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How Influencers’ User-Generated Content on TikTok Impacts Consumers’ Awareness and EngagementA Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of theRequirements of the Renée Crown University Honors Program atSyracuse UniversityIsabella Dominique GrellaCandidate for Bachelor of Degree and Renée Crown University HonorsSpring 2020Honors Thesis in Your MajorThesis Advisor: _______________________ Dr. Christal JohnsonThesis Reader: _______________________ Dr. Hua JiangHonors Director: _______________________ Dr. Danielle Smith, Director ? Isabella Grella. April 24, 2020 AbstractThis study provides exploratory information on how users’ generated content on the short video application TikTok impacts Generation Z’s awareness and engagement. Public relations practitioners have been utilizing influencers in social media campaigns to effectively reach target audiences and push engagement on applications like Instagram, Snapchat and now, TikTok. As Generation Zers continue to look for niche communities and influencers on emerging social media applications, the impact of these campaigns must be explored. Additionally, public relations practitioners can take research gathered from focus groups in this study and create social media campaigns that effectively resonate with Generation Z. Table of ContentsAbstract……………………………………….……………….………….. 3Acknowledgements (Optional)…………………………………………… 5Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………6Chapter 2: Literature Review………………………………………………11Chapter 3: Methodology……………………………………………… 19Chapter 4: Results……………………………………………… 23Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion……………………………………………… 39Works Cited.……………………………………………………………… 46Acknowledgements I’d like to express my sincerest thanks to my advisor, Dr. Christal Johnson, who has guided me through my time at Newhouse since taking her class, Public Relations Research, at Syracuse University. She has persisted with me through this thesis, excited and encouraging the entire time. Without her, the purpose of this research would have never been reached. I would also like to acknowledge my reader, Dr. Hua Jiang, for her support while finalizing this thesis and guiding me in my studies at Newhouse. I’m forever grateful for my parents, who have shown nothing but encouragement and love throughout my life. They have sacrificed all just to prepare me for everything my studies, and life, has to offer. I also express thanks to my friends, who have made my time at Syracuse so special. CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTIONUsage of influencers has garnered interest from public relations practitioners, journalists and researchers alike. Global researchers have studied the features of effective influencers in the fashion industry (Abidin, 2016) and on brand attitude (Veriman, 2017). Marketing databases such as WARC and other databases frequently post case studies of public relations agencies utilizing influencers to launch a product campaign, shift brand attitude and even boost immediate sales. Influencer commerce has grown tremendously in the last few years (Abidin, 2016), with entrepreneur and model Kylie Jenner being the most infamously paid influencer accumulating over $1 million per Instagram post (Mintel, 2019). Public relations practitioners have been utilizing social media influencers to increase engagement and awareness within Generation Z, as this generation utilizes social media the most, according to Pew Research Center (2018). Digital influencers have been an integral part of marketing and public relations departments since the rise of digital media. A study by eMarketer in 2018 sought out to distinguish the most important public relations tasks according to 155 public relations practitioners. Out of 20 tactics included, ranging from storytelling to media relations, 20% felt that influencer relations was the number one most important tactic (eMarketer, 2018). When social media influencer campaigns are executed correctly, the campaigns positively increase social media engagement and awareness. In 2018, the airline company Finnair looked to increase bookings in the United States and increase awareness of their “stopover” program which allowed customers to visit two destinations for the price of one ticket during a layover. Finnair decided to launch an influencer campaign with 9 influencers from Finnair’s markets and 3 top lifestyle influencers (WARC, 2019). Finnair provided each influencer with an itinerary to match their destination, along with videographers and photographers to capture their experiences. The result was social media content to share directly to audiences. The total trips generated over 28 million impressions and increased Finnair’s bookings for the summer of 2018. Despite the success of the Finnair’s influencer campaign, new challenges rise with the constant transformation in social media. According to Mintel Reports “Marketing to iGeneration – May 2018,” the iGeneration (also known as Gen Z), is looking for more niche communities to express themselves within industries or hobbies they enjoy. This is a challenge but also an opportunity for public relations practitioners and marketers to utilize influencers of niche communities to push messages. Mintel also states, in another report, “Internet Influencers -- February 2019,” that brands can no longer ignore the impact social media influencers and personalities have on digitally engaged Gen Zers. TikTok’s InfluenceBrands are beginning to catch on, with extensive research on digital influencer marketing. Still, there are few studies that focus specifically on music influencer marketing and how it affects consumer behavior and music choices. Publications including the International Business Times, Artists Without A Label (AWAL) and NPR discuss influencer marketing within the music industry and the increasing relevancy of TikTok. TikTok is a social media short-video application for creating and sharing lip-sync and other entertaining videos. The absence of scholarly research on the application and its effects on consumer behavior may be due to the recent rise of TikTok among Generation Z, as public relations practitioners and music industry professionals are just beginning to see the impact the application has on the success of musicians. TikTok and the Music IndustryIn March 2019, influencer marketing agency Muuser reported “three songs are currently in the top 15 on Spotify’s US Viral 50 chart solely because of TikTok.” Additionally, Global Web Index reports that 73% of TikTok users use the “music sticker” on their videos to share a clip from a song the user liked (Beer, 2019). This feature of the social-media app has gained attention from record labels like Warner Music and Sony, as well as influencer marketing agencies to promote new music (Joseph, 2019). Singer Lil Nas X’s success is accredited to TikTok, an occurrence that has placed the conversation of TikTok marketing front and center. By utilizingmeme culture, Lil Nas X amplified his song “Old Town Road” on TikTok until it beat the Billboard Chart record for 17 weeks at number one. In order to dive deeper into how Gen Z attached itself to “Old Town Road,” and other viral songs through the popular application, persuasion through TikTok must be explored with notice of the features of the application that make it a favorable option for Generation Z. To explore this phenomenon, The Elaboration Likelihood Model will be used as a framework to understand and explain how and why influencers on TikTok impact the audiences’ awareness and engagement of new music featured in these videos. Elaboration Likelihood Model The Elaboration Likelihood Model was developed by Richard E. Petty and John T. Cacioppo in the 1980s and proposes that every persuasive message is received through two main routes: the peripheral and the central routes. The central route, which will be the focus of the study, is strong and requires active attention, analysis and even participation in the messages sent from the receiver (“Elaboration Likelihood Model,” 2014). Short video applications, like TikTok, have grown in popularity since 2017 because of the interactive community they build (Xu, Yan, Zhang, 2019). Influencer campaigns on TikTok often rely on virality for success, with other users using the campaign’s hashtag and creating their own organic videos. TikTok has risen to popularity because it contains necessary components of a short video app, that is, rich content, personalization and interactive features (Xu, Yan and Zhang, 2019). Consumers are moving away from social media applications that focus on solely photo and text and moving towards applications that utilize user-generated content (UGC). User-Generated Content (UGC)User-generated content (UGC) is “any content—text, videos, images, reviews, etc.