As it continues its push to maximize its market presence, and its influence more broadly, TikTok is opening a new 'For You House' pop-up store in the UK, which will enable fans to interact with platform stars, and get creation tips and insights, as well as create their own videos in a range of staged settings.
Taking up 4,000 square feet of space in a west London shopping center, the For You House will host a range of creator education sessions and meet and greets throughout the month.
As reported by The Guardian:
"Influencers including British teenager Kyle Thomas, comedian Ehiz Ufuah, chef Poppy O’Toole and freestyle footballers Jeremy Lynch and Ben Black, will offer £5 ($US6.95) sessions explaining how to make content for TikTok. Sessions will also be available for parents to learn how to keep teenagers safe on the platform."
As noted, the full layout includes a range of themed rooms and set-ups, including a garden, a dressing room and a kitchen.
That will help facilitate a range of TikTok use cases for its education sessions, showcasing the various ways that TikTok clips can be used to promote niche interests.
YouTube has hosted similar pop-up spaces in the past, including an 'Experiential House' in New York back in 2019.
But obviously, things have changed a lot since then, and within the context of the pandemic, it is interesting to see TikTok looking to latch onto the resurgence in in-store shopping, as the vaccine roll-out continues, as a means to maximize its branding and connect, in-person, with wannabe platform stars.
The program is actually part of shopping mall owner Westfield's push to get people to come back to stores, and in this context, TikTok is probably a perfect partner, providing a strong lure to get younger audiences back into its facility. According to Campaign, creators will be able to book slots in any of the For You House rooms, where they can film content, while they'll also be offered complimentary TikTok merchandise.
Despite rising challenges from competing apps, TikTok has continued to lead the app download charts, and post strong growth figures around the world, particularly during the pandemic. That could mean that TikTok will see a slowdown in usage once people can get back to their regular lives, but the enduring popularity of the app has it well-placed to capitalize on its market position, and become a mainstay in the social media ecosphere.
Activations like this help to improve its branding and community efforts, and along with its sponsorship of sporting events and other functions, TikTok has quickly become a well-recognized, established brand, further solidifying its presence.
The For You House pop-up store will open on July 22nd, and will be available to visit for two weeks.
