Formatet som formar: TikTokifierade varumärkestrategier. En kombinerad kvantitativ och kvalitativ studie av hur svenska modeföretag utformar innehåll i relation till plattformskultur på TikTok

Abstract

The following study examines how four Swedish fashion companies – Gina Tricot, NLY Man, Ellos and Tiger of Sweden – design their content on TikTok. The starting point is that TikTok is not only a channel for marketing, but also shapes how content “should” look through its platform logic: short videos, high pace, trending sounds and clear visual patterns. At the same time fashion brands are expected to appear authentic, personal and recognisable. The study therefore focuses on the tension between adapting to the norms of the platform and maintaining a distinct brand identity. The aim is to analyse how Swedish fashion companies TikTok videos are characterised from a multimodal perspective – that is how sound, image, text, pace, environment and camera work interact – and how these expressions can be understood as adaptations to TikTok’s platform culture. The study is guided by two research questions:

What characterises the four companies’ TikTok videos from a multimodal perspective, and how does the content differ between them? In what ways can the multimodal patterns be understood as adaptations to TikTok’s platform culture, and how do these adaptations affect the companies’ possibilities to appear as authentic brands? Theoretically the study uses theories of multimodality, where meaning is created through combinations of several semiotic resources. It also uses theories of platform logic, which describe how digital platforms influence the conditions, norms and standards for visibility. Together these perspectives make it possible to link concrete expressive choices, such as trending sounds and text overlays, to both TikTok’s logic and the companies branding ambitions. Methodologically the study uses a qualitative multimodal content analysis of 160 TikTok videos, 40 from each company, supplemented by quantitative summaries of the coding in frequency tables. The material is made up of the most recent videos posted before the Black Week period. The videos were for example coded according to type of content (as outfit inspiration, campaign, behind the scenes), use of sound (as trending sounds, other music, speech), video length and cut pace, camera work and setting, if the focus were on people or garments and how text overlays and captions are used. The results shows that the four companies tend to follow a similar “TikTok template” in their videos: short clips, fast pace, a clear use of sound, frequent text overlays and a focus on clothes in motion. At the same time there are some clear differences between them. Gina Tricot and NLY Man mainly publicise outfit inspiration in everyday environments, but Gina Tricot combines this with behind the scenes material, campaigns and events, while NLY Man has a more strictly outfit-focused feed combined with humor. Tiger of Sweden stands out through more campaign-oriented videos, a more restrained astethic and more garment centered framing. In contrast to the others Ellos content more often talks to the camera, has longer videos and extensive use of on-screen text, and also a strong presence of people in everyday situations, which gives their content a more narrative feel. The analysis suggests that these patterns can be seen as clear signs of adaptation to TikTok’s platform culture. The companies rely on trending sounds, everyday environments, a relaxed aesthetic and familiar formats, perhaps to blend in to the feed and improve their chances of being seen. Their sense of authenticity is mainly built through everyday situations, relatable moments and behind the scenes glimpses – but almost always in the same platform-shaped framework. A key finding is therefore that the brands often end up looking more alike than their different target groups and brand positions would suggest. The study shows that TikTok’s platform logic contributes to standardise how fashion is communicated, which makes it hard for brands to both “blend in” to the feed and at the same time stand out and be original. For people working with fashion and marketing communication, the results can be used to better understand which visual and audio choices currently dominate on TikTok, and what kinds of risks and opportunities come with either following or challenging these norms. The study also points to several directions for future research, such as examining how users experience this type of brand content, comparing it to influencers videos, or exploring how topics like sustainability are communicated within the same platform culture.