QLFR AM: Content Creators Shine at Aston Martin AMR22 Reveal

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Good morning friends,

We’re in the midst of the 2022 F1 car launch season and I want to talk a little about the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant team launch.

Damn, that’s a mouthful.

The 2021 car launch was loaded with video messages from James Bond, Daniel Craig, and NFL legend Tom Brady. Using celebrities to create this brand of excitement, yet, exclusivity.

This year was a little different and Aston Martin leveraged their TikTok partnership to go beyond just a logo on the car.

Aston Martin involved TikTok creators from the UK and US in the launch, tapping into the massive audiences being built simultaneously around Formula 1 content.

The launch was incredibly well done and was my overall favorite so far. There was great care for gender diversity, as we saw more women creators than men.

Aston Martin not only streamed the launch on their website, but also across their YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook pages.

Something I found fascinating was that Aston Martin also had the longest sports live stream ever done on TikTok.

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdSdbxEY/

Why is this all relevant?

TikTok is a platform that is so powerful. It has the ability to cross generational divides and, contrary to popular belief, isn’t about just dancing and lip-syncing type content.

The pure reach of the TikTok platform is currently unmatched but it’s the engagement that is even more impressive. And from a marketing perspective, the engaged viewer is way more valuable than pure impressions.

Aston Martin even leveraged a TikTok personality — F1 Toni — to host a live conversation on the platform during the live stream. It was part of the days’ programming!

Formula 1 would be wise to follow what Aston Martin started and continue leveraging the TikTok creator through a live content creator programme.

When I built out an LCC for Applebee’s, we leveraged what was, at the time, one of the hottest ways to get engagement on social media — Periscope and Meerkat, live streaming platforms that increased engagement over 500%.

When I was tasked with building an LCC for an enterprise tech firm at their massive live event, we used LinkedIn live to… INCREASE ENGAGEMENT.

If engagement is the Holy Grail, then TikTok is Indiana Jones.

What Formula 1 needs right now is to embrace opportunities like what TikTok provides and go along for the engagement ride that pairs well with Drive to Survive, a new season starting, and all the new fans flocking to the sport.

What do you think about TikTok in sports? What value have you seen?