Sofia Barberio

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

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A light-skinned young man with a warm, friendly smile looks directly at the camera in a close-up portrait. He has medium-length dark brown hair, amber eyes, and a neat dark goatee. He is wearing a dark blue collared shirt under a ribbed dark blue knit zip-up sweater with a gold zipper and subtle lighter grey striped details. The background is a smooth, light grey.
A close-up portrait of a smiling woman with warm tan skin, dark brown eyes, and long, glossy dark curly hair flowing over her shoulders. She has a small gold nose ring and wears a black square-neck top with a delicate gold chain necklace featuring two interlocking heart charms. Her smile shows white teeth, and the background is softly blurred.
A professional headshot of a fair-skinned young woman with long, straight, center-parted blonde hair, green eyes, defined eyelashes, and a subtle smile. She wears a black blazer over a black top with a silver layered necklace, against a plain light gray background.
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