22/06/2025

ON SUNDAY JUNE 22, 2025 theSunday Special XI

working mothers, new spouses and young homeowners – TikTok is where they live, scroll and shop. Do you ever have the impression that someone on your screen “gets you”? When customers feel like they’re interacting with genuine people rather than actors or marketers, their trust and emotional attachment to the product rise. Human voiceovers, behind-the-scenes glances and low-fidelity editing make videos feel more like friendly advice than advertisements. These videos frequently outperformed high-budget, professional advertisements. Besides, influencers play an important role here, particularly PLFUR LQÀXHQFHUV ZKR IHHO OLNH ³RQH RI us”. Shoppers believe them more than celebrities or brands because they appear more genuine. But genuineness is key. If followers believe they are being marketed to, they will tune out. For example, if viewers already loved a brand, an introductory YLGHR PD\ VẊ FH +RZHYHU LI WKH\ GLGQ¶W know or trust the brand, the video had to work harder – using emotion, narrative or honest feedback.

T KH VWXG\ GLVFRYHUHG WKDW LPDJHV LQÀX ence around 60% of purchases through substantial sensory engagement. The more viewers could see themselves using the product, the more inclined they were to purchase it. Consumers responded best to sensory-rich content – for example, an intuitive demonstration of a portable FR̆ HH PDFKLQH WKH GHOLJKWIXO VRXQG RI FR̆ HH SRXULQJ LQWR D FXS DQG WKH FDOP FRORXU WRQHG ¿OP RI D EHDFKIURQW YDFDWLRQ spot. These sensory signals made short videos immersive and believable, as if one could nearly touch the goods. TikTok is built on stories. Instead of simply promoting a product, a more im pactful video might bring in a testimonial such as: “My daughter laughed when I bought this cheap RM10 bathmat that re ally absorbs water. It keeps my bathroom dry. Now she’s putting it in her bathroom.” It’s funny. It’s personal. And it sells. Narrative-led videos, which are usually organised as testimonies or innovative solutions, provided viewers a sense of connection and made even the most mundane things seem valuable. T KH WRQH DQG EUDQG ¿W Not every tone complements every brand. That was evident in our findings. Our research found that around 30% of re spondents thought comical or Gen Z-style videos from premium brands were out of brand or unprofessional. While humorous content may be ap propriate for telecommunications services RU ) % LW PD\ ORVH FRQ¿GHQFH LI XVHG E\ airlines, banks or medical services. When premium or luxury companies employed jokes or casual language, it sometimes failed to work well – it made the brand appear less reliable or ambiguous in brand identity.

TikTok doesn’t just sell products – it also sells a sense of urgency,

passion and incentive.”

This implies that businesses must carefully manage their content tone to match their image and the expectations of their intended audience. The bright side is: you don’t have to be a major brand to go viral. In our study, more than 70% of small business owners stated TikTok helped them reach more clients than any other site. They could exhibit their items and establish a dedicated fol lowing with only a smartphone and some imagination. But there’s a catch: brands need to stand out fast. The first three seconds are essential. If the video does not im mediately capture the viewer’s interest, they will scroll past it. Who’s clicking ‘buy’? Our research revealed that Gen Z and younger millennials (ages 18–34) are the most frequent TikTok shop customers. +RZHYHU WKHUH LV D VLJQL¿FDQW ULVH DPRQJ women aged 25 to 34, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas. This group has a strong ‘scroll-to cart’ behaviour, with a preference for affordable skincare, modest clothing, home-organising products, baby goods and time-saving kitchen tools. TikTok is the place to be for companies targeting

24/7 bargains hooked

THERE are non-stop bargains, running 24/7. The tempting draw of always-on sales keeps people hooked, espe cially amongst Malaysians, who are price-sensitive. Flash offers “RM0.99 add-ons”, countdown timers, happy hours, clearance sales and customised coupons, making the experience feel like a virtual pasar malam. You scroll to unwind, but a coupon appears ... before you know it, you’re checking out. TikTok doesn’t just sell products – it also sells a sense of ur gency, passion and incentive. And it does this every single day, all day long. We are seeing a significant shift in Malaysian consumer behaviour. TikTok has changed the shopping routine of Malaysians. TikTok isn’t just a trend – it’s the new normal. It’s more than a social app; it represents the future of retail, thanks to its engaging voices, im mersive imagery, emotive narrative and limitless deals. For businesses, the lesson is clear: they don’t need to outperform their rivals – they have to out-relate, out-story and out-sense them. Great content is more than just look ing nice – it’s about feeling authentic, establishing trust and connecting with others. That’s what converts a fast video into a confident purchase. So, the next time you hear “TikTok made me buy it”, keep in mind that there’s some marketing wizardry going on behind the scenes. hind the scenes.

Narrative-led videos, which are usually organised as testimonies or innovative solutions, provided viewers a sense of connection.”

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