It is a common misconception that creator partnerships are at their most effective when used in one way and by one channel at a time. In a world where the old product placement influencer and celebrity handbook is falling out of favour, this approach is no longer fit for purpose.

Perhaps surprisingly, it's not the brand but the creators who are spurring a shift in approach by rapidly transcending the boundaries of social media. A good example is TikTokers Dixie and Charli D’Amelio, who last year unveiled their cross-platform company, D’Amelio Brands.

The company will partner with brands to co-create consumer products endorsed by the TikTok superstars (with a combined reach of over 200m followers). Interestingly, it won’t just be sticking to TikTok. Instead, D’Amelio Brands will use a “multi-pronged approach” to enable it to connect with consumers, bringing in the likes of pop-up shows, appearances at trade shows, and an upcoming college tour.

D’Amelio ‘data’ isn’t the only case study in point. A recent report from Meta found campaigns that combine partnership ads with business-as-usual (BAU) ads drove 53% higher click-through rates, 19% lower cost per action, and 99% probability of outperforming Business As Usual (BAU) ads alone.

If creators know that they have power to influence purchases outside of their traditional platforms, then brands should certainly be aware of it, too. However, it will take a mindset change for brands in order for them to take action. It’s easy to fall into the trap of keeping channels isolated from one another, building content ‘for channel’ without seeing the bigger picture. This is a mistake. A cohesive brand message across all channels will create a much better experience. Creators must be incorporated throughout the entire funnel.

So, what can brands do with this knowledge?

Mindset will be the biggest blocker. Creator content has countless use cases in other marketing channels outside of social - such as point of sale, OOH, print and packaging. Scaling the impact of creator-driven content across channels and formats is not only cost-effective (through more efficient production costs), but it amplifies good ideas and quality content to wider audiences as well.

In recognition that omnichannel is the way forward, platforms are building tools that facilitate this strategy as well. One of the latest and most exciting is TikTok’s Out of Phone (OOP) - a new OOH solution that enables partners and brands to leverage TikTok content beyond the platform.

According to the official press release, OOP will bring its content into the real world through screens on billboards and kiosks and in cinemas, bars, restaurants, cars, airports, petrol stations, retail stores, and more. This means that brands can kick off a campaign on TikTok, generate authentic growth within communities and creators, and then amplify their work onto billboards reaching new and far-ranging audiences.

Although the aim is to launch OOP solutions everywhere, TikTok will look to push this offering heavily across billboard and cinema advertising spots. As a result, though, this is an accessible starting point for stretching creator content into other channels using a well-established platform and solution. The benefits are manifold and include: 

Local Significance through Global Reach: Influencers have social media in their DNA, and with the advent of Digital Out of Home (DOOH) and OOP,  we are witnessing the first global platform where digital content can seamlessly become locally significant. This represents a monumental shift in advertising, as brands can now harness the global appeal of influencers to connect with local audiences in a more authentic and relatable way. 

Cost-Effective Content Creation: Brands can now activate campaigns on TikTok and seamlessly extend them to physical out-of-home advertising through OOP. This cost-effective approach allows brands to leverage existing campaigns, working with communities and creators to amplify their content on billboards worldwide, reaching new and diverse audiences without the expense of traditional celebrity endorsements or production teams. 

Continuing the Leap to Interactive and Immersive Content: TikTok's OOP initiative exemplifies the ongoing leap toward interactive and immersive content. Taking TikTok beyond mobile screens and into a wide range of physical spaces ensures that audiences can engage with TikTok content on a grand scale, creating a new level of immersion that is unprecedented in the world of out-of-home advertising. 

Empowering Creators and Influencers: Finally, OOP shows that Influencers and Creators are needed more than ever. Increasingly, we will see brands capitalising on highly creative creators who can capture the audience’s attention while on the move. OOP allows creators to transcend the traditional 9x16 format and shows TikTok's continued commitment to amplifying the voices of content creators.

OOP is a testament to TikTok’s desire to be more than just a social media app. While TikTok has found incredible success in the digital world, there remains a lot of untapped potential outside of that. Now, that gap is closing. OOP is just the beginning, and it's highly recommended that brands get involved in this new format in preparation for other platforms that will surely bring the online, offline.

The potential for brands to succeed and reach their audience on (and off) platforms has just entered a new phase. TikTok’s OOP has come first, but integrating and moving creator content into different marketing mediums isn’t a fad. It’s a powerful strategy that can help brands become leaders in their industry while fostering long-term customer loyalty and success.