Marketing

Sofia Barberio

TikTok Marketing Strategies: How Beauty Brands Use Trends to Increase Engagement and Influence Consumer Decisions

A headshot of a young woman with warm skin, long dark wavy hair parted down the middle, and a gentle smile. She has dark eyebrows, subtle eye makeup, light pink lip gloss, small gold hoop earrings, and a gold chain with a white clover pendant over a black collared shirt. The background is softly blurred.

I am a fourth-year Communication student at Toronto Metropolitan University with a focus on digital media and marketing. My work explores how emerging platforms, particularly TikTok, are reshaping brand communication strategies and audience engagement. I am especially interested in social media marketing, branding, and how digital culture influences the way brands connect with consumers.

This research examines how beauty brands use TikTok trends, memes, and trending audio as marketing communication strategies. Through a qualitative content analysis of posts from brands such as e.l.f. Cosmetics, NYX Cosmetics, and Charlotte Tilbury, the study identifies key patterns in how brands create engaging and relatable content. Findings show that humour, trending audio, and short-form video styles are the most effective strategies for increasing audience engagement, while traditional product-focused advertising performs less effectively. This research highlights how TikTok is reshaping digital marketing by prioritizing authenticity, entertainment, and cultural relevance.

Lightning Talk

Browse More Marketing Research

More Projects

Erica Stramaglia

The Power of Promotion: How Beauty Influencers Drive Conspicuous Consumption on TikTok

Nickisha Victor

TikTok as the New Google

Stefania Casale

From BookTok to Boardrooms
Scroll to Top