In this digital age, TikTok has emerged as a cultural phenomenon, captivating millions with its bite-sized videos and creative content. Within this vibrant platform, a flourishing community of cocktail enthusiasts, mixologists, and liquor aficionados has formed, showcasing their passion for all things boozy. The only thing missing from this cocktail community: the alcohol brands themselves. TikTok’s strict rules are keeping the alcohol industry from utilizing this effective marketing tool. While we can’t deny the facts, we can find some workarounds. From viral bartending hacks to mesmerizing cocktail recipes, we dive deep into the dynamic realm of alcohol on TikTok. So – grab your favorite drink, join us on this intoxicating journey, and let’s discover the best libation-related content that TikTok has to offer!

First, let’s begin with the rules: According to TikTok, “You must not post Branded Content which promotes products or services from the following prohibited industries: Alcohol – Alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, spirits, etc.), alcohol clubs/subscription services, alcohol-making kits, or alcohol-sponsored events. This includes alcohol-free or no-alcohol alternatives and soft drinks presented as mixers for alcohol.” Essentially, because of the number of young users on the app, the majority being under the legal age for alcohol use in many countries, the company has avoided alcohol advertising across most contexts.

TikTok doesn’t allow alcohol to be promoted, this means that paid advertising by alcohol brands is totally prohibited on TikTok. The app does not want to be held responsible for promoting it to their primarily young audience. While organic content is not explicitly banned on the platform, the alcohol brands would have to work really hard to post content that does not break the guidelines. The majority of alcohol brands choose not to test the boundaries. This is why we don’t see big brands like Captain Morgan and Titos on the app. 

So…how do you utilize TikTok as an alcoholic brand? Embrace Non-Traditional. Everything on TikTok is already nontraditional, so you’re not straying too far from the status quo. Here are some of our recommendations: 

DrinkTok:

• DrinkTok is a very popular niche within the TikTok world. DrinkTok is filled with tons of creators whipping up incredible cocktail concoctions, showing off those liquor brands in the process! For instance, there are hundreds of famous bartenders that give instructions on how to make cocktails. Say you’re a tequila brand, you might just create a partnership with this bartender to make a video about how to make the perfect margarita with, you guessed it, your tequila. Along with the bartenders, there are also drink influencers! These influencers might make blends with certain spirits or feature the beverage in their content. This means that your brand would get a leg-up without actually having to post yourself. Some examples include: @drinksbyevie who makes a range of cocktails from the window of her New York apartment, or the eccentric @SpiritedLA who shares TikToks of her making cocktails in fun outfits while name-dropping brands throughout.

UGC:

• User-generated content refers to content made by users, featuring users, and can link to a particular theme or brand. And a lot of the time, these up-and-coming creators have incredibly affordable rates, in comparison to traditional advertising. Alcoholic brands are often promoted via user-generated content including general mentioning of alcohol brands or alcohol-related trends. For example, the ‘beer poster trend’—a TikTok challenge where users pose for a mock photo shoot with a beer brand—garnered over 800+ million views across tagged content.

Non-Boozy Content:

• You can use this as an opportunity to reflect the brand’s core values and identity. Take Red Bull for example! This is a brand that instead of posting about their product, uses social media to reflect their “adrenaline seeking” mindset through extreme sports.

So there you have it! While we can’t provide alcoholic brands a solution to create a TikTok account and start posting drink content regularly, we can offer some assistance to still make the best of their situation. Cheers!