TikTok's '#kpop' Views Reach 1.4 Billion Last Year, Up 81% from Previous Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] TikTok announced the 'What's Next Report 2022' on the 4th, which includes content categories that gained attention in South Korea based on TikTok video data analysis and user surveys conducted from October 2020 to October 2021.

The report identified four content categories that attracted attention domestically last year: ▲K-pop & K-content ▲Games ▲Tech & Electronics ▲Food.

In particular, the sustained popularity of K-pop was highlighted, with the representative hashtag '#Kpop' recording 1.4 billion views, an 81% increase compared to the previous year. Korean-produced content such as the Netflix dramas Squid Game and Hellbound gained global popularity, with the '#kdrama' hashtag surpassing 770 million views.

The representative hashtag for the food category, '#TikTokFood,' saw usage increase more than ninefold (+935%) compared to the previous year, proving the popularity of short food videos. Additionally, the number of users sharing game highlights and game-themed content increased, leading to a 58% growth in the games category compared to the previous year. Informative content such as electronic device reviews, including '#Unboxing' (75.3 million views), also contributed to a 35% increase in tech & electronics content.

Furthermore, TikTok selected four marketing keywords to watch this year: ▲Community Commerce ▲Evolution of Sound ▲Creator Community ▲Brand Protection.

First, TikTok emphasized the commerce opportunities based on its global community of 1 billion users. It was found that 67% of TikTok users have purchased products they had not planned to buy, influenced by TikTok. The related hashtag '#TikTokMadeMeBuyIt' videos have been viewed over 7.4 billion times worldwide as of December last year.

The importance of sound was also highlighted. According to research by global market research firm Kantar, most (88%) TikTok users consider music to be central to their app experience.

In addition, collaboration with creators who have a high understanding of trends and features within the app, as well as transparency efforts to provide a healthier and safer platform environment not only for users but also for brands, were identified as key marketing elements this year.

Meanwhile, TikTok will hold the online business conference 'TikTok for Business Summit 2022' on March 31, where it will introduce insights provided by TikTok and discuss the evolving digital marketing landscape for brand managers and marketers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.