Sony and Disney Marketing Execs on Collaborating With Influencers and Leaning Into TikTok’s Algorithm

Variety and TikTok held the third annual Variety Culture Catalysts Dinner on Tuesday evening to celebrate marketers across film and television.

The night opened with a warm welcome from Dea Lawrence, Variety’s chief operating and marketing officer, followed by remarks from TikTok’s media and entertainment director Reia Davidson.

“This is our third year hosting the Variety and TikTok Culture Catalyst event,” Davidson said. “I must say it is truly one of the events that I look forward to the most every year because it is just such a rare occasion that we get all of you industry leaders in one place on a single night.”

Davidson added, “TikTok is cultural impact. And we all know that TikTok drives discovery, but what’s clear today is that the power of TikTok doesn’t stop there. TikTok is where discovery leads to action. It’s where fandoms are born and communities flourish, and it’s where creativity knows no bounds. And TikTok is also your partner to drive meaningful business outcomes, from opening weekend ticket sales and moviegoing to efficient subscriber acquisition and tune-in.”

The evening event featured an intimate conversation, moderated by Variety TV editor Michael Schneider, with execs from the Disney Entertainment TV social team: Brittany Mehciz, VP of social media and influencer partnerships at Hulu; Whitney McGowan, director of social media at Onyx Collective; Megan Wahtera, VP of social media and synergy at Freeform; Blen Blatt, VP of digital marketing at ABC Entertainment; and Abby Ho, VP of social media and engagement strategy at Disney Branded Television.

“Part of what we do is we always have the lens of what makes sense for the audience that’s following us — what types of trends make sense for the people that engage with our brands,” Ho said of her work at Disney Branded Television. “The better and clearer you are with what your point of view is as a brand and what your point of view is as a title or as a talent, you’ll know which trends to adapt to and you’ll know which trends are the right ones to join that conversation in an earned way. You can’t just force yourself into that trend.”

Mehciz discussed promoting Hulu’s reality series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives,” which debuted in September. “I think a surprising thing for me was just how much that lo-fi content works. And I think for us, it’s great that we have followers on our TikTok handle for ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ but it’s even better leaning into the algorithm that is TikTok,” she said. “You can go beyond just a followership. You can find those audiences if you create really good content that moves on the platform and can really break through.”

The dinner also included a panel, moderated by Variety senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson, about the marketing of Sony’s action-comedy film “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Speakers from Sony included Jason Groff, EVP of global creative content; Ellene Miles, SVP of global intersectional marketing; Danielle Misher, co-head of global theatrical marketing; Rose Phillips, SVP of global digital marketing and social media; and Nicholas Weiss, EVP of global creative advertising.

Misher explained how the Sony marketing team approached the campaign for the fourth “Bad Boys” installment. “We realized that these two guys [Smith and Lawrence] together have such great chemistry, and it was really important to make sure that we reminded the audience how much they loved these two characters,” she said. “Our first thing out of the gate was an influencer event before we launched the trailer. And instead of the traditional way of putting the actors in front of press where they might have their guards up, we really wanted to have them around influencers so they could just be themselves and you could remember what you loved about these two guys.”

Weiss added that, by working with influencers who are also fans of “Bad Boys,” the content “naturally felt authentic to the audience,” and the marketing team was able to “effortlessly put out content without it feeling forced.”

Asked how marketing approaches both traditional media and campaigns with influencers and content creators, Misher said, “You need to look at what can you do to make the movie cultural. And it’s really a balance of both. So, we’re constantly looking at both forms of media as to how we get our message across. And it might be different. You’re reaching different audiences. So, I think there’s a way to reach everybody and be more targeted with each specific medium.”