—created by people, rather than brands,” with brands referring to corporations versus the individual people (Newberry, 2019). According to a study done in 2013, user-generated material must follow three characteristics: the content is made publicly available over the Internet, it includes a certain amount of creative work, and it is created outside of professional routines and practices (Salo, Lankinen & M?ntym?ki, 2013). Mintel states that services that utilize this form of content have the largest number of active users, allowing active social media users advantage over newer UGC-based services (Mintel, 2018). User-generated content is especially important in short video applications such as TikTok, with recent research exploring the unique factors of the application that led to its quick popularity (Liquian, 2018).Where previous studies on influencers focus on follower-engagement (Abidin, 2015), the stakeholders in electronic word of mouth (Erkan, 2015), the influencer campaigns on Instagram (Abidin 2016), and more, little research analyzes the impact influencer campaigns have specifically on TikTok. There is a gap in the literature with the new development of the application TikTok, and subsequently a newer form of sponsored campaigns specific to the music industry. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how public relations and marketing campaigns on TikTok use influencers to affect awareness and engagement of new music within Generation Z TikTok users. Utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model and conducting primary research within the target demographic will demand further understanding of how TikTok influencers impact the music industry. First, this paper will present a literature review of research done on social media influencers, public relations practitioners utilizing influencers for awareness and engagement, Generation Z, the Elaboration Likelihood Model and finally TikTok. The next chapter will focus on the methodology of this study. After the methodology chapter, the results chapter will present the findings of the study. Finally, the discussion and conclusion chapter will discuss the implications of the research and proposed topics for further research.CHAPTER TWO. LITERATURE REVIEWInfluencersSocial media influencers (SMIs) are typically bloggers or social media users that utilize their following to promote a brand, activity, product or overall idea. Social media influencers are also content creators through various social channels that have a relevant number of indirect connections in the form of followers beyond their ‘friends’ or normal ‘social circle’ (Borchers, 2019). Additionally, influencers are seen as opinion leaders in one or several industries or niches (Veirman, 2017). Freberg, Graham, McGaughey and Freberg (2011) state that social media influencers “represent a new type of independent third-party endorser who shape audience attitudes through blogs, tweets, and the use of other social media” (p. 1). The Fellows of the Society for New Communications Research sought to discover these “new influencers,” how to create relationships with them utilizing social media and how influence is changing through social media (Gillin, 2008). By distributing a survey to communication professionals who frequently used social media and its tools, Gillin concluded that social media is a core channel for disseminating information; blogs, online video and social networks are the most popular social media tools; top criteria for influence are quality of content and relevance of content; participation level (engagement) is the best measure of an influencer’s effectiveness. Booth and Matic (2011) explored SMIs that shape corporate brand perception. By reviewing a “customizable valuation algorithm” that included variables such as viewers per month, linkages, engagement index and more, researchers concluded that the creation of a customizable valuation algorithm is necessary for public relations practitioners when evaluating effective SMIs (Booth & Matic, 2011). In relation to user-generated content, a study done in 2009 by Dhar and Chang examined the effect of user-generated content on music sales. Researchers concluded future sales are positively correlated with the volume of blog posts about an album, such as an album review. Beyond traditional methods of earned media, however, public relations practitioners are utilizing digital influencers and social media campaigns more frequently. Public Relations Influencers and Engagement DiStaso, Marcia and McCorkindale (2012) completed a study about social media and engagement and define engagement as an interaction with an organization and its public(s) (Paine, 2011). This research further provides three reasons why engagement is not only important but a priority for organizations, stating it helps build relationships with consumers, promotes the company and can even improve products. Research encourages organizations to build relationships with social media influencers to increase positive, earned digital media, acknowledging that social media influencers can reach niche audiences that journalists are unable to promote to in specific marketplaces (Pang, Tan, Lim, Kwan & Lakhanpal, 2016). Research conducted by HYPERLINK "" \l "!" Uzuno?lu and Kip (year) examined how brands engage with bloggers and the strength of these influencer-corporate relationships (Uzunoglu & Kip, 2014). By studying the traditional two-step flow of communication and conducting in-depth interviews with public relations agency representatives, researchers proposed a model of organizational communication through SMIs. In the study’s conclusion, researchers determined that although the blogger is key in transmitting brand information, the followers are just as important because of their power to share that information further. Another study from 2017 studied the use of social media for stakeholder engagement, specifically in startups in China. Influencer endorsement was identified as one of a few social media engagement strategies, and through content analysis and in-depth interviews, researchers found that increasing awareness is one of the main purposes of social media usage (Chen, Ji & Men, 2017). Additionally, this purpose of increasing awareness reflects the “interactive features of social media in facilitating engagement.” Generation ZUnderstanding Generation Z and what this generation represents is pertinent to understanding their music engagement via TikTok. According to Mintel Reports (2019), Generation Z includes teens between the ages of 12-17 and young adults between the ages of 18-24. When it comes to music programming, YouTube became the default platform for music visuals and videos. Past research on digital influencers within this age group focuses on the effectiveness and how influencer marketing can impact consumer behavior. A 2018 study explored the impact YouTube influencer campaigns had on Gen Z’s consumer behavior (Viertola, 2018). Researchers conducted in-depth interviews, exploratory research, and causal research, eventually concluding that for this generation, visuals and storytelling are important in social media content. This audience also wants honest content from role models on YouTube. Another study, in 2018, focuses on viral marketing specific to Generation Z. By distributing surveys surrounding three notable case studies, the researcher could measure viral content by a few variables including shareability, humorous content, purchasing intent and brand engagement (Helena, 2018). This study, as well as Uche (2018) mentions when brands miss the mark with corporate social responsibility, and how that impacts Generation Z as well (Uche, 2018). Uche’s study worked to understand the loyalty and behaviors Gen Z has in comparison to older generations when faced with corporate social responsibility (CSR). By distributing surveys to undergraduate college students that measured progressive values, pro-social behaviors, perceived trust and word of mouth intentions to name a few, Uche discovered Gen Z’s specific characteristics change the way brands communicate CSR. Beyond CSR, Gen Z’s familiarity with emerging technologies is seen in the content they make and post to social media. According to Mintel Reports (2019), 22% of 16-24-year-olds have created short videos and uploaded them to social media (Mintel Reports, 2019). Gaining an understanding of the target demographic and its behaviors is essential, as the most prominent social media influencers on TikTok are also members of Generation Z. The Elaboration Likelihood Model Influence through digital media channels can be explained with the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion. Petty and Cacioppo (1980) developed the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion (ELM) to understand how persuasion occurs between the persuader and its audience by communication. There are two main types of persuasion within ELM, including the central and the peripheral route. The central route of persuasion discusses when a person is mindful of the information being presented and carefully processed. The second type of persuasion, through the peripheral route, occurs without full analysis of the material and messages provided in communication. The focus of this paper will be on the central route of persuasion. This is useful when researching