At TikTok World 2024, TikTok introduced Symphony, a suite of AI-powered ad solutions designed to enhance creativity and productivity for businesses, creators, and agencies on the platform.
Among the new tools unveiled are Symphony Digital Avatars, AI Dubbing for global translations, and Symphony Collective, which collectively aim to help brands produce content that resonates with TikTok’s global audience.
Symphony Digital Avatars are generative AI avatars of real people, offering a new way for brands to scale their creative strategies. These avatars come in two types: Stock Avatars, which are pre-built and commercially licensed, and Custom Avatars, which can be tailored to represent specific creators or brand spokespersons. These avatars are designed to add a personalised, human touch to branded content, making it more relatable and engaging. They also support a variety of gestures, expressions, and languages, helping brands connect with diverse audiences worldwide.
The AI Dubbing tool is another significant feature of Symphony. It allows creators and brands to translate their content into over ten languages, breaking down language barriers and expanding their reach. The tool automatically detects the original language in a video, transcribes, translates, and produces a dubbed version in the selected languages. This capability ensures that brands can communicate their messages more inclusively and effectively across different regions.
Symphony Collective is an Industry Advisory Board formed to gather feedback and ensure responsible AI use in creative marketing. It includes representatives from various industries, agencies, and creators, such as Mondelez, American Eagle, Wendy’s, the NBA, and prominent creators like Drea Okeke and O’Neil Thomas. The board’s role is to provide insights and facilitate discussions on the development of TikTok’s AI marketing solutions.
Andy Yang, Head of Creative Product at TikTok, emphasised that Symphony aims to empower creators and fuel the creator economy by leveraging generative AI.
“Symphony Digital Avatars unlock a new avenue for creators to scale their opportunities with brands globally. We aim to fuel the creator economy by investing in creative solutions that spark joy, imagination and action.”
The tools provided by Symphony, such as Digital Avatars and AI Dubbing, are intended to help creators and brands produce content that is immersive, authentic, and capable of captivating global audiences.
Why is this important?
TikTok has claimed that its research supports the effectiveness of TikTok-first ads, showing significant boosts in purchase intent and brand favorability when brands create content specifically for TikTok.
TikTok-first ads boost purchase intent by +37% and brand favorability by +38% (1), but also 79% of TikTok users show a preference for brands that demonstrate a clear understanding of how to create content specifically for the platform (2).
Overall, Symphony represents TikTok’s commitment to enhancing creativity and providing innovative solutions for brands and creators. By combining human imagination with AI-powered efficiency, Symphony aims to help users produce impactful, engaging content that resonates with TikTok’s diverse, global community.
images courtesy of TikTok