2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

ONE HECK OF A HOUSEWARMING PARTY

BrandTIKTOK FOR BUSINESS
Product/ServiceTIKTOK HIVE
EntrantNETIZENCY Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryMarket Disruption
Idea Creation TIKTOK Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production NETIZENCY Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

As a virtual event to effectively launch TikTok's B2B offering in the region, the experiential aspect of Open Day at TikTok Hive was central not only to the activation's success, but to the nature of the event itself. We provided a seamless journey throughout the virtual venue, while keeping attendees engaged with the brand at every touchpoint in every room - from live chats with our employees to a digital/downloadable goodie bag, informative breakout talks, entertainment options, and more.

Background

Being relatively new to the MENAT market, at a time where global conversation around TikTok was reaching a fever pitch we were keen to introduce ourselves in a big way. But in the midst of a lockdown and global pandemic, most of us were struggling to get our foot out our own doors, not to mention getting our foot in anywhere else. We needed a way to meet and engage with our audience, generate new leads, and educate them about the value and opportunities that TikTok could provide for their brands. The objective was to do it in a way that was unquestionably TikTok-esque; fun, creative, interactive, disruptive, unique, and relatable. And as a digital platform hosting a virtual event, we knew that we had to provide a seamless and superior experience to do us and our guests justice.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

A virtual housewarming party meets open day concept, hosted at our very own virtual venue - mirroring the experience of a physical event at a time when folks were missing it most. We designed and decorated the entire structure, experience, and journey - guests would enter through the modern exterior to a spacious reception area, where our resident MC would greet and help them navigate the various rooms, talks, sessions, chats, and more. Each room was meticulously designed to reflect the overall aesthetic of the venue - modern, spacious, and inviting. And each room served a purpose - hosting a keynote speech at the auditorium, individual talks at the breakout rooms, live chats with our team and other attendees at our booths, a resource center to browse and download materials to learn at your own pace, and a lounge to just hang out or jam to a rocking DJ set.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

- SMBs - Marketeers - Agencies - CXOs 2020 took us all by surprise. In a year where we would have been regularly hosting physical events and workshops to develop our business and ramp up our presence in MENAT - we found ourselves stuck at home. With venues around the country and the world closed off, we needed a virtual venue - one that could mirror the experience of attending a physical event, at a time that people were missing that the most. We found our venue and began building and decorating. But events are more than the spaces that host them; open days have always been an effective tool in the physical world - so we set about replicating that concept virtually, by allowing attendees to seamlessly and freely roam, choosing their own adventures from live chats with our team to networking opportunities, breakout rooms, talks, entertainment, and more.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

We knew that we needed a highly customizable platform to be able to craft a venue and experience that was intuitive, easy, and interactive. We chose Connex6 as our platform, and began building the structure, design, and user journey. Once the venue was fitted out, we began to populate it with curated talks, chat functionalities (to chat with us or with other attendees), dynamic displays across the venue walls, downloadable materials and a digital goodie bag for guests, as well as the DJ set for entertainment - spread across a total of 18 rooms. And we pulled it off, from concept to execution, in 30 days - including recording, editing, and curating the content, allocating the resources and support for the chat, and of course, building and designing the venue. Concurrently, we began spreading the word via EDMs, targeted LinkedIn and Twitter posts, and media coverage courtesy of Campaign Magazine.

List the results (30% of vote)

Nearly 1,500 qualified leads from 51 countries and over 700 organizations attended the event - spending an average of 5 hours and viewing the talks a combined total of 4,000 times. The attendees were highly engaged with the content and overall experienced as evidenced by the amount of time spent, but also in the chat - asking over 400 valuable questions, as well as networking with each other and our team. Over 10% of the attendees have since gone on to advertise with us. Beyond this, the event's core purpose - to introduce TikTok For Business to the region and to introduce them to us - was well-served; anyone in attendance left the event knowing more about TikTok and the opportunities it provides. The addition of media coverage and word of mouth also helped cement our top of mind presence amongst brands and marketers in the region.

Please tell us how disruption in your market place inspired the work

A global pandemic that disrupted global markets and a lockdown that contributed to surges in mobile usage and content creation, to TikTok being in the global spotlight of a certain superpower's foreign policy agenda, necessitated a response. Coupled with the fact that we were set to ramp up operations in the region regardless, we seized the opportunity. So instead of tip-toeing or waiting it out, we doubled down and decided to make more waves and swim against the current simultaneously. A first-of-its-kind event in the region and a seamlessly crafted design and experience - Open Day at TikTok Hive disrupted the disruption itself, by finding a way to bring people together at a time where no one thought they could, by adapting to the situation and finding a solution.

Credits

Name Company Role
Mher Krikorian Netizency Head of Content
Tamara Habib Netizency Business Director
Walid Sanjad Netizency Content Creator
Mohammed Faheem Netizency Graphic Design
Rola El Ayoubi Netizency Graphic Design
Fadi Khater Netizency Business lead
Nelly Al Fayed Netizency Content Creator
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