TikTok Entertainment Hub Flighthouse Is Now Acting as an Agency for Brands to Reach Gen Z

Flighthouse is the most followed brand on TikTok thanks to a simple content model that has catapulted the account to 28.2 million followers: invite a few influencers into a studio and hit record. The studio engages them in trivia games like “Name Those Abs” and “Finish The Lyric,” and condenses the best moments into platform-friendly video bites.“Flighthouse has become a rite of passage for a lot of influencers,” said Ash Stahl, who was named CEO of Flighthouse at age 30 in August. “They say, ‘Once I have a big enough audience, Flighthouse will invite me to make content there.’” https://www.tiktok.com/@flighthouse/video/7017884305544236293?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo80jwa5SihKYJizxZLENEpUHJhjWDgfZYvwj4ZYk%2F7QAlP7UyibyH5mYYdxMfHmmoeOLmD431N3SOxXu7tGgA%3D&checksum=153684b6435ca7f38ee626e298554c08508bdb7bbe8f50becbe41d002117b5df&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAtpBA7rMHdj6cUclcX0vLAERHVyhQ3dOw2ET3u17cEVH-DhhlpR9h_EoWgUwUJ-_D&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7017884305544236293&share_link_id=8194C30C-BC1F-478A-9863-A773CCB4B0F7&source=h5_m&timestamp=1638541377&tt_from=copy&u_code=dbe9j1fk1a821f&user_id=6807280103392003077&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&_r=1 Standing out in the agency space Not only do Stahl and her team offer brands opportunities to sponsor Flighthouse content, they also create exclusive white label material that works to elevate the brands’ own accounts. Clients present the team with a general creative idea and Flighthouse comes up with a variety of content options. The media company works alongside IF7, a consulting firm that is focused on helping clients reach Gen Z, to secure these partnerships, as well as price, package and create a timeline for the content. “The unique value proposition is being able to have this channel property that really functions like a digital TV network,” said IF7 co-founder and CEO Harley Block. “Our goal is if you pull the product out of the content, it would still be entertaining.” There are many options for brands to market on TikTok, from sponsored posts to organic content on creator pages, but according to Block, creating branded entertainment is the “holy grail.” https://www.tiktok.com/@flighthouse/video/6980389875929435398?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8SHDb%2FOcbAWJ0dcqRypxo4bQgcnsXW5vKW%2BNL5wCM4%2BToWj1tzfKSiLekrk1ebXoOdXNbBbDIx0QmYbBEGgA%3D&checksum=6acf03a3063a65ce685589a73db80928abcd6e60cbf9b85e0e820779e8232bfe&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAtpBA7rMHdj6cUclcX0vLAERHVyhQ3dOw2ET3u17cEVH-DhhlpR9h_EoWgUwUJ-_D&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=6980389875929435398&share_link_id=8FDEC938-C616-41C1-B69A-B936A5009F76&source=h5_m&timestamp=1638541122&tt_from=copy&u_code=dbe9j1fk1a821f&user_id=6807280103392003077&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&_r=1 “Gen Z knows when they see an ad, but when Beats sponsors Saweetie on Flighthouse and 'Finish The Lyric,' they don’t mind that because it’s not forceful,” he said. “We’re not trying to jam product or drive you to a website. We’re just making a brand part of culture in a relevant way.” Chasing viral trends When influencer Bella Poarch was featured on Flighthouse for a sponsored game from Tinder in January, she had 55 million followers—but none of them had ever heard her speak. After monitoring the TikTok comment section, Flighthouse and IF7 quickly realized that fans were struck by her laugh, which encouraged them to change their creative strategy on a Friday night. https://www.tiktok.com/@flighthouse/video/6923674056621296901?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=7015258369074791942&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0 In a business that relies on TikTok couples that can break up unexpectedly and trends that fall flat over night, Stahl stressed the importance of staying nimble. The team does not work with a set roster of influencers, and when planning a brand campaign, Flighthouse and IF7 leave a few talent slots open to fill in at the last minute if needed. “We have the methodology baked in with the client to say ‘Person X is really popping right now, let’s pull them in,’” said Block. “It’s really important that our business model is flexible, and no one understands who to identify more than Flighthouse.” According to Stahl, the biggest challenge when entering the agency space is getting through the red tape and legal hurdles that may traditionally prevent a creative from getting to viewers at a culturally-relevant time. “We’ve said no to agencies or brands who are way more traditional and want to plan six months in advance,” said Stahl. “When we have repeat clients, they trust us when we say ‘Hey, we need to move super quickly on this.’” Finding dream clients In a space where influencers may sponsor one brand one week and its competitor the next, Flighthouse and IF7 stressed the importance of client consistency in crafting an efficient workflow, understanding each others’ goals and creating content that authentically resonates with the audience. “If we try to fit a square peg in a round hole and chase dollar signs, it’s not going to work, and we will lose our audience,” said Block. When it comes to doing business, Stahl and Block share a golden rule: only work with people you would willingly sit down for a drink with.“We’ve done a great job at only working with brands that we really like,” said Stahl. “We’re fostering relationships with new partners that that really trust us and allow us to execute in the way that we know is best.” This TikTok-Famous Hard Seltzer Is Convincing Gen Z to ‘Quit the Claw’