Don't pretend to be a local, don't brand on TikTok

Imagine this: an American user is scrolling through TikTok and sees a video selling water bottles. The cup design is nice, the functions are clearly explained, but something just feels off— is that background music a Chinese hit song remade in English? The model’s expressions and movements seem a bit “over the top”? The product’s selling points don’t quite hit the pain point that bothers him most in daily life? With a swipe of his finger, he’s gone.

This is the awkward situation many Chinese brands encounter on TikTok: the product is good, money has been spent, but users just feel you’re an “outsider” and don’t want to include you. If you really want to make a name for yourself on TikTok, “acting local” isn’t just icing on the cake— it’s a matter of survival.

Image source: Internet

Why can’t you survive if you “can’t act local”?​​

TikTok is essentially a big community where users look for fun, resonance, and a sense of belonging. They use memes they’re familiar with, pay attention to their own holidays, and even use niche “insider slang” to confirm their identity. If you force an ad in, it’s like a salesman in a suit suddenly barging into a party and just reading a script— it ruins the vibe and annoys people. On the other hand, brands that truly act local get completely different results.

Southeast Asian beauty brandY.O.Uheld an event during Ramadan (an extremely important month for Muslims) called#WouldYouLoveYou. Instead of desperately pushing products, they shot a series of short videos discussing topics like women’s confidence and self-acceptance, closely tied to the real lives and emotions of local women. The result? 8.8 billion views, 327,000 interactions, and both brand favorability and sales soared. Users felt: “This brand gets me, they’re one of us.”

Image source: TikTok for Business

The Practical Guide to “Acting Local”

How to do it? Simply translating your copy into English is far from enough. There are layers to this— let’s see how others do it:

- Surface details must be done well:​​

1. Don’t fall into language traps: it’s not about translation, but using local memes. Among young Americans, “girl math” (a humorous logic for spending, like cash payment = free) is popular. Beauty brande.l.f. quickly incorporated this meme into their products, making users feel it’s fun and relatable.

2. Visual symbols must fit: Southeast Asian users generally like vibrant, dynamic visuals and stickers; European and American users may prefer cool tones and minimalist effects. When Haier promoted air conditioners in Southeast Asia, they launched a song and dance challenge full of local flavor in both visuals and music, which worked much better than just talking about specs.

Image source: TikTok

- The core DNA must change:​​

1. The team must be “one of us”: Health supplement brandCool-Vitabecame popular in Indonesia, and a key reason is that 98% of their employees are locals, even middle management (the Chinese team is mainly at the strategic level). Local teams naturally understand local memes, pain points, and trends, so decisions are less likely to go off track.

2. Let users help “write the script”: Eyewear brandWarby Parkerdoes this even better in the US. They collaborated with influencer @Octopusslover8, letting fans vote on the direction of short video storylines, with the eyewear products naturally integrated into the story. User participation increases, and so does brand identity.

Image source: TikTok

- Values must resonate:​​

1. Tie in with spiritual needs: The Ramadan marketing byY.O.Umentioned earlier is a perfect example. They grasped the deeper meaning of “Ramadan as a time for reflection and renewal,” discussing women’s values instead of just shouting “Buy my lipstick!”. This touched the softest spot in users’ hearts.

2. Dare to show “imperfection”: Tech brands don’t always have to brag about how great they are. Some brands actively show the technical challenges they face, even inviting users to offer suggestions. This “not pretending” attitude actually brings people closer, turning users into co-creators and increasing loyalty.

Image source: TikTok

Ultimately, when building a brand overseas on TikTok, you can learn the technology and copy the tactics, but the hardest and most indispensable thing to fake is the genuine intention to “act local.” It determines whether users see you as an “intruder” or “one of their own.” As Cool-Vita’s Ye Pingping said, the core is “respect and reverence— respect for local employees, reverence for local culture.”

Once you master this “invisible required course,” traffic and sales will naturally follow.