the application TikTok, as active participation in user-generated content is the main feature and value of the app. Cacioppo and Petty (1980) suggest that when elaborative likelihood is high, a person’s cognitive resources are appropriated to the subject or message. In the context of engaging in TikTok influencer campaigns, such individuals may be persuaded by the influencer itself, the features of the short video and other factors that contribute to these campaigns’ success. The central route in this study demands time and focus on the message and assessment of one’s attitude towards the information presented in TikTok. In 2018, researchers investigated consumers’ instant dissemination behavior on social networking sites and used ELM as the framework for research (Shi, Hu, Lai & Chen, 2018). By collecting data from 1,250 Twitter users and examining each user’s posts, researchers extracted seven independent factors including topic relevance, information richness, source trustworthiness, source attractiveness, value homophily (individuals sharing beliefs and values) within personal groups, social tie strength (the strength of two users’ interactions) and information social influence (Shi, Hu, Lai & Chen, 2018). The findings supported researchers’ hypothesis that factors such as social tie strength and homophily have the largest influence on user behavior on Twitter (Shi, Hu, Lai & Chen, 2018). In other words, relationships matter. The 2018 study encourages further research on influencer relations and other media channels such as the investigations within this paper. The Elaboration Likelihood Model will be a useful framework when studying TikTok influencers and how influencers affect audience’s engagement and awareness of music. Because all social media channels vary in features, it is important to take a look at TikTok as an application and the current campaigns demonstrated by the music industry.TikTok Campaigns and the Music Industry There are a number of case studies that demonstrate the creative efforts music labels, advertising agencies and public relations agencies execute in music marketing; however the use of influencers on TikTok is a relatively new concept. Researchers Lankinen and Mantymaki (2013) wanted to answer the following question: What are the general motives for using social media and how are they related to music consumption? By answering this question, music industry professionals could further understand how to market musicians via social media. The researchers hypothesized four consumer motives: (1) reinforcement of social identity, (2) a sense of affinity, (3) participation of USG and (4) two-way interaction between members of the group. By collecting primary research via semi structured, face-to-face interviews and focus-groups as well as secondary data collected, researchers discovered how the four consumer motives perform across social media platforms MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, and content communities like YouTube, Spotify and digital blogs. Consumers felt participation was highest with Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and blogs, suggesting platforms with multimedia features reciprocate engagement (Lankinen & Mantymaki, 2013). This research paper can use Lankinen’s and Mantymaki’s findings to hypothesize consumer motives for short-video application TikTok. A recent 2019 study dives specifically in “music mavenism” or the impact public figures have in music recommendations and the spread of emerging artists. Verboord (2019) argues that the rise of social media makes it “imperative to bring these research strands (word-of-mouth and cultural capital) closer together as the structures of cultural markets are in radical transition” (Verboord, 2019). The researcher distributed over 700 surveys that studied the individuals that seek music recommendations and those that provide them. One result from the study suggested that music discovery in the mid-2010s can be characterized in three groups: individual contacts with listening sources e.g. Spotify; traditional expertise e.g. record stores; mass media. In 2018, Universal Music partnered with The Influencer Marketing Factory, an influencer marketing agency, to promote the song “Money Dance.” The Influencer Marketing Factory utilized 5 TikTok influencers and created the #moneydancechallenge, launching the song towards over 5 million views and 800+ organic videos created from this challenge (, 2019). The use of influencers in music marketing is nothing new, but in-depth case studies are rarely made public, as record labels and marketing departments keep sponsored campaigns on TikTok relatively private. For example, the CEO of Fullbottle, an influencer marketing firm, admitted to working with Universal Music Group (Willens, 2016) but seldom specified the clients and music projects they worked on together. Another record label, The Other Songs, partnered with Fanbytes to create a TikTok campaign to increase musician Ruthe Anne’s streams. The record label created the #PromoteLove campaign with TikTok influencers. The campaign gained 1.5 million views and garnered 871 organic videos. Record labels RCA & Sony hired another TikTok influencer to increase engagement on the song “Dance in the Dark” by Au/Ra. The #danceinthedark challenge gained over 5,000,000 views with over 3,000 TikTok users posting the song. Additionally, 25% of the videos posted using the song were direct outcomes of the campaign. Another record label, Sony Music, hired the Influencer Marketing Factory to promote a meet and greet with the band AJR Brothers during its tour. Two prominent TikTok influencers posted the meet and greet, resulting in 350,000+ views and over 750 shares. Based on previous research about influencers, SMI’s, ELM, and the gap of literature about Influencers’ on TikTok and Generation Z audiences, this study will examine Generation Z’s engagement on the application from a public relations standpoint by examining the following questions:RQ1: What aspects of influencers’ TikTok music videos encourage engagement?RQ2: How do Generation Zers use TikTok for music discovery?RQ3: How can public relations practitioners and marketers utilize influencers effectively to connect Generation Z and the music utilized in short videos?CHAPTER THREE. METHODOLOGYTo address the research questions, this study took a qualitative approach to collecting data by conducting focus groups among Generation Z college students in Central New York. SiteRecruitment for the focus groups occurred between January 27 and February 12, 2020. To recruit for the focus groups, I contacted various colleges at Syracuse University. Additionally, I reached out to professors and students at Syracuse University to help recruit participants for the study. I conducted the focus groups Sunday, February 9 and Friday, February 14 2020. The focus groups occurred on Syracuse University’s campus to provide a convenient location for focus group participants. ParticipantsCriteria for focus group participants included: member of Generation Z (ages 18-22); has a TikTok account; are currently enrolled in a Central New York college or university. Participants should not only be aware of the TikTok application, but also use it frequently, engaging with the application over three times a week. Each focus group consisted of 2-8 students per group, with 4 focus groups, totaling 12 participants total. Catered lunch was provided as an incentive for participants to join the study. There was also an academic incentive, such as extra credit from professors offered to participants in the focus groups. A screening questionnaire was used for all potential focus group participants to ensure all criteria was met for those who do participate in the focus group. InstrumentThe focus groups questionnaire will be divided into themes. The first theme will focus on TikTok usage. The second theme will come from the central route of persuasion within the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The third theme will focus on the level of engagement, the features that encourage engagement and the result of this engagement in relation to music consumption. The questionnaire will be centered around 3-4 main research questions. The focus group sessions will be semi-structured, with open-ended questions stemming from the questionnaire, but providing the opportunity for follow-up questions that identify new ways of answering the main research questions (Bernard, 1988). Reliability and Validity of StudyReliability. Reliability is the extent to which data collected is consistent over time and that under a similar research procedure, similar results would surface (Joppe, 2000). Additionally, Lincoln and Guba (1985) use the term “dependability” in qualitative research to parallel “reliability” in quantitative research. Either way, to examine dependability in qualitative research, it is important to ensure there is consistency of data when examining raw data and process notes throughout the research process (Campbell, 1996). I ensured consistency throughout my process by screening participants