TikTok partners with Crowd DNA to launch the Sparking Aussie Joy research report

TikTok has partnered with cultural insights & strategy agency Crowd DNA to release a research report which explores how TikTok sparks joy amongst Gen Z and Millennial audiences in Australia.
 
The report, titled "Sparking Aussie Joy", identifies eight emerging codes of joy in the Australian TikTok community that map out across four key dimensions, including 'Me', 'We', 'Purpose' and 'Play'.
 
• 'Me' indicates the need for young Aussies to have an identity and their own experiences online, while 'We' shows the need for connection, community, belonging and visibility.
 
• The need for 'Purpose' demonstrates the importance of self-betterment (learning, growing, and knowing yourself), while the need for 'Play' shows that entertainment as a form of release and unwinding is still strong.
 
The conflicting dimensions demonstrate the push and pull of emerging Aussie culture. On the one hand, audiences are keen to ‘hold on’ to deeply ingrained ideals such as mateship, self-deprecating humour, and a ‘fair go’.
 
On the other hand, audiences are keen to ‘move on’ and push culture forward through progress, diversity, and more inclusive narratives about what it means to be Australian.
 
Each quadrant of the report also represents a unique opportunity for brands to play across the map, activating various codes of joy with consumers.
 
Brett Armstrong, TikTok AUNZ's general manager, said: "TikTok isn't just a gatekeeper of culture, it acts as a stage that reflects how Aussies today and tomorrow are embracing their unique identity while simultaneously trailblazing and challenging the status quo. With the suspected economic headwinds brands are facing this year, it has never been more important to understand what is bringing Aussie's joy during these times and join them in this discovery in an authentic and captivating way."

El Pigram, CrowdDNA APAC managing director, added: "It was great to partner with TikTok on such a joyful project to kick off 2023, connecting with cultural experts and TikTok users to unpack where Aussie culture is heading and why.
 
"The rise of community entertainment has shifted the way young Australians both engage with and shape culture, with TikTok playing a critical role in dissolving the lines between IRL and URL."

The research was conducted using a combination of AI-driven conversation analysis, with experts sharing their insights on Aussie culture, TikTok, Millennials and Gen Z, as well as a five day digital ethnography conducted on TikTok.