the publications we could observe the predominance of tutorial and unboxing type reviews and an informative communication strategy with product testing typology. The viralization dynamics that we highlighted were the use of hashtags and trending audios. In addition, the use of advertising discourse execution frameworks, such as informative, testimonial and product demonstration. Based on the results, we made a list of 10 recommendations that brands in the makeup industry could use to generate content with the possibility of viralization.