"Today's Headlines Platform Marketing Proposal" released, four major values help brands grow against the trend

Article reprinted from WeChat Official Account: DIGITALING (ID: digitaling)

Author: Vera

In today's business world, there aren't many fresh stories left.

The landscape of major internet giants has been settled, consumer paths and marketing tactics have matured, and red oceans are everywhere. Yet new brand products keep emerging—where can growth come from?

At the 2024 Toutiao Business Conference in early December, we saw another possibility. After short-video apps and entertainment platforms (focused on novels, mini-dramas, etc.) have been thoroughly explored and become increasingly competitive—news platforms like Toutiao represent the last blue ocean for brand marketing.

The recently released "2024 Toutiao Marketing Playbook" further confirms this with its summaries of integrated marketing methods and case studies. It’s clear that leveraging Toutiao and seizing hot content trends has given brands a way to break free from the competition.

01 Three Major Shifts in Marketing, Seen at the 2024 Toutiao Business Conference

From December 4-6, the 2024 Toutiao Business Conference took place in Hainan. Under the theme "Diverse Ignition, Moving Forward," the event invited platform executives, financial experts, top content creators, and other industry leaders to share insights on the most critical changes brands and partners should watch.

From consumer behavior to content trends and industry discussions, the conference highlighted three major shifts. Understanding and acting on these changes will unlock new growth opportunities.

•Shift 1: Identifying New Consumer Demand Through Social Trends

Today, consumer demand and decisions are closely tied to social trends. People consume trending content and use it to guide their purchases. After witnessing how "Paris Olympics-inspired products" and "The Breakup Coach must-haves" sell out, it’s clear that marketing opportunities lie in such trending events.

Content platforms are natural hubs for trends. According to Li Li, Toutiao’s Head of Content: "Among Toutiao’s monthly active users, 120 million are highly engaged with trends, checking the trending list twice daily... Toutiao now generates 30+ major trending events monthly." These trends continuously reveal new consumer demands, offering brands breakout opportunities.

•Shift 2: Trust-Driven Conversions Through Credible Content

Due to recent brand/industry trust crises, consumers are more cautious. Building trust now requires credible content creators and media as intermediaries.

As Hong Fei, Head of Brand Ads at ByteDance, noted: "Toutiao hosts 92,000 professional creators whose expertise enhances brand credibility."

•Shift 3: Multi-Touchpoint Strategies in an Integrated Ecosystem

The era of one-size-fits-all marketing is over. Today’s strategies require integrated, multi-touchpoint approaches. Brands must explore the content ecosystem to find their optimal mix.

Case studies showed how Toutiao’s diverse content (professional articles, original IPs, live streams) and business tools (e-commerce integrations, brand zones, custom channels) create a seamless marketing ecosystem for brands.

02 Toutiao’s Four Core Strengths: New Growth Opportunities

Growth now favors those who adapt.

Beyond the conference, Toutiao’s "2024 Marketing Playbook" outlines four strengths: high-value users, premium content, trend-setting power, and full-scenario product coverage. With case studies, it helps brands solve three challenges: precision exposure, effective outreach, and trust-based marketing.

•Leveraging High-Value Audiences

Toutiao’s affluent users are highly engaged and segmented (urban middle class, young professionals, small-town youth, etc.), enabling precise targeting.

Example: OPPO’s new phone launch used Toutiao’s StarPushSearch to target affluent urbanites, driving 50M+ impressions and 129x search boosts.