TikTok has been a smash-hit since its launch in 2017, becoming well-known for its dance videos with catchy songs and viral challenges.
However, it has also become a hotbed of consumer trends from various leading, and not-so-leading, industries.
With an estimated one billion monthly users, it is home to thousands of videos that frequently drive consumer behavior. As a result, there are a huge amount of e-commerce stores that have created special TikTok-inspired sections, and the platform has even been responsible for product shortages in many cities.
Recently, a study of the social media giant showed that 71% of users believed that the most influential trends start on TikTok.
Some of the industries where the social video platform has a notable and regular influence are:
Music
TikTok has resurrected classic songs and fueled new artists’ careers. In July, it revealed a study’s results on how users interacted with songs and bands on the platform.
According to the study, 75% of its users say they usually discover new artists through TikTok, and 63% state they listen to new music they have never heard before there.
The platform has contributed to new singles’ rise, including those from young artists like Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo. But it has also created new fan groups for classics like Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”
Books
Bestseller lists are the perfect tools to find the best in new releases. But TikTok’s book influencers have altered book promotion and literary industry’s norms quite a bit.
BookTok, a book review and recommendation video space, has collectively amassed more than 21 billion views. There, any book could end up trending at any time regardless of its release date.
Coffee
Coffee fans also revolutionized the industry with a very interesting hashtag on TikTok. When searching for #starbuckssecretmenu on the platform, users can find an ocean of drinks unavailable on any Starbucks menu.
Videos featuring the hashtag, comprising the Pooh bear-themed frappuccino and the WandaVision Refresher, have reached more than 205 million views. Some recipes posted on TikTok have been even created by the world-famous coffee chain’s employees.
Leggings
On TikTok, some viral trends happen by mistake, including leggings. In November 2020, influencer Hannah Schlenker danced to Justin Bieber’s Drummer Boy in a viral video.
She was wearing a blue pair of leggings from the “Real Me Highwaisted Crossover,” which resulted in the Aerie’s garment spreading like wildfire across the platform. Aerie ended up developing similar new styles with Schlenker as a crossover consultant.
Cheese
Finally, there’s cheese. TikTok is also home to the cheese craze, with 12.3 billion views in searching for #cheese.
Earlier this year, a viral video of a dish with feta cheese baked tomatoes poured over pasta, dubbed TikTok pasta, caused feta cheese sales to skyrocket.
According to the New York Times, cheese vendors and suppliers in the US reported spikes in demand during the first months of 2021.
