Based on primary data from the past year (October 2020-October 2021), the author has drawn up a more comprehensive analysis of the French market performance, and identified categories that have grown significantly, categories that are still popular, and official Categories deemed deserving of special attention.

1. News and entertainment: The rise of the short video empire

In just a few years, TikTok has quickly captured the hearts of the market by launching short videos as its main highlight, and has completely changed the social media landscape. The partnership between TikTok and Amazon Prime France in 2021 also takes the platform one step further.

The CITÉS’ series is the first 100% Amazon Prime Video series created for TikTok, from casting to filming, editing and broadcasting – 32 million views over 12 episodes, a real asset to the entertainment industry A lesson from TikTok – TikTok is able to push the boundaries of filmed narrative mode and provide innovative video experiences.

(Overall growth of news and entertainment videos in the past year)

#film saw a 212% increase in views and a 96% increase in posted content, while #TV views increased by 184% and video postings by 76%. Through similar hashtags, TikTok has a unique role in entertainment, allowing users to relive nostalgic movie moments, or build new content with snippets or excerpts from iconic movies—all thanks to the platform’s short-form video content ecology.

(Popular topics of news and entertainment videos in the past year and the corresponding playback volume)

Case Analysis

Now is the time for entertainment brands to adapt to TikTok’s market power, it’s an indisputable fact. Platforms can help brands enhance the innovativeness of storytelling and break out of the usual boundaries of thinking and presentation. By exploring the form of short videos and using platform resources flexibly, brands can gain new narratives that suit their audiences. Only those brands that successfully tap into the essence of a generation’s content consumption habits can break through the crowded and competitive media landscape.

2. Beauty and personal care: ASMR stands for beauty

A new wave of beauty content is surfacing on TikTok in France. Gone are the cookie-cutter makeup and skincare videos—beauty creators are shifting their focus from traditional tutorials to a new all-sensory experience.

ASMR videos work by providing the satisfaction of a specific sound. While this is already a well-known trend, in 2021, a budding new phenomenon has sparked interest among users of the French TikTok community. Many beauty and personal care creators are starting to add soothing sounds and tunes to their TikTok videos, which will be paired with specific movements.

Users flock to TikTok not for traditional content, but to experience new entertainment journeys. That’s what TikTok is all about—using its unique strengths to provide users with a different interactive experience.

(Overall growth of beauty and personal care videos in the past year)

The trend is even more pronounced this year, with beauty and personal care content evolving alongside new standards of interactive entertainment. The rise of ASMR-style skincare and makeup videos also shows that the TikTok community is eager to explore a more meaningful and fulfilling video viewing experience that goes beyond mere factual tutorial content.

In 2021, #ASMR has soared to the top of the beauty and personal care category video charts, with a 101% increase in video views and a new audience. #Satisfyingvideo was also very popular, with a 314% increase in video views and a 297% increase in video postings.

(Poupular topics of beauty and personal care videos in the past year and the corresponding number of views)

case analysis

Beauty and personal care brands can provide consumers with a multi-dimensional sensory experience through products. The TikTok community tells us that the products that are getting attention this year are those revolutionized traditional products. Brands can take ASMR video trends into account and continue to personalize new content to spark the interest of users in the TikTok community.

3. Food and drinks: make you drool

Have you heard of “MukbangH”? The buzzword describes a trend in eating shows, in which creators initiate some sort of food-related challenge when interacting with viewers.

Mukbang, a global cultural phenomenon that originated in South Korea, has gained a French audience on TikTok in 2021. French creators set out to appeal to local audiences with their own take on the concept

“Taste”. The more popular of these videos are delicious and rich recipes, often in large quantities, with additional cheese preparations.

“Taste” is also an important part of ASMR. The satisfaction of watching others eat is not limited to eating or drinking, but also a powerful auditory and visual experience. The sounds and special sounds made during chewing can induce a sense of pleasure in the brain and even have a hypnotic effect.

(Overall growth of food and beverage videos in the past year)

Eating videos can create an immersive experience. The rise of eating video confirms the surprising potential of “food” as a driver of entertaining existence as well. In France, video views for the hashtag #degustation increased by 389% and the number of video postings increased by 136%, showing that while language may never replicate the feeling of tasting delicious, short videos can. At the same time, it also reveals that TikTok creators know how to immerse viewers in visual and auditory sensations and enhance the viewing experience.

