최근 몇 년 동안 TikTok은 단순한 짧은 형식의 비디오 플랫폼을 넘어섰습니다. 이제는 문화적 표현의 살아있는 생태계이자, 의미가 실시간으로 수행, 협상, 리믹스되는 공간입니다. 숫자를 넘어 사람들을 이해하고자 하는 연구자, 전략가, 마케터에게 TikTok은 고유한 가치를 제공합니다: 사람들이 세상을 보는 방식을 형성하는 문화 코드 및 마이크로 문화에 대한 직접적인 접근.

TikTok은 단순한 트렌드를 넘어 문화적으로 풍부합니다.

Most brands chase whatever is trending on social media, often losing sight of what real trends actually mean. There’s certainly value in real-time marketing and engaging with viral content, but it’s important to recognise that many of these moments are fleeting phenomena.

Brands driven by FOMO risk overlooking deeper, long-term shifts in consumer behaviour and cultural needs. Many marketers worry that trends are becoming shorter. But the truth is: trends aren’t disappearing; it’s just that the line between what is a trend and what is simply trending has become increasingly blurred.

TikTok is often viewed as a platform of quick spikes in attention, but it can also reveal something much deeper: the underlying stories, symbols, and identities that drive collective behaviour. From slang and sound choices to visual styles and in-jokes, TikTok is a goldmine for decoding how cultural meaning is created, shared, and contested.

As anthropologist Franz Boas suggested over a century ago, we all wear ”cultural glasses” (kulturbrille) that shape our perception of reality. TikTok offers an unparalleled look into these lenses, especially for communities that are underrepresented or overlooked in mainstream media.

Trends rooted in cultural, social, or psychological shifts are often overshadowed by the peaks and troughs of viral cycles. To truly understand what’s happening, we need to connect isolated signals to their shared cultural context.

Take cortisol, for example. While it’s easy to identify peaks like “cortisol matcha” on TikTok, a deeper analysis reveals a growing cultural awareness around stress and hormone management and the strategies people are developing to cope with it. Deeper analysis of related context could help with identifying important changes.

#cortisolmatcha viewership spike on TikTok

Source: Exolyt

Related conversations around Cortisol

Source: Exolyt

What would Malinowski do on TikTok?

Bronisław Malinowski moved anthropological research from behind the desk into the field. The essence of the field was to go out into the natural environment of the research. With the development of the Internet in anthropology, the question arose: What would Malinowski do? The answer was simple for Christine Hine in her brilliant Virtual Ethnography (2020). She considered that if the people you are researching are moving their activity online, the researcher should follow them.

Digital ethnography sees social media as a field where you can conduct field research with all its benefits:

• Participant observation of organic engagement
• Looking for an insider's perspective (emic)
• Tacit knowledge expressed in action

TikTok은 인터넷 문화와 일반적인 문화적 관습을 파악하기에 좋은 곳이며, Malinowski는 분석 및 보고서뿐만 아니라 현장으로 "나가서" 이를 관찰할 것입니다. 이는 앱 내 통계 및 분석 개요뿐만 아니라 맥락에 대한 완전한 몰입을 의미합니다.

사례 연구: 저가 맥주가 어떻게 문화적 아이콘이 되었나

이러한 역동성을 보여주는 완벽한 예는 Harnaś입니다. Carlsberg 그룹의 저가 폴란드 맥주 브랜드로, 예상치 못하게 소셜 미디어 현상이 되었습니다. 2021년, "Harnaś Ice Tea"라는 패러디 곡이 YouTube에 등장했습니다. 맥주와 아이스티를 섞는 것을 풍자했습니다. 하지만 이 농담은 TikTok에서 자체적인 생명력을 얻었고, 사용자들은 이 음료의 DIY 버전을 만들기 시작했습니다. 인플루언서들도 이 트렌드에 자연스럽게 동참했습니다. 인터넷은 웃었고, 사람들은 구매했습니다. Carlsberg는 신속하게 제품의 맛을 더한 버전을 출시하며 대응했습니다. 이 제품 자체는 판매에 성공했습니다.

하르나스 아이스티

But this wasn’t random. Months earlier, research I conducted for Carlsberg had revealed a passionate subculture around Harnaś. People didn’t just drink it, they identified with it. The brand stood for raw inclusivity at a time when others chased exclusivity. Harnaś became a symbol of what we might call “premium poverty”: ironic, proud, culturally aware consumption rooted in working-class aesthetics. In the case of Harnaś, the phenomenon grew organically and brought different types of communities and even custom fashion. This is what TikTok can uncover, not just what’s funny, but what’s meaningful.

문화 코드와 맥락의 힘

French anthropologist Clotaire Rapaille introduced the idea of culture codes: unconscious meanings that shape how we respond to products, behaviours, and ideas. On TikTok, these codes play out in seconds. A dance isn’t just a dance - it’s a reference to a subculture. A joke isn’t just funny - it’s a test of whether you get it.

These meanings are often invisible to outsiders. That’s why digital ethnography must go beyond metrics and into interpretation. Understanding TikTok means understanding how users construct identity, express values, and connect through shared symbols.

Microcultures: The True Drivers of Change

Microcultures - small but influential groups with shared values, aesthetics, or experiences - thrive on TikTok. Whether gamers critique toxic behavior, fashion communities reclaim thrift culture, or audiophiles obsess over sound quality, these groups are not just niche; they're culturally potent.

그들은 종종 감지되지 않다가, 어느 순간 갑자기 수면 위로 드러납니다. 오늘날의 미세 문화는 내일의 주류 문화가 될 수 있습니다. 틱톡은 이러한 문화적 전환점을 포착하도록 돕습니다.

How to Do Digital Ethnography on TikTok

Doing meaningful research on TikTok curiosity, openness, and methodological discipline. Here’s how to start:

• Follow the hashtags, but read the comments - the richest insights often lie in the discussion, not just the content.
• Observe behaviours, not just views - look at how users remix trends, adapt language, and respond to each other.
• Immerse yourself - follow creators, engage with content, and try to feel the culture from the inside out (emic perspective).
• Look for thick descriptions - small details - an edit style, a soundbite, or a running joke can tell you volumes about group values.
• Triangulate - check Reddit threads, Facebook groups, and even niche forums to understand broader context.

Avoiding the Trap of “Trendwashing”

Everyone wants to ride the wave. But co-opting cultural signals without understanding them often backfires. Brands that jump into trends without grasping their deeper context risk falling into what I call ”trendwashing”, a superficial mimicry that audiences instantly recognise as inauthentic. The solution? Don’t just watch trends. Understand them. Treat TikTok not as a marketing channel, but as a cultural artefact.

In a world of dashboards and data overload, qualitative insight has never been more essential. TikTok provides a window into how real people create meaning through humour, irony, rebellion, and community. It’s messy. It’s chaotic. And that’s exactly why it’s valuable.

Digital ethnography on TikTok lets us move from counting mentions to interpreting meaning. It helps us ask not just ”what people are doing”, but ”why they’re doing it that way”. For brands, researchers, and anyone interested in culture, that’s not just useful, it’s transformative.

This article was compiled by social intelligence expert, digital ethnographer, and trendspotter Marek Tobota, who is also the founder of Data Tribe, a Warsaw-based strategy and research boutique. Marek has a wide experience in marketing and PR and is a constant seeker of new ways of qualitative research on the Internet. He uses Exolyt primarily for focused research into unique TikTok insights and its niche communities. To know more about Marek and his work, connect with him directly on his LinkedIn.