"On #FinTok, people are talking about finance in a way they have never done before!"

– Alexandru Otrezov, Chief Marketing Officer, KOHO

What’s the best way to educate consumers about new financial options? Partner with someone who’s comfortable talking numbers. That’s how Canadian fintech brand KOHO found “math queen” Kyne, who explains number theory, math history, and investments—all in drag. “I think math is amazing and beautiful and important and underrated,” Kyne says. “I want to encourage a love of learning.” She shared her experience with KOHO’s banking alternative with the 1 million TikTokers who follow her, further extending the reach of the brand’s existing agency-led “Banking Without the BS” digital campaign. A traditional media buy didn’t make sense from an ROI perspective, since its customers are mainly found online, Otrezov says. It’s also tough to drive viewers from TV ads to their phones to download the app. “We fully embraced the philosophy of 'Don't Make Ads, Make TