HiSmile Made Gen-Z think toothpaste is cool: The TikTok blueprint to do the same

I cannot open TikTok without seeing HiSmile organic content or ads all over my feed. Whether it is them or just another Aussie obsessed with their new flavours that just came out.

The made something that we need everyday; new, cool and an organic content machine.

Not only that but they have built a community who look forward to new toothpaste flavours like people look forward to new seasons of their favourite shows on Netflix.

They have created this feeling of “Oh thats new, I have to try it”

People don’t want the old boring products, and they definitely do not want the old boring manufactured advertising.

Go where the attention is!

If you have a Gen-Z kid, or any person who owns a phone…. and think about their daily routine.

Wake up → Go on phone: check instagram, TikTok, twitter and consume content.

They go to school, uni or work or whatever they have on for that day.

Catch a train, uber, bus or drive.

Pull out phone, watch TikTok, youtube, Netflix, listen to a podcast.

Lunch break, same thing.

On the way home, same thing.

Now they are home, watch Netflix, play video games with friends, watch some more TikTok.

So what can we do with this?

How did HiSmile capture this attention with toothpaste?

HiSmile’s organic and paid content has been all over my social feeds for a reason.

They know everyone needs to brush their teeth.

They know people like watermelon, blue-raspberry, cotton candy flavoured things.

So they made toothpaste cool and told everyone about it.

Multiple times a day.

Everyday.

I will be focusing on the toothpaste with a range of flavours, not their other product lines that are specifically for teeth whitening which of course is guaranteed to sell.

Become The Influencer

HiSmile starts by making content just as a creator would, hold the phone, not a fancy film production.

Here is how their best performing videos work:

Walk into the supermarket and see these cool toothpaste flavours, that wow feeling, go home, try it, wow feeling again, I want to try the other flavours.

This is just one of many content styles they use.

HiSmile Content Machine Formula #1:

10 content formats X 10 different people (personalities) = LOADS OF CONTENT

Post it.

See what people like.

Post more of that.

Run an ad of what people already like to find more people.

HiSmile Content Machine Formula #2:

People see ad, buy HiSmile toothpaste, online or in supermarket. They go home and video themselves trying it (Because thats all they see on their social media)

Consumer posts it (user generated content). Gets views → and more people buy it = More content & More sales!

HiSmile then posts that consumers video on their page and runs more ads…

Building Your Own UGC (User Generated Content) Machine

So how can we get people to buy your drinks and go home and make an organic piece of content?

The goal: Create a FOMO feeling for your products.

Step 1: Make The UGC Yourself

Make what the consumers are already watching.

Whats that?

“buy our new cocktail premix for 20% off now” (Don’t Do This)

VS

“OMG I think I just found my new favourite party drink” (Do This)

Which video hook do you think someone would want to watch?

When the story is right. People will start talking about you.

You have a story, your employees have stories, your customers have stories. Use them.

Now you don’t have to go and post 100 videos in a day.

BUT:

Posting once or twice a month will guarantee you do not get results.

Posting everyday guarantees you will become better and better at content.

Step 2: Test. Test. Test.

HiSmile would post lot’s and lot’s of different kind of videos, buying the product in the supermarket, showing people using their products, wearing a lab coat making their products.

Simply, they did a bunch of random stuff until they find something that works. They just focus on that 90% of the time. Whilst testing other strategies, but less than 10% is testing.

The Strategy:

 ✅ Test. Test. Test. Find what works. Do that for 90% of the time while continuing to test 10% of the time.

Now we are getting traction and people are seeing you. They are not seeing ads that continue to scream “Buy this! Buy that!”

People are watching stories, listening to real people’s thoughts on it.

If you pickup the phone, crack a can, open a bottle, pour a drink of whatever your product is and go:

“I am about to go to this party, let’s try X”

“I have had a long day but I just found X in the fridge”

“Okay I might be late to the party, but I had to try X”

Then talk about it. Be honest, authentic and real. Like a normal conversation with a friend.

Step 3: Analyse & Then Ads = $$$

Now look back. Those best performing organic content pieces. Turn them into ads.

Simple.

Let’s take a step back.

Think about ads for a second.

You are watching a show on normal broadcast TV and then an ad comes on. You change channels, go on your phone, go make something to eat.

You have been conditioned to not watch ads on TV because you know what you are going to get.

When your on the feed of TikTok you do not know what you are going to get next. And unlike the ads on TV, you can simple swipe to skip an ad on TikTok.

Where am I getting to?

Respect the consumers time and attention.

Gen-Z has the attention span of a gold fish. But they are also extremely intelligent when it comes to determining if the content I am about the watch is an ad within the first couple frames of the video. (Less than 3 seconds)

So if I see a video that is manufactured, unauthentic, only objective is to sell me something, not tell a story—I scroll.

Simply: Don’t film a full stage production for ads & content. Get someone with energy and a phone and let them do their thing.

Back to making the ads.

If you already have performing organic content, platforms like TikTok & Meta (Facebook & Instagram) already have very easy & straightforward processes to setup ads. With TikTok you sign up to a business account and login to your organic TikTok account and then select what you want; more views, sales, website clicks etc. Select which organic video you want to use and put the ad spend you want. Similar vibe with Meta.

You can outsource this to freelancers or agencies. Or your Gen-Z child, nephew, niece, friends kid already knows how to or could learn it in a day with some food and a youtube video.

In summary, run social media ads of already well performing organic content.

Step 4: Retention

They saw the content, they saw the product, they saw the ad and then bought.

Great now what.

HiSmile does a great job of making it feel like there is always something new every week. A new flavour just dropped. They don’t even release the flavours but tease new ones with content. They make flavours that will get attention and people questioning them.

Ketchup flavoured toothpaste.

Exactly. See the thought you just had. It made you think about it. Some will share it to a friend. Some will comment about it. And some will say ‘I saw ketchup flavoured toothpaste today’ to a someone later that day.

Community & Engagement

One of their recent posts, talking about cereal flavoured toothpaste.

This is the comment section.

People who are already engaged with the brand. Telling them exactly what they want to buy.

It is free market research.

“Okay but I don’t get millions of views and comments?”

I doesn’t even have to be your account.

You search X drink or Y product on any of the major platforms and you will find everything you need to know about your market.

Who are the biggest influencers.

What is trending.

Do people want something to change.

What is their favourite parts.

What are their problems and pain points.

All of that for free.

You can go one step further and start replying to their wants, needs and problems. You have just sparked something. You have given an individual attention and engagement, also showing other people that your in the industry, you have value to give.

Summary of The Blueprint to making Gen-Z Think Your Products are ‘Cool’

1. Go where the attention is → Social Media & Content

2. Stop doing boring old manufactured advertising like people still watch TV ads

3. Make user generated content—people buy people. So put a face to the product.

4. Test. Test. Test. Increase Volume of what works. Test some more.

5. Turn well performing organic content into ads.

6. Retention. Build anticipation and urgency. New flavour. New concept. Dropping soon.

7. Engagement. Read your comments. Or go find what people are saying about your product.