Game 
Changer

00. BACKGROUND

Vertical stories are important — they get marketers to see that we (TikTok) understand the trends and challenges surrounding their industry, and have specific solutions to address their short and long-term marketing goals.

01. BRIEF

We were asked to create a deck that did the following…

1. Create a compelling position around gaming on TikTok

2. Provide audience insights that make gaming brands want to advertise on TikTok

3. Show TikTok as a valuable partner to gaming brands across the customer journey

02. RESEARCH

We partnered with Marketing Science to get insights about gaming audiences on TikTok, including:

1. Age and demographic splits

2. Consumption behavior

3. Cultural attitudes

4. TikTok’s role in their buying journey

Some insights we pulled for gaming audiences on TikTok.

We also started spending lots of time on TikTok, trying to understand the gaming category. We kept noticing similar trends pop up like #GTAInRealLife and #ChooseYourCharacter.

#GTAinRealLife

#ChooseYourCharacter

We discovered that TikTok creators were bringing gaming into the real world. Everybody was invited to participate — not just the hardcore gamers, or the Twitchers and YouTubers that made content for a living. It was becoming clear: TikTok is where gaming and broader culture collide.

03. DRAFTING

Equipped with data insights and a strong positioning angle, we were ready to begin drafting.

Here are some sample ideas from our outline:

After outlining, we began working on our first actual content draft. Here are some sample slides:

04. FINAL DRAFT

After locking content, we were ready to begin design. We worked with our designer to craft bold visuals that underscored our positioning. We wanted our story and visual message to be clear: gaming brands can no longer ignore TikTok as an essential partner.

Take a look at the full
Game Changer deck.

VIEW NARRATIVE

05. GO TO MARKET

We first released Game Changer internally, training the sales team how to use the narrative and speak about certain points.

We then took this to market, presenting to major game publishers, including EA and Sony. There was also interest in this deck from brands outside the gaming vertical that wanted to tap into our gaming audiences, including American Eagle.

Since going to market, this narrative has been a staple asset for nurturing gaming clients toward running paid marketing on TikTok.