(Popular topics of food and beverage videos in the past year and the corresponding number of views)

Case Analysis

Authentic and funny TikTok videos featuring a variety of foods are more likely to attract audiences than standard ads like a model taking a bite of bland food. This is especially true for food brands. #degustation videos are a great way to showcase food and are perfect for live taste testing.

On TikTok, creators are always looking for different foods to attract new audience types. When it comes to ASMR #degustation, creators love to try different foods and create different sounds. Creators take consumers on a sensory journey with their brilliant ideas and coveted product portfolios.

4. Clothing accessories: French people also like to haggle

Today, people do not need to pay much to complete the replacement of clothing. The #BonPlan trend on TikTok connects fashion-loving users with commerce. This upward trend is fueled by TikTok creators who are keen to haggle when it comes to clothing and know how to live better on a budget. Users across France can flock to TikTok creators to learn from professional industry insiders and find out where to buy clothes at beautiful discounts.

The hashtag #BonPlan is a trending craze among French value-for-money consumers that will spread in 2021. When you meet a community user, you build a common bond. It also speaks to the real experience of TikTok users — on the platform, people share a sense of connection and belonging.

Community bonds are often stronger on TikTok than on any other platform. Users take care of each other and show a great sense of respect. These good values ​​also extend to creators and their content, who strive to create unique digital video experiences. As creators continue to seek authenticity, they also recognize the value of making a positive mark in the community and offer audiences exclusive discounts on this channel to benefit the general public.

(Overall growth of clothing and accessories videos in the past year)

The #BonPlan phenomenon brings community users together on TikTok. In 2021, the hashtag #BonPlan saw a 511% surge in video views and a staggering 315% increase in video postings. It’s also based on the fact that the TikTok community is built on goodwill and users are motivated to leave a positive trail. Sharing good news about the latest is no exception! The positive impact is at the heart of why the #BonPlan trend has exploded.

(Poupular topics of clothing and accessories videos in the past year and the corresponding number of views)

TikTok has everything from the shelves to consumers — from leggings to milk frothers, cranberry juice to cleaning products and more. TikTok has gained a reputation for helping brands take off, and some retailers have even created #TikTokMadeMeBuylt in their stores, knowing that consumers are looking to buy the favorites they see on the platform.

Brands that have achieved early success in the #BonPlan phenomenon will also be able to rely on the creativity of the platform to maintain their competitiveness while continuously learning from creators to build a strong and stable business scale. As for SMEs, the #BonPlan trend is a new way for local French brands to increase their exposure, and some products may even sell out overnight.

5. Technology and electronics: The era of 3D printing is coming

Like the creators of TikTok, artists are constantly exploring innovative ways of expressing themselves. As technology evolves, so does artistry, and 3D printers are a prime example. Tech-inspired artists utilize 3D digital models to create physical objects, extending the boundaries of art into new, uncharted territories.

As the platform has grown, a host of new interactive and innovative features have been introduced to the TikTok community for use, and the space to explore more creative elements of the platform has grown exponentially, helping to shape TikTok into the vibrant, Innovation-led entertainment platform.

3D printing technology has the potential to become an art form only when users realize they have the opportunity to experiment with entirely new forms of expression, one that is both innovative and experimental and has the potential to challenge the status quo. With the ability to explore never-before-seen concepts, video content related to 3D printed art has attracted thousands of TikTok users in France.

TikTok is a full-screen mobile platform with sound that enables users to delve into an immersive content consumption experience. 3D printed art is also gaining popularity among TikTok audiences.

(Overall growth of technology and electronic videos in the past year)

The booming trend of 3D printing art has attracted thousands of viewers on TikTok. In 2021, the TikTok platform is flooded with content by artists using 3D printers to create very finely detailed works, or highly durable pieces like furniture or even full-scale houses. regardless of type

The hashtags #3Dprinting and #impression3D became trending topics among French users. As a result, #3Dprinting saw a 25% increase in video views and an 873% increase in video postings, while #impression3D saw a particularly staggering 1200% increase in video views and 1811% in postings.

(Popular topics of technology and electronics videos in the past year and the corresponding number of views)

Case Analysis

On the one hand, the ad experience has remained the same over the years: users often choose to mute ads, or simply ignore and skip. On the other hand, users can experience an immersive video viewing experience from TikTok, allowing brands to gain powerful exposure opportunities.

The 3D printing art craze will create a new playing field in the future, and there is still a lot that brands can do to think about how this technology can reconstruct any existing physical object in detail. For brands that want to embrace the authenticity, creativity and fun of the TikTok community, the needs of the audience are always rich and changing, and combining 3D printing technology may also be an important direction for future development.