Corporate talk kills TikTok vibes
written by Ashley Lusk
Five years ago, telling a government health agency it would be on TikTok, making videos about mental health with trending audio and memes, would have sounded absurd. Yet today, Queensland Health is one of Australia’s most talked-about government creators, engaging millions through videos that balance humour, clarity and evidence-based information.
This isn’t a passing fad; it’s a seismic shift. Serious organisations, regulators, departments, even courts, are now speaking the language of the platforms they’re on. And that has major implications for how corporate communicators show up online.
From top-down to sideways in
Traditionally, corporate and government communications was top-down: statements, press releases, and one-way updates. Now, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are designed for interaction, co-creation and commentary. Audiences aren’t passive. They engage, adapt, and sometimes push back.
Queensland Health’s TikTok content doesn’t just inform, it invites. It lets the audience in on the joke while still making the point. One video compares depression to a phone running on low battery. Another explains health anxiety through relatable scrolling behaviour. The message isn’t diluted; it’s simply clearer and more accessible.
When regulators are creators
In 2023, ASIC made headlines for collaborating with TikTok creators to counter misleading financial advice. Rather than compete with finfluencers, the regulator chose to inform and correct by partnering with trusted creators and speaking in platform-native language.
That’s an extraordinary shift in tone. And a critical lesson for all communicators: your audience is already online, already scrolling, and actively filtering out anything that looks like corporate spin.
What this means for corporate communicators
Launching a TikTok account isn’t mandatory. But understanding what the platform has taught audiences to expect is. People want authenticity, brevity, personality and responsiveness.
For brands and organisations, even in conservative industries, that means:
· Stripping the jargon: If your post needs footnotes, it probably won’t land.
· Earning attention: A seven-paragraph LinkedIn essay isn’t strategy. It’s wishful thinking.
· Tone matters: Empathy, humour and plain-speaking travel further than polish alone.
· Choose the right messenger: Sometimes your comms team may not be the face for every message; frontline staff or subject matter experts might be.
The risk of getting it wrong
The flip side of this reality? Tone-deaf content travels at the speed of the algorithm. Audiences are quick to screenshot, stitch and satire anything that feels overly managed or off key. This doesn’t mean everything has to sound casual. But it does mean every message should feel authentic.
If government departments can speak plainly, and sometimes playfully, about topics as complex as debt, disease and disaster, there’s no excuse for corporate content that sounds like it was ghostwritten by a committee.
In a world where every audience has both a voice and a platform, brands that cut through will be the ones that feel real and treat clarity as strategy.
Need help finding your voice across platforms? Cole Lawson helps organisations speak clearly, credibly and with purpose, wherever your audience is. Let’s talk.