beforehand and including only Central New York college students between the ages of 18-22 who have used the TikTok application consistently within the last year. I stated this criteria in my recruiting information, when recruiting through professors, in my screening questionnaire, consent forms and in the focus groups. Additionally, I reviewed the original data and process notes after each focus group, ensuring that my questions and wording were being properly understood by participants and answered accordingly. Validity. Validity in qualitative research is a controversial topic that is often discussed by researchers (Golafshani, 2003). Davies and Dodd (2002) use the word rigor to describe validity in qualitative research specifically, and recognizing rigor “by exploring subjectivity, reflexivity, and the social interaction of interviewing” (Davies & Dodd, 2002). This necessary inclusion of rigor and subjectivity in validity in qualitative research poses a challenge to the researcher, who then takes a more personal stance in what validity is to his research. Additionally, because qualitative research is much more uncertain and fluid than quantitative, so should the interpretation of validity (Lincoln, 1995). Credibility and authenticity are often used to define validity in qualitative research, with Throne (1997) emphasizing the need for “assurance the interpretations are trustworthy and reveal some truth external to the investigators’ experience” (Throne, 1997). To ensure credibility and authenticity in my focus groups, I chose an objective notetaker that has taken Public Relations Research at Syracuse University. In addition to working with an objective notetaker, I summarized and restated the key points written at the end of each topic to ensure I understood the participants’ answers. I recorded each focus group discussion, then transcribed them and reviewed overlapping themes in each discussion. In my study, I examined consumers’ engagement on the short video application TikTok and the impact of influencer public relations on consumers. I used focus groups to record various perspectives and behaviors on the application, while recognizing reoccurring themes within my demographic. I designed the research to provide public relations practitioners with a better understanding of Generation Z’s behaviors on the application and their response to influencer campaigns within the app. The next chapter will summarize results and explore themes from the focus group discussions. CHAPTER FOUR. RESULTSOverall, the focus groups provide an introductory understanding of TikTok users between the ages of 18-22 on a new short video application that is only growing. This chapter will explore themes found in the focus group results based on the developed research questions. To protect the anonymity of the study, pseudonyms will be used in place for participants’ names. Overall, many of the participants did not make following influencers on TikTok a priority of their behavior on the application. Some participants spoke of the types of videos they engaged with, and frequently discussed their engagement behavior on the application. The participants explored concepts such as niche video interaction, features of the short videos, music discovery on TikTok, the community aspect of the app and specific behaviors on TikTok within this demographic. RQ1: What aspects of influencers’ TikTok music videos encourage engagement?Sketch comedy encourages engagementWhen I asked what kind of content they typically engage with, participants gave a variety of answers, but one specific genre stood out:Katie: Humor and comedy videos.Sofia: Comedy and dog videos cause I love dogs so those two pop-up in my discover page.Rachel: Lots of college-specific ones. “College students check” and then go through stereotypical college things. They’re relatable videos.Mia: I like a lot of the funny TikToks or meme TikToks. But I always see a range of different TikToks.Luna: The comedy ones, makeup tutorials even if I will never do them I think it’s cool to watch other people’s talent. Things that are impressive.The main “category” of content that some participants agreed they viewed frequently were sketch comedy videos (including “meme-like” videos and relatable skits). These were created by influencers or normal TikTokers, not so frequently celebrities. To further explain, it was not just sketch comedy videos but other content on users’ “For You” page. The “For You” homepage, which is a separate viewing page for TikTok users, provides viewers with a unique viewing experience catered to the niche videos they want to view. Dance videos were another category that encouraged engagementAlthough it was not as frequently mentioned as sketch comedy, dance videos encourage engagement from some participants. Some participants brought up the “dance” or choreography videos that are increasingly popular on TikTok. Examples of dance videos include the “Money Dance Challenge” discussed earlier. Sofia: I like the dances. I feel like they’re addictive to watch and I can’t dance but I try so then I waste a lot of time trying over and over trying it. I’ve learned 4 or 5 dances and I’ve made so many videos doing those dances. I like the fitness videos too.While Sophia enjoys learning and participating in dance challenge videos, Mia, a 20-year-old student that has over 11 thousand followers on TikTok has mixed feelings about the dance videos on the application:Mia: [There’s] lots of dancing, cringey dancing, young middle schoolers and high schoolers dancing really poorly. I don't enjoy the cringey dancing ,but it just shows up on my feed. I engage with it but I don't like it. It's just really popular because they're influencers and have millions of followers and they’re all over YouTube and Instagram. I usually don't even bother looking at the full thing, i'll just scroll right past it.While acknowledging that she finds the dancing “cringey” at times, she still takes the time to learn a TikTok dance when it’s easier to do, saying, “I don't learn a lot of dances, they’re usually really complicated, but “Say So” is pretty easy and fun to do with friends.”Other answers included fitness, do-it-yourself videos, cat videos and more.This shows a variety of interests within this subgroup of Generation Zers. While other categories of TikToks include fitness, do-it-yourself craft videos, cooking and pet videos, comedy videos catch this demographic’s attention and engagement the most. Sound make the differenceIn many of the discussions, the type of “song” or “sound” used in the video initially gets participants to stop scrolling. This especially occurs when the sound used in a video is a trending one that participants have heard multiple times earlier in other videos on the application. Mia, a 19-year old graphic design student at Syracuse, first expressed that the sound catches her attention, with nods and agreement coming from the rest of the group.Mia: The sound first catches my attention. The music or a funny voice recording and then they’ll [the TikTokers] make a video to it.Luna: Sound catches my attention and if it’s a new one that I haven’t heard I’ll stay on it more. I don’t search too much, I mainly just go through the feed.Simone: Background music catches my attention.Everything on the “For You” page receives attentionIn addition to the sound of the TikTok catching the participants’ attention, a few participants expressed trusting the content that is displayed on the “For You” page. When viewing the “home” page on TikTok, there are two viewing options. There is the “Following” page, that displays only videos of creators you follow on the application. There is also the “For You” page, that after only a few hours of using the application, becomes curated with influencers you previously engaged with, and “categories” of content you frequently view. Although sounds and effects catch the attention and engagement of many participants, a few women said they trusted and watched whatever was on their “For You” page. Rachel: I’m pretty much always willing to watch it if it’s on my for you page so I know it’s curated for me, but usually in 3 seconds if I don’t like it scroll past.Katie: I like the creativity on TikTok, people usually surprise me. If it’s on your “For You” page you know it’s gonna be a good TikTok. I think that TikTok allows anyone to create videos and if you go through the platforms it’s pretty easy. Because of my video background (broadcast, digital journalism] major) I know how hard it can be to create videos from scratch but with the TikTok widgets, it makes it so that anyone can be a video producer. If public relations practitioners and content creators can learn how to get on the right audiences “For You,” page, they have a chance of increasing engagement or at the very least, impressions.Sponsored posts need to be entertaining When discussing sponsored posts on TikTok, I asked the participants if they were aware between the difference of sponsored posts and sponsored posts. All of the participants agreed they knew what sponsored posts were, but some were unaware of what they look like on the TikTok application, as they can seem more subtle than ones on other social media applications such as Instagram and YouTube. Sofia: I don’t really know when something is sponsored. On IG [Instagram], I follow a lot of beauty vloggers and it’s usually a photo so it’s much more easy [sic] to see what they’re trying to promote.Mia: I don’t really see them on TikTok I feel like, it’s mainly Instagram or YouTube; It's definitely going to become more popular on TikTok. I feel like a lot of companies are becoming aware of TikTok’s influence on audiences. Even a lot of celebs are hopping on there. I used to never see celebs on there when I started last summer. Two participants expressed skipping sponsored posts immediately after realizing that it isone. Sofia says, “I like that you can skip ads on TikTok,” talking about the ease the application provides for scrolling past any advertisements. This is similar to Instagram and Twitter but unlike YouTube, which usually requires viewers to watch advertisements for at least 5 seconds before skipping. Luna states, “Sometimes I can’t tell that it’s an ad but as soon as I realize it, I skip it.” Katie and Rachel both explained that they might engage with sponsored posts if they are entertaining enough. Katie: I like to be entertained so I’ll give it a chance if it’s funny. If it’s entertaining, I’m like “ok this brand is one up cause they know where to put their dollars.” This one girl from my town is a Victoria’s Secret ambassador so she’ll post but [I’m] like “ok you do your thing.”Rachel: If it’s a good TikTok and I don’t notice it’s an ad, then my eyes don’t even go to look if it’s sponsored. If it looks really well made, then I’ll be like “something doesn’t seem right” and then I’ll look. I notice sponsored posts more on other apps because it’ll be like clothing and none of my friends would post that. Or I recognize that it’s a brand.Overall, there are specific types of “categories” or content that encourages participants to engage with the videos. Within these categories, comedy and sketch videos receive the most attention, according to conversations within the focus groups. Beyond that, a few participants said they participate in dance videos sometimes. Aside from these two categories, the participants all had personalized viewing experiences on the application. Some watched cat and dog videos, others enjoyed fashion content and one even talked about cooking videos. In addition to certain categories of content encouraging engagement, the sound used in videos caused participants to stop scrolling. This includes, but is not limited to, a variety of trending songs regardless of the genre. Sound enhanced the viewing experience for participants and also made certain trends and videos “recognizable.” Other than sound, colorful effects, themes, filters and text encouraged engagement for some viewers. With sound being a large influencer in participants’ TikTok behavior, this next section will draw on how this demographic uses TikTok for music discovery. RQ2: How do Generation Zers use TikTok for music discovery?Searching by trending “sounds” and songsKatie says sometimes she enjoys clicking on a specific “sound” or effect on the TikTok application and searching for videos by that sound. This is because specific sounds are used for trending TikTok memes. She says, “I like how TikTok allows you to look for sounds and effects on the app. If you see something you like, you can go down a rabbit hole.” Rachel agreed with her:Rachel: I don’t actively seek them outside of the app but there might be a song that I like and I look for other videos in the app that use that audio. But then I’ll be on my Spotify and it’s today’s top hits and its “Say So” and “Roxanne” and I’m like wow this made it to the top hits. I don’t look for it out of my way.”Searching for songs outside of TikTokI asked the group to, “Think about your engagement within the last week. In this past week, how many times have you heard a song in a TikTok video and subsequently engaged with that specific song outside of the TikTok application? (that includes YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL and other applications).” Many of the participants agreed that they hear a song on TikTok and then look it up on YouTube or Spotify, specifically. Still, this trend of utilizing TikTok (whether purposely or not) as a music discovery application was apparent in many participants’ answers. Mia: I definitely get a lot of songs off of TikTok that I'll add on Spotify, you can save sounds on TikTok too, so I’ll do that. I'll usually find it on Spotify. I'll save on app and then find it on SpotifyAva: I don't really save it in the app cause I don’t use it [the app] as often but I’ll usually go to Spotify to add it. Usually I have to hear a few times because TikToks are shorter and I want to hear more of it [the song]. Usually the songs that blow up are the ones that I'll save.Mia: Same, I’ll look up songs on YouTube or Spotify.Luna: [Use Spotify for music discovery] a lot. That’s how people find new music is through TikTok now. I’ll read it along the bottom and click on the sound and then I’ll go on Spotify and try to find it. Not really with remixes but yeah, I’ll usually look it up. If I like that much it will be immediate. If I don’t catch it that first time, then I probably won’t look it up. The musical genres on TikTok vary. I was on a playlist that Spotify makes and it was all songs that came from TikTok.Sofia: If I can’t immediately find it then I’ll google the words and see if it comes up on Spotify or Google. Sometimes [deciding to search a song] it’s immediate and sometimes it takes me like 10 times to hear it till I look it up. I follow some Spotify playlists from TikTok.TikTok songs moving into mainstream mediaAs some participants mentioned, they notice these “TikTok” songs are making it on top charts and Spotify playlists. Rachel mentioned, “But then I’ll be on my Spotify and it’s today’s top hits and its “Say So” and “Roxanne” and I’m like wow this made it to the top hits.” Luna and Sofia both describe following “TikTok” playlists on streaming applications to listen to the songs frequently used in the short-video application. This phenomena of TikTok music moving into the mainstream is even more apparent in China, where the original TikTok application was created. Iris: In China, if a song is popular on TikTok, every TV show will play it. Since the song is popular, when they see the TV show then they feel familiar with the show. Original songs will be popular in China as well as the remix. The participants were in consensus that the music and sounds they hear on TikTok become songs they seek out on streaming applications like Spotify and YouTube. Additionally, TikTok is affecting what is reaching the music charts and even licensed music on television programs. RQ3: How can public relations practitioners and marketers utilize influencers effectively to connect Generation Z and the music utilized in short videos?The focus groups provided introductory data to how this specific age group within Generation Z (18-22 years old) engages with TikTok and the content presented on the application. There are takeaways public relations practitioners can use to adjust influencer marketing and public relations to better target a generation who’s habits and behaviors on the TikTok application are different than on other social media apps. Understand the community aspect of the applicationIn addition to watching creators’ videos and making content of your own on TikTok, there is a social and interactive community aspect when sharing videos with friends, whether that be within the application or outside of it. Many of the participants describe initially downloading TikTok because they would receive videos from friends or see the videos shared on social media, finally succumbing to peer pressure and downloading TikTok. Often times, participants open and engage with the TikTok application because a friend shares a video with them through iMessage, WhatsApp or within the app itself. Rachel: I’m on it every day, I'll go on it for an hour myself, but my friends will send me things and then I’ll go on again. My close friends send it. The ones that bring me into the app are the ones that my friends will send me separately, send me a link, and then once I’m in the app, my friends will send me stuff in the app.Sofia, a student-athlete at Syracuse finally downloaded the application after seeingyounger teammates on the app so often. She mentions that her friends in her grade have not caught onto the app yet. Sofia: I’m on club sport here [at Syracuse] and the freshman on the team asked me if I knew what TikTok was. I downloaded it in October of last year.Katie: I used to watch the “cringe videos” on Twitter and then eventually I got the app and made my friends get it so I could send them to them. Ava: I'll check [TikTok] when a new trend is blowing up or there is a new sound. I find out about new trends when Mia will send me something, or I'll see one on Twitter and then check the app.Mia: I'll send [Ava] TikToks.Sofia: Some days I get really sucked in and spend a lot of time and then other days I just look at ones that my friends, cousins send me.TikTok and its association with other applicationsKatie describes originally watching TikTok videos on other applications such as Snapchat and Instagram before downloading TikTok itself. For participants reluctant to download TikTok at first, they would see the content reposted on other social media. Katie: Sometimes when people put them on their Snapchat or Instagram stories I’ll watch too - only if they’re genuinely funny. I appreciate if someone puts a good TikTok on another social media. I think the TikTok app itself makes it really easy to send it out to other platforms.Iris, an international student from China, says she watches dog and cat videos and sometimes reposts this content onto Instagram if she wants other followers to see it. Zoe, another international student from China enjoys fashion videos with “people showing their outfits.” When it comes to reposting, Zoe says she “save[s] it to my phone so I can send it to my friends using WeChat.” When Sofia says sometimes people post content to their Instagram stories, the rest of the participants nodded their head in agreement. A common theme from all focus groups is that participants enjoy sharing TikTok content to their other social media platforms. Charlotte: I usually repost on Twitter - that’s where I first saw TikToks.Simone: Some IG [Instagram] accounts repost TikTok videos so I’ll watch so I don’t have to download the app again.Zoe: Sometimes people repost dog or cat TikToks on their stories.Frequency and time of application useWhen public relations practitioners want to create campaigns targeted at an older subgroup of Generation Z, the following frequency and timing of TikTok use is helpful. The participants varied in how often they used the application; however, all participants at least used the application three times a week. What did not vary as much was when they used the TikTok app. Multiple participants spoke of using TikTok in bed when waking up or right before going to bed. Sofia spoke of going on TikTok “for like three hours right before I go to bed.” Mia said she goes on TikTok every night and day, “especially at night.” Charlotte agrees, going on TikTok “usually 20 minutes before I go to bed.”Reasons for engaging with contentThis study focused on the engagement Generation Z has on TikTok, specifically with influencers. A theme that came up frequently was just the form of engagement this group of participants had when they liked or shared a TikTok. Types of engagement, specifically possible on TikTok, include liking, commenting and sharing a video, whether it be sharing within the application or through iMessage or reposting on other social media. The participants expressed their lack of commenting on TikToks, unless it is a friend of theirs or someone they know. Rachel and Katie dove into the specific instances when they commented on a person’s TikTok. Rachel: I only comment if it’s someone I know or if it asks for a response or it relates to me like if someone from my hometown makes a video I’ll be like, “I live here too!” Katie: I’ve only commented once. This kid was wearing a Syracuse scarf and I said, “I see that Syracuse scarf you’re a big fan” and he was like “omg when I came to Syracuse they gave me a scarf!” Normally I would just send it through a DM or text and say something and that’s my comment, but I won’t comment openly on a TikTok.Like Katie and Rachel, participants agreed that commenting is not something they do unless it’s friends, family, someone they know or unique instances.Sofia: I feel like it’s the same. The share button, I didn’t notice until recently that that counts [as a type of metric]. But I definitely only comment if I know the person, some girls from my high school will get millions of views and it takes me a minute to realize that I know them and then I’ll comment.Mia: I don’t comment but I like. I only comment if its friends or family. My brother makes a lot of TikToks and I’ll comment on his. I don't comment on videos of people I don't know because it wastes my time, they're not gonna [sic] see it.Ava: I don’t comment I just like what I enjoy.Luna: The only place I comment is on IG if I know the person. On TikTok, it’s like I don’t know you so I’m not gonna comment. Iris: I usually don’t comment on the video, but if it’s a makeup tutorial that I want to watch later I will like it. Riley: I just comment on my friends’ TikTok.Although most participants were unable to explain why they only like or share as a form of engagement, Sofia thinks that commenting is something younger TikTok users do: Sofia: I think that younger people are commenting. Sometimes I feel like I spam people with TIkToks so I just like them so I can show my friends later. *everyone nods in agreement*Rewatching content through the “likes”On the TikTok application, you can “like” the heart button on a video and that video will be added to your favorites on your profile. A few of the participants talked about using this “like” and “favorites” feature to “save” TikToks they want to re-watch or show friends later. Other social media applications have implemented a feature to “save” posts and videos, such as Instagram and Facebook. For the time being, saving videos is done by liking a video, which could translate to sharing the videos with friends and family. Sofia: I use my likes only for videos that I want to re-watch. It’s [the videos I rewatch] mainly humor and dogs so it’s the same content I would say –?nothing really strays. I don’t need to like dancing videos because they’re so saturated on the app. I use the like button to filter out what I re-watch.Katie: Yeah I use the like for videos that I want to save. If you save, it downloads to your phone so I don’t usually do that. Luna: I try not to like too much because I want to be able to find the ones that I really like and share them with people. I’ll tag people in the comments to show them. Luna was the only participant that mentioned tagging people in the comments to share the video with them. Most participants discussed sending videos through iMessage or within the application, as opposed to commenting people’s usernames in the video. Charlotte: if I think that something is really funny then I’ll favorite it and it makes it easier [for re-watching].Another participant, Iris, briefly mentioned “liking” a video on TikTok that isn’t as popular so that other viewers will see it. The more popular or engaged-with a video is, the more “For You” pages this video will end up on. Iris felt it necessary to help less-popular videos receive more views. Iris: I usually don’t comment on the video, but if it’s a makeup tutorial that I want to watch later I will like it. If there is a video that doesn’t have many likes I will like it because I think that people see the popular creator’s videos often so I want people to see those videos.Influencers on other social media applicationsAlthough this study focused primarily on the TikTok application, in one specific focus group we began discussing the difference between TikTok and other social media applications such as Instagram and YouTube. This conversation began as I asked if the group followed influencers on other social media applications, since they didn’t follow many influencers on TikTok. One participant Iris explains that she follows influencers on Instagram specifically because of the quality of the content posted there.Iris: I follow make-up YouTubers, I use YouTube a lot. I’ll also watch food videos on YouTube. I follow influencers on Instagram and not TikTok because they share beautiful photos on Instagram but TikTok is short tutorials so I don’t think I need to follow them there.Riley notes that she follows one specific celebrity, Will Smith, on TikTok and not on Instagram also because of what he posts on each social media application. Riley: I also think that the content is really different like I follow Will Smith on TikTok and not Instagram because I like his personality but don’t care about his pics.Sofia: I use the apps for different reasons. Obviously with Instagram I like to keep up with my friends and see what influencers are up to. On TikTok, I use it for pure entertainment and laughs and I don’t think that [with] the influencers I follow on Instagram I would need to see their TikToks. TikTok is for a good chuckle.Sponsored posts on other social media applicationsIn 2019, according to , Instagram updated its application with an in-app shopping feature with in-app checkout, charging retailers a fee with each purchase. This feature has changed the way sponsored posts on Instagram appear, with users having the option to purchase an option straight from a sponsored post. This is not available on TikTok, so in our discussion we talked about their engagement with sponsored posts on other applications like Instagram. The participants agreed that they generally engage with sponsored posts on Instagram more for various reasons. Overall, they felt that Instagram sponsored posts are much more