Leverage Major Events on TikTok with Tentpole Marketing

Overview

• TikTok’s new research report highlights how brands can leverage tentpole event marketing to maximise engagement.
• Tentpole marketing is a strategy of aligning brand campaigns with major events that generate widespread attention and conversation (e.g., the Olympics)
• The Challenges of Tentpole Marketing and offers solutions via TikTok tools.
• House of Marketers insights for businesses and creators. 

TikTok has just revealed a new research report, created in collaboration with Magna, that unlocks the secrets to winning big with tentpole marketing. 

TikTok’s insights highlight how brands can maximise engagement and sustain relevance before, during, and after major events.

To fully grasp why TikTok is emphasising tentpole marketing, let’s understand what this strategy entails and how it differs from traditional marketing approaches.

What Exactly is Tentpole Marketing?

Tentpole marketing refers to the strategy of aligning brand campaigns with major events that generate widespread attention and conversation. i.e., Olympics, award shows, or even seasonal occasions like Black Friday.

Unlike traditional marketing, where engagement peaks and quickly fades, TikTok expands these moments, encouraging continuous interaction before, during, and after the event itself. As TikTok explains:

“On TikTok, people don’t just watch moments – they proactively shape them, creating their own takes, remixing trends, sharing reactions, and, of course, shopping for the event. And unlike traditional platforms, these conversations can start weeks before, reach new heights during, and sustain long after the moment has passed.”

This shift in media consumption presents brands with new challenges—and opportunities—to remain relevant in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

While the potential of tentpole marketing is clear, executing it effectively is not without hurdles. In the new research report, TikTok identifies three major challenges marketers face when leveraging these moments.

The 3 Key Challenges of Tentpole Marketing

According to the report, marketers face three major challenges when capitalising on tentpole moments: 

They are reaching, resonating, and differentiating. 

1. Reaching and Engaging Audiences Across Platforms

Consumers today are scattered across multiple platforms, making it harder for brands to reach both existing and potential customers at scale. With 41% of TikTok users identified as light or non-TV streamers, traditional TV ads alone may not be enough to reach them.

TikTok’s states:

“On TikTok, audiences don’t just consume content; they create and shape cultural moments in real-time. Brands that embrace this shift are seeing sustained engagement beyond the event itself.”

2. Crafting Resonating Brand Messages

What resonates in one region or demographic might not work elsewhere. Brands must navigate cultural nuances and craft messages that feel authentic and engaging in each market.

3. Cutting Through the Noise by Diffrentiating

Major events are crowded with competing marketing messages. Brands must find innovative ways to stand out and maintain visibility during these high-engagement periods.

Despite these challenges, TikTok provides a range of tools and strategies to help brands successfully capitalise on tentpole moments. 

Here’s how brands can turn these obstacles into opportunities.

TikTok’s Tips to Help Marketers Win Tentpole Marketing 

TikTok’s research underscores the platform’s ability to amplify tentpole moments by fostering interactive, community-driven content. The report highlights several strategies brands can leverage to maximise impact:

 1. Plan Early & Be Ready on the Starting Line 

Early planning gives brands a strategic advantage.

TikTok users are 1.64x more likely to hear about tentpole events on TikTok first compared to other platforms. 

By securing premium ad placements and aligning creative messaging in advance, brands can ensure their content reaches the right audience at the right time.

To help marketers plan ahead,  TikTok’s Symphony Creative Studio, GMV Max &  Smart+ tools are a game-changer.

2. Utilise the Advantages of  TopView Ads

TopView is TikTok’s high-impact ad format. It places brands front and center the moment users open the app. 

Brands that use TopView Ads during major events experience a +30% increase in unaided recall and a +47% boost in aided recall.

3. Stay Trending with TikTok Pulse

The TikTok Pulse suite ensures brand messaging appears alongside top-trending content. 

This premium placement strategy helps brands stay at the heart of cultural conversations. Pulse Premiere, for instance, places ads next to key publisher content during major events, driving an +8% increase in brand favorability.

This data-driven approach confirms what marketers have long suspected—engagement on TikTok is unlike any other platform. But what does this mean for brands and influencers? 

House of Marketers Insights on Tentpole Marketing Technique

TikTok’s report highlights a significant shift in how consumers engage with major events, making it essential for marketers to rethink their strategies. The ability to extend tentpole moments beyond their initial peak provides brands and creators with opportunities for sustained audience engagement.

For brands, this means reimagining how they approach event-driven marketing. Traditional advertising methods i.e., TV commercials, provide only momentary exposure. 

In contrast, TikTok enables marketers to maintain relevance long after the event ends, ensuring their content remains part of ongoing cultural conversations.

For creators, this shift presents an opportunity to drive organic engagement around tentpole events. Influencer marketing is no longer just about one-off sponsorships; it’s about co-creating content that aligns with audience interests in real-time.

Creators can leverage TikTok’s interactive features to build excitement before an event, provide in-the-moment reactions, and extend conversations post-event.

Key Takeaways for Marketers & Creators:

• Brands should plan ahead to ensure they have content ready before the hype peaks.
• Influencers and creators can drive sustained engagement through interactive content like duets, stitches, and real-time reactions.
• Marketers need to adopt a long-term mindset—tentpole marketing is about more than just the moment; it’s about keeping the momentum going.

Beyond individual campaigns, brands need to think about their long-term presence in an evolving digital world. 

With consumer behaviors and social media trends shifting constantly, staying ahead of the curve is more critical than ever.

Staying Ahead in a Rapidly Changing Social Landscape

As TikTok continues to send out updates, brands must stay agile and informed about the latest trends and platform updates. TikTok’s new research highlights the importance of adapting marketing strategies to keep pace with shifting consumer behaviors.

At House of Marketers, we specialise in data-driven performance marketing strategies that maximise reach and engagement. Let’s craft a campaign that delivers real results. Contact House of Marketers team today.