Sources: TikTok/@davidsbridal; TikTok/@kaylakosuga
Is TikTok becoming a bridal shopping portal?
With the hashtag #weddingtok drawing for over 2.9 billion views, TikTok is earning a reputation as a go-to destination for brides seeking real-life inspiration from actual brides and fashion experts.
“TikTok is a great way to get exposure to tons of different kinds of dresses,” bridal stylist and influencer consultant, Kennedy Bingham (also known as Gown Eyed Girl), recently told Brides.com. “Because it’s a video-based platform, it’s a great place to go to get an idea of how a dress moves and how it’ll look in a less edited format.”
A recent TikTok campaign by David’s Bridal launched in June delivered a click-through rate exceeding two times the average benchmark with a reach of more than 16 million.
“We know our customers are on TikTok and they love it,” said Kelly Cook, chief marketing and IT officer at David’s Bridal, in a statement. “Our Dream Makers (our amazing employees) also have a passion for TikTok. It’s a natural place for us to expand if customers and employees enjoy the content.”
@davidsbridal This is your reminder to book your FREE appointment & find your ✨dream✨ dress! #davidsbridal #wedding #weddingtok #weddingtiktok #weddingdresses #weddingdress #weddingdressshopping #bridalgown #bridalgowns #weddingdressinspo #weddingdressinspiration
A recent article in Advertising Age stated TikTok is “assuming the role once held by bridal magazines and radio stations’ ‘Bridal Fair’ expositions,” in dispensing product information, advice and guidance on dresses, rings and wedding venues.
Kay Jewelers, wedding platform Zola and a number of small businesses are tapping TikTok to drive engagement.
“There is a lot of self-created wedding content that is from one individual’s point of view,” Victoria Vaynberg, chief marketing officer of Zola, told Ad Age. “But we want to be seen as the expert.”
The 2.9 billion #weddingtok views were boosted by scores of videos that went viral, including special moments from weddings as well as many exploring avant-garde approaches to weddings or offering money-saving tips. A recent viral video featured a bride wearing a $24 gown from Goodwill.
TikTok, the most downloaded app in the world, recently abandoned plans for livestream shopping in the U.S. and Europe, but tapping “communities” such as #weddingtok might be the path to commerce.
A recent study from TikTok found that 49 percent of users see it as a way to discover something new, 35 percent to learn something new and 29 percent for inspiration.
- #weddingtok – TikTok
- How to Use TikTok as Your Personal Bridal Fashion Stylist – Brides
- David’s Bridal Partners with KERV Interactive, TikTok, and January Digital to Deliver Optimized Shoppable Product Content on TikTok – David’s Bridal/PRNewswire
- How Tiktok Is Reinventing The Bridal Business – Advertising Age
- $24 wedding gown from Goodwill – TikTok
- Time’s up for TikTok’s U.S. livestream shopping plans – RetailWire
- The infinite loop: TikTok’s unique retail path to purchase – TikTok
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Why is TikTok resonating with brides-to-be? What does its success with brides indicate about how TikTok may evolve as a platform for product discovery and commerce?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Katie Thomas
Lead, Kearney Consumer Institute
Lee Peterson
EVP Thought Leadership, Marketing, WD Partners
Forget bridal, it’s everything, everywhere, and now with music — look out. I saw a job posting for a couture brand yesterday listed as “Head of TikTok.” I gotta say, I left that one alone and probably shouldn’t have. I think Twitter put me over the edge, but TikTok’s like — wow, got it going on!
It’s in the moment and it’s relevant. It makes sense and if you aren’t using it as a sales tool (the retailer) you are really missing out.
Video improves online shopping as we have known it, especially when it comes to clothes. Add to that a vast platform focused on “discovery” like TikTok, and it resonates with any shopper who wants something unique or special.
Many brides travel far to cities with esteemed retailers — but it’s an expensive trip before you buy an expensive product, and if you do not find what you are looking for then you may settle because of the effort it took to get there. Shopping online has solved that problem so far, but pictures can be deceiving when it comes to fabric quality and fit, which is what video solves.
Live shopping is already popular in the East and is on its way to the U.S. The most popular dedicated live shopping app in the U.S., Whatnot, has nearly doubled its downloads in the last 90 days compared to the 90 days prior. I even saw that Curtsy, a Poshmark for Gen-Z, debuted short form video to help buyers get a real idea of what the secondhand clothing (that you cannot return) looks and fits like. Expect to see this fashion retailers of all types try this on for size in the next year.
The main thing for brands to focus on here, as highlighted, is letting it be used as discovery and inspiration. For this example in particular, wedding planning is a process where consumers will be evaluating many options over time.
Don’t force purchase conversion and make the overall experience less appealing or inauthentic for consumers by attempting to make it “shoppable” too fast.
Having lost hours down the TikTok rabbit hole I think it’s safe to say #weddingtok is a winner.
Especially with Gen Z but also with any young demographic, TikTok has become the destination of choice for product discovery and inspiration, not just for bridal, but any category in beauty and apparel! Video makes it so much more engaging while also letting you see how the product works and looks in use. It’s a win-win for consumers versus basic web searching and searching via Amazon. I wouldn’t read too much into TikTok stopping their venture into live streaming in the US and Europe. That seemed more like an organizational and people culture issue and I’d bet they’ll find another path to accomplish that soon!