TikTok lures Malaysian users with Raya campaign amidst scrutiny from govt

TikTok Malaysia has introduced its festive campaign with the hashtags #InspirasiRamadan and #InspirasiRaya to encourage the community to inspire each other through tips and tricks during the fasting month and document their Raya moments respectively. Users can draw inspiration from top creators in Malaysia as they challenge each other to share the best tips and tricks on topics such as food, beauty, health, fitness, art, music, and entertainment to navigate the Ramadan period and Raya preparations through the hashtag #InspirasiRamadan.

Users can also join this movement by challenging the creators by sharing Ramadan hacks that work best for them. To further encourage participation, TikTok will be selecting 30 inspiring winners who shared their video with the hashtag #InspirasiRamadan to win exclusive TikTok merchandise. As users embark on their journey to Balik Kampung from 15th April to 7th May 2023, TikTok seeks to digitalise the journey and rally communities from each state to participate in completing simple tasks to unlock their hometowns on the TikTok map.

By posting a video, checking in, sharing a page, following selected TikTok accounts, or inviting new users to join the campaign, users can earn points that can be used to light up the state and unlock prize pools, which includes Mydin vouchers for the community within the location. The most active and dedicated participants will also be rewarded with a chance to walk away with special prizes at the end of the campaign.

As part of TikTok's mission to inspire creativity and bring joy, TikTok is also introducing an Effect House Mission to encourage users to unleash their creativity in designing Ramadan and Raya filters and effects. Users who complete the mission can even stand a chance to win prizes worth US$500. During this festive season, TikTok has also teamed up with talents from Rocketfuel Entertainment to revitalise Raya classics.

The move comes amidst increased TikTok removing over 650,000 videos that violated community guidelines, including misinformation and hate speech, according to a transparency report released by the platform recently. The social media platform found itself in hot water after being called out by the Malaysian government for political advertising and provocative content. 

According to media reports, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) made nearly 350 requests to TikTok to take down comments and videos from the app. Communications and Multimedia Minister Fahmi Fadzil also told the media that he is in talks with the TikTok Malaysia team with regards to moderation level on the app after seeing many question it for political prejudice.

Globally, TikTok is also facing a potential ban in the United States. To handle the narrative and relations with the US government, TikTok recently hired Disney's former communications chief Zenia Mucha to help it navigate the political and legal side of things, according to WSJ. Media reports also add that TikTok hired David Plouffe who was instrumental in handling Obama's 2008 presidential campaign as well as Jim Messina who worked on Obama's re-election campaign in 2012.  The three were reportedly hired to help prepare TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, before he was due to appear infront of US Congress two weeks ago. 

Content 360 is back on 10-11 May 2023 in Singapore. A hugely popular event over the years, Content 360 brings the most influential content creators to inspire you. Across two days, you can connect with 300+ brightest minds in the industry and learn how to overcome challenges to make your content stand out among the crowd. Tickets are on sale now, register today: https://conferences.marketing-interactive.com/content360-sg/

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