State Farm set out to reach its next generation of consumers on TikTok. Highlighting Jake from State Farm as a content creator allowed the brand to use the single hottest platform with Gen Z and naturally participate in the latest trends, tap into subcultures and communities, and entertain fans with TikToks co-created with members from his inner circle, including top athletes and influencers.
Our goal was to create content on TikTok, where people could see their values and interests reflected in Jake from State Farm, and to make them want to follow for more. Reaching these consumers with a strategy rooted in culture and Gen Z values — humor, community, and connection with aspirational figures and content creators — the 100-year-old insurance brand is effectively resonating with a much younger audience. By solidifying Jake from State Farm as a friend and valued connection, the brand is building preference and positive relationships that will be foundational for their future.
TikTok has no shortage of entertaining content and content creators. So, how could we get a branded figure like Jake from State Farm noticed, to grow his following, and to build an engaged community?
#TeamStateFarm Duet Challenge: One of the first ways Jake from State Farm debuted on TikTok was by hosting a TikTok challenge leading up to the Super Bowl that invited users to try out to be the newest member of #TeamStateFarm using the “duet” feature. The winner would be featured in a State Farm commercial alongside Jake himself. After 2 weeks of gathering entries, State Farm selected 3 finalists and posted their videos to the Jake from State Farm TikTok account. From there, the brand let the TikTok community decide by voting for their favorite video. Despite no TikTok paid promotion, this contest grew Jake's TikTok account by over 77K followers in less than 3 weeks.
Influencer Collaborations: To gain further exposure to new and relevant audiences, TikTok influencers across various pillars of culture were identified. Jake partnered with 12 highly popular creators, like @DevanOnDeck (fashion), @TikTokBrownChick (music), and @maddiwinter (dancing), to develop unique, co-created content to live on the influencers' channels, as well as a complementing video posted to the Jake from State Farm account. Collaborating with these content creators introduced Jake to various subcommunities on TikTok, gaining him exposure and credibility with these native audiences. These partnerships accounted for roughly 100K new followers for Jake from State Farm.
Celebrity Integration: Jake from State Farm has an established and understood relationship with Patrick Mahomes in broadcast. To reach #SportsTok in a meaningful way, we brought the relationship to TikTok — showcasing the less-polished side of their friendship through playing pranks and challenging each other to friendly competitions. Giving fans an inside look into their genuine friendship gave users a reason to follow for more.
TikTok Trends: Trends are one of the best ways to increase For You page exposure to new audiences. Despite the obvious obstacles for brands, Jake from State Farm prioritized finding opportunities to showcase his character development and unique take on some of the hottest TikTok trends of 2022, including #ItsCorn, #WhatIOrderedVersusWhatIGot, and the #MeTexting trend.
TikTok Subcommunities: Alongside creating content relevant to the masses through TikTok trends, Jake from State Farm also posted content to specifically resonate with the micro-communities of TikTok — regularly sporting his cleanest fits for #FashionTikTok (“uhh … khakis?”), showing off his NPC on #LetsPlay (gaming), and trying out new hobbies and hacks for #LearnOnTikTok.
Community Building: Finally, Jake from State Farm cultivated the community he built on TikTok by developing recurring content series that his engaged fans and followers continue to tune into, like Can't Talk Right Now, Doing Good Neighbor Stuff, where Jake surprises the audience with various good-neighbor deeds, and a content series called Jake Rates, where Jake shares his hot takes about items in a relatable category and engages his followers’ opinions in the comments.
In 2022, the Jake from State Farm TikTok page grew to 640K followers, reached 1.75M likes, and effectively engaged users on the platform as reflected in the 14.5% engagement rate. Other metrics include:
Despite the challenge of entering into a Gen Z platform as an insurance brand, the increased follower count and above-average engagement rate reflect the effectiveness of the Jake from State Farm strategy focused in collaboration, community, and culture.
