For its premium advertising offering, Pulse Premiere, unveiled earlier this year, TikTok has secured Disney as its newest high-profile publishing partner. The startup will join other significant publishers, including NBCU, Condé Nast, DotDash Meredith, BuzzFeed, and others, that provide brand-safe videos around which advertisers may position their advertising. The new agreement will also see TikTok give Disney a specific area within the video app where Disney fans can view videos from Disney’s brands, make their own with Disney’s music and special effects, play trivia with a Disney theme, and gather “Character Cards” of their preferred players.
According to the company, this content hub is a “first-of-its-kind,” implying that the company’s Disney partnership went beyond Premiere Pulse, where it is currently one of the largest Pulse Premiere publishers, to include special accommodations. This partnership may have set the stage for future TikTok collaborations with other major brands.
The agreement was made to support Disney’s commemoration of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary, which called for a unique social media event. Disney noted that TikTok’s reach was a factor in its choice to partner with the app, which is still under federal review and is being sued for its ties to China and addictive nature. According to a statement made by Asad Ayaz, chief brand officer of The Walt Disney Company, the portfolio of Disney brands and experiences has received more than 240 billion views on TikTok.
“…TikTok has become a go-to destination for Disney fans to create, engage, and connect around their favorite Disney films, shows, characters, and experiences, so we’re thrilled to partner with them as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company,” Ayaz said.
The Disney campaign on TikTok will be significant, involving 48 Disney account handles that will take part for four weeks across 24 locations worldwide beginning on October 16. Disney franchises will be featured, with material from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, ESPN, National Geographic, Disney Parks, and more. With this event, the number of Disney-owned TikTok profiles with over 150 million followers could increase as TikTok advises fans to “expect daily reminders” of why they bonded with their “favorite Disney characters, franchises, movies, and Disney memories.” Additionally, this might encourage users to add more Disney-related material to the platform.
Disney and TikTok will also launch a Disney100 Playlist to help the community. It contains well-known songs from Disney’s discography, ranging from timeless tunes from films like “Cinderella” and “The Lion King” to more modern tunes from “Toy Story,” “High School Musical,” and the upcoming film “Wish.”
Marketers who are Pulse Premiere publisher partners can run advertisements next to Disney’s entertainment and sports content in brand-safe spots. TikTok provides users with an unlimited, tailored content feed to scroll through, but Pulse Premiere ensures that the advertisements will only appear after what TikTok refers to as “suitable videos” from its high-end publishing partners. The company had previously collaborated with NBCU, Condé Nast, DotDash Meredith, BuzzFeed, Hearst Magazines, Major League Soccer, UFC, Vox Media, and WWE for this product.
Due to its positioning, TikTok users are 2.6 times more likely to interact with a Pulse ad than they would with a comparable ad on another video site, according to the company. Additionally, it claimed that Pulse commercials raised awareness and brand recall by an average of 6.8% and 9.8%, respectively.
