LONDON: Curiosity, honesty and trust are key to brand engagement on TikTok in the Middle East, a new report by the platform has found.

TikTok’s annual “What’s Next” report offers insights into prevailing user trends across the Middle East and North Africa region, presenting insights that marketers can use to grow their presence on the platform.

In its fourth edition, the TikTok report highlighted “the most practical and enduring trends,” categorized as Trend Signals. These encompass Curiosity Peaked, Storytelling Unhinged and Bridging the Trust Gap.

As part of Curiosity Peaked, the platform revealed that users are drawn to TikTok “out of curiosity about their world, popular culture, trends and brands,” adding that users in Saudi Arabia are 1.3 times more likely to acknowledge that the platform introduces them to new topics and expands their interests.

As a result, brands capable of eliciting curiosity are better placed to engage users with their advertisements, the report found.

Addressing what it defines as “a growing trust gap between consumers and brands,” TikTok revealed that MENA users favor brands that lead positive societal change and transparency, and which are able to establish “clear brand trust” and “have an open line of communication with their consumers and community.”

Shadi Kandil, general manager of Global Business Solutions for the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa, Central and South Asia at TikTok, hailed the platform’s journey of pushing creative boundaries.

He said: “Communities on TikTok are redefining traditional storytelling, fueled by a blend of curiosity, imagination, vulnerability and courage.

“For brands, this presents a huge opportunity to embrace creative bravery, build deeper community connections and engage with relevant audiences.”

TikTok said the report is based on data from the Global TikTok Marketing Science team, which used information from third parties, including online surveys, exposure to mock TikTok environments and advanced analytics.