catered to their interests, whether it be through an algorithm or artificial intelligence. This greatly influences how they engage with these sponsored posts. Riley: If it’s [the product] something I like, I’ll bookmark it.Riley is referring to the “save” option within the Instagram application mentioned previously. TikTok does not currently have a “save” within the app option. Luna: I actually engage with it [sponsored posts] a lot. At this point, they have my interests right so I’ll usually check it out. If I’m on Etsy and then that shows up on my Instagram feed, that doesn't scare me because we all realize that those are connected. This conversation segwayed into talking about how specific and curated sponsored posts are on applications like Instagram. Overall, the participants agreed that the technology is “listening” to them or recording search data and feel slightly scared of it. Sofia: I feel like they listen to me. I was just talking to someone about a gift I got for Christmas and the next day I had an ad (everyone agrees). It makes me feel scared but they’re doing it to everyone.Zoe: I was talking about getting new contact lenses and the next day I saw an ad. It scares me. Participants only “follow” friendsThis age group of TikTok users does not follow influencers specifically, because the design of the application itself does not make it necessary. Video creators can use the hashtag #fyp, which stands for “for your page,” in hopes of their videos to be placed on the “For You” section of viewer’s explore pages. When asked about the types of influencers participants follow, they generally agreed that they do not follow a lot of influencers. This can be explained mostly because of the “For You” page curation and how TikTok differs from other applications, which will be discussed later in this paper. Katie: Not really [follow influencers]. There is one girl from my town that I follow because it’s support and I think it’s cool – it’s personal. They [influencers] always pop up on my “For You” page and so I don’t think about it. Rachel: I get sick of the content because a lot of people put a lot of repetitive content so I can’t watch only their videos. I don’t want to flip between my “Following” and the “For You” page so I usually just stay there [“For You” page]. Charlotte: I follow two people - two of my friends and that’s it. Sometimes when I like a video, I accidentally follow them. I don’t follow people because I want my “For You” page to be different every day.Simone: Even if I don’t follow people I still see a lot on the “For You” page.Luna: I follow people that I know personally, friends from a phone, a few people that were popular from vine and made a TikTok instead. A celebrity or a face I’ve seen before because I know they were popular on another app. People who make cheese plates. Some guy who goes around the city to different restaurants. Some participants described following specific celebrities for entertainment purposes. Ava: I also follow a lot of celebs, Will Smith, Tana Mongeau. I mostly follow comedy people, older celebs, not necessarily new TikTokers.Riley: I follow my friends and travel accounts. I follow the dancing ferret. I follow Will Smith because his TikToks are really funny. By exploring the behaviors of participants on TikTok and understanding the community aspect of sharing videos, reposting TikToks on other socials, frequency and time of use, influencer patterns and more, public relations practitioners can formulate campaigns that better resonate with Generation Z. TikTok is unlike any other trending social media applications, and researching simple behaviors that make TikTok different is increasingly important as more Generation Zers turn to the application. Gen Z has created an online community within themselves by simply sharing videos and relating to “meme” culture, while also reposting videos on other social media applications. This generation engages with the application frequently throughout the week, and will re-watch favorite videos through “likes.” Additionally, participants agreed that their motivation for using TikTok is purely entertainment, and cannot be compared with applications like Instagram and Twitter. SummaryAfter reviewing research conducted on influencers on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, three research questions were formulated to gain in-depth insight on the new TikTok application. Those questions, including, what aspects of influencers’ TikTok music videos encourage engagement, how do Generation Zers use TikTok for music discovery and how can public relations practitioners and marketers utilize influencers effectively to connect Generation Z and the music utilized in short video allow public relations practitioners to understand what encourages awareness and engagement from Generation Z. Participants discussed their engagement for sketch comedy videos and dance videos, while recognizing the niche content displayed on their “For You” TikTok page. The women also explained how and why they use TikTok as a music discovery application, hearing popular songs from a variety of genres from a TikTok video and turning to YouTube and Spotify primarily to discover the song. The videos that encourage this go beyond “dance” videos, and instead are a variety of categories of videos like makeup, do-it-yourself, fashion and more. Finally, the participants discussed their habits and behaviors on the application, opening the app before bed and using it multiple times a week. There is a community aspect in the way that Generation Z shares videos with each other, and this community expands beyond the TikTok application, with videos being shared on iMessage, Whatsapp, WeChat, Twitter and Instagram. Generation Z engages with videos they enjoy in a similar way that is different than other social media. TikTok is a unique social media application that presents opportunities for practitioners to really understand Generation Z and resonate with them through creative and effective public relations campaigns. CHAPTER FIVE. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION.This study aimed to explore how influencers’ user-generated content impacts Generation Z’s awareness and engagement using qualitative research. I group interviewed 12 Syracuse University students between the ages of 18-22 to further understand Generation Z and how they utilize the application. The Elaboration Likelihood Model was used as a framework for this research, with the central route being the focus of the study. The central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model requires active attention, and this awareness is made apparent as participants discuss the various reasons for engaging with specific content on TikTok, and the various ways they create a sense of community through the application. Results revealed that although participants do not necessarily “follow” influencers on TikTok, they still engage with a community of niche influencers in a different way. With sound and sketch comedy being a main feature of TikTok content that draws in consumers, the impact of this content goes beyond TikTok and is currently impacting music charts and in China, television programs. The TikTok app unintentionally becomes a music discovery app that leads users to Spotify and YouTube. Furthermore, the setup of the application affects how this demographic engages with content. By utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model as a framework and interviewing students in groups, common trends were reflected in the following topics: niche video interaction, features of the short videos, music discovery on TikTok, the community aspect of the app and specific behaviors on TikTok within this demographic. There were differences in specifically what type of content participants engaged with, but the personalization of the content brought out a finding in the TikTok’s “For You” page. While going through each research question, we can categorize common behaviors expressed by participants. Before revisiting the research questions, it is necessary to revisit the research model that shaped the questions. The Elaboration Likelihood Model The Elaboration Likelihood Model was helpful in developing open-ended research questions that would further understand what participants engage with on TikTok. By asking about what features initially warrant engagement on a post, participants had to evaluate what they saw, heard and felt with each TikTok and music video shown on their “For You” pages. Additionally, utilizing this model for research shaped questions to further explore how they engaged with this content. This gave insight on the surprisingly huge difference between liking and commenting on posts. It also provided insight on how posts are being shared with friends, family and on other social media networks. The act of being on TikTok greatly models the central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model, but when it comes to persuading users to engage with content, it varies greatly on the “category” of content like sketch comedy, and often times the “sound” used in the video.When it comes to exploring sponsored posts on TikTok, the participants did not provide a great deal of insight on how those posts persuade them. This is because few participants recognized the sponsored content, while those that did recognize it frequently scrolled past the content. Furthermore, the groups did not discuss sponsored posts of music TikTokers or music videos, a limitation that I will expand on later in the paper. Sound/song as a feature for engagement. While Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other social media applications are beginning to catch onto the engaging impact of short videos (Mintel, 2019), TikTok presents a new reality and expectation for short video. In a short video app, the sound being used in the videos either draws in users or forces them to scroll without re-watching. Additionally, some users search for trending content on the application based on the sound or song being used. This emphasizes the importance of utilizing the right song or sound in any video, whether it be the popular comedy skits Generation Z enjoys, choreography dancing videos or fashion videos. Additionally, the way creators use the effects presented in TikTok also has an impact on whether participants want to engage with it or not. Content creators, influencers and brands need to keep all of these in mind when creating influencer campaigns, to make sure they do not come off as ingenuine and instead relate to users the way popular and trending content comes off as relatable. Getting on the right “For You” pages. As discussed in the focus groups, following creators and influencers is not a priority or even a need to have a well-rounded experience on TikTok. The “For You” section on TikTok allows for curated videos to reach the right audience. The participants’ answers demonstrated that typically TikTok users trust the content that pops up on the “For You” page, making it easier for content creators and influencers to reach the right audiences. It is more about garnering engagement via likes, comments and shares rather than garnering followers, in order to guarantee that the video will reach a larger and more specific audience. The way public relations practitioners can work with influencers to garner engagement is by tapping into niche influencers that captures large engagement from the influencer’s audience, instead of focusing on influencers that have amassed a large following. They should also take into consideration the type of sound/song and effects used in the video, and depending on the influencer, consider TikTokers that provide comedic relief and entertainment to Generation Z. TikTok as a music discovery application. Many participants agreed to using TikTok to find songs and search for that music outside of the application on Spotify, YouTube and Google. A result I was not expecting before the study was the lack of participants’ engagement with dancing TikTok videos. As a part of the literary review, I analyzed music influencer campaigns that major record companies launched with influencer marketing companies. That included the “Money Dance” campaign that garnered over 5 million views, classifying it as a successful campaign on the app. However with the age group and specific participants I interviewed, dance challenges were not their main form of entertainment on the app. Instead comedy videos, fashion, cooking, DIY and fitness videos came up in the discussion of the categories they engaged with. This provides an opportunity for public relation practitioners and marketers to get creative in their campaigns and go beyond sponsored posts we’ve seen on other social media applications. Depending on the genre of music, the influencer campaign does not have to be a standard “dance challenge,” but instead can utilize music and sounds in unique and engaging ways. Beyond music, companies can find creative ways to promote products without coming off as “in-your-face” or even a recognizable sponsored post that participants would otherwise recognize on Instagram. Additionally,?smaller record labels, indie labels and independent artists need to consider partnering with and launching influencer campaigns with niche influencers on TikTok. The same way streaming through Spotify has encouraged discovery of more peculiar music (Smith, Telang, 2016), TikTok presents an opportunity for more peculiar and niche music as well. Public relations practitioners and marketers can pair music they want to promote with influencers beyond dancers, and look to makeup artists, comedians, fashionistas and more to create wholistic stories and experiences that are engaging for this Generation. Taking advantage of reposts. Additionally, focus group findings suggest that there is a community aspect in sharing TikToks whether it be within the application (which is rare), on iMessage or text message and by reposting on Instagram and Twitter. If public relations practitioners and marketers can learn to take advantage of this trend, they can further reach an older audiences like Millennials that hasn’t gotten into TikTok yet. Limitation of studyThere were some limitations to the research, specifically with the group of participants I recruited and interviewed. The participants come from a range of different backgrounds and demographics, however they were all Syracuse University students and women. This may have affected the type of content that resonated. Additionally, because they were between the ages of 18-22, many of these participants did not watch the dance/choreography content I initially expected them to interact with before the study began. Being able to interview younger members of Generation Z and males would have given me a wider array of participants that did interact with the influencer campaigns mentioned in my literature review. Another limitation came with how participants evaluate their behavior on the application. The participants were able to think through the content they watch, the forms of engagement they have and more. Overall, all my questions were answered thoroughly. However, it would have been beneficial if with more time, I could have asked participants to journal or record their behavior while using the application in a set time frame, like 2 weeks. This would have given a more in-depth analysis into their engagement and awareness on TikTok.Future ResearchTikTok algorithm and data analytics. An in-depth analysis into how Tiktok’s algorithm and the “For You” page works compared to other popular social media applications would be beneficial for public relations practitioners and marketers to understand how they can promote videos and have influencer campaigns properly reach the correct audiences. There is little information on how this algorithm affects creators’ content due to it being a relatively new application.Corporate meme culture. Meme culture has become increasingly influential within Generation Z. This form of humor is difficult to achieve when the creator is not being genuine. A study on Generation Z’s perception of corporations utilizing meme culture would be helpful in making sure public relations practitioners, companies and influencers properly connect with this generation. This is especially relevant as comedy videos are popular with the participants interviewed.This thesis has provided exploratory information how user-generated content within the new short video application TikTok impacts Generation Z’s engagement. By looking at past research on marketing to the iGeneration (Generation Z), it is noted that this audience is looking for niche communities to express themselves within. The TikTok application creates those communities. By perfecting a curated viewing experience for each individual user, Generation Z TikTokers are finding themselves engaging with content presented on the home “For You” page. The Elaboration Likelihood Model allows us to further understand how that content can become even more appealing to its consumers by considering all the factors that influence engagement. In the focus groups, we found that sound and a specific category of comedy videos encouraged the most engagement from participants. Previous case studies done on sponsored posts within the music industry showcase the opportunity for new influencers on TikTok. Record labels continue to partner with influencer marketing companies to create dance challenges, generating significant listens and views for specific artists and songs. And according to the participants, these challenges are working. In China, music programming on television shows is quickly paralleling popular TikTok songs. Finally, the focus groups provided insight to specific behaviors within Generation Z on TikTok, whether it by why they engage, how they create a community within shared TikToks and why they go on TikTok to begin with. Overall, public relations practitioners can take the research presented in this study to create useful, entertaining and engaging campaigns that can effectively target Gen Zers in a meaningful and impactful way. ReferencesAbidin, C. (2016). 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