Kristine
After the tragic death of Vine in 2016, TikTok has taken the world by storm as the most popular short-form video creating and editing app. With over 680 million monthly users, companies eager to target younger millennials and older Gen Z-ers have rapidly incorporated TikTok into their marketing campaigns. Millions of users have shown interest in watching fun videos from their favorite brands, such as the NBA, Fenty Beauty, Red Bull, and… NPR?
Much to people’s surprise, NPR and The Washington Post have successfully appealed to young teens and 20-somethings, most of whom wouldn’t normally listen to a podcast about economics or pick up a newspaper. By stepping away from “traditional” journalism and adapting to new technologies, NPR and The Post are proving that they’re prepared to stand the test of time.
The Washington Post’s TikTok Strategy
The Washington Post was established over 140 years ago, but the hilarious “Washington Post TikTok guy” (aka Dave Jorgenson) is helping the newspaper company educate and entertain new generations. Jorgenson has amassed over 700,000 followers on TikTok by sharing videos of life at the office, memes about current events, and plenty of “dorky dad humor” for those who appreciate cheesy jokes. Since the average subscriber to The Washington Post tends to be over 40 years old, Jorgenson explains that the TikTok channel is the perfect avenue to introduce younger people to the brand. “We just want you to like us,” Jorgenson told Scott Nover, a writer for The Atlantic.
Before he was hired at The Post, Jorgenson managed a Vine account for the Independent Journal Review, so he already had experience creating and editing short videos. He admits to being inspired by the hit series, The Office, and explains that he tries to recreate that kind of “mockumentary” style in his TikToks while he shows the daily journalism process. More seriously, however, Jorgenson believes that simply showing what life is like for writers, researchers, and editors will help debunk cries of fake news and begin to restore people’s trust in journalism.
NPR, Planet Money, & TikTok
Planet Money, a brand produced by NPR, has hosted a bi-weekly podcast and uploaded educational blog content since 2008, but it experienced a major breakthrough after creating a TikTok account in May 2020. Most people wouldn’t expect a company that discusses economics, inflation, supply and demand, corporate bankruptcy, and several other “boring” topics would do well on the platform, but the host’s sense of humor and engaging style made Planet Money gain over 1.7 million likes in just 3 months.
When asked about the company’s goals for the platform, senior director of visuals Alex Jenkins said that their main priority is educating users while making sure they’re entertained enough to “stick around.” Planet Money’s TikTok creator Jack Corbett amusingly exceeds these goals by filming videos at home using a bed sheet as a green screen and sharing intriguing analogies to explain complicated subjects, such as referring to stock market circuit breakers as “chill sessions.” By bringing a sense of fun to economics, senior supervising producer Alex Goldmark explained that Planet Money was taking advantage of a major opportunity provided by TikTok.
When Goldmark attempted to find similar creators that made engaging content about economics, he found that no other brands had the same style as Planet Money. In an interview with Business Insider, Goldmark said, “There was almost [nobody] doing something similar in our beat, and so it was a wide-open opportunity to just create a style.”
To see these brands’ successful (and highly entertaining) TikTok accounts for yourself, check out The Washington Post here and Planet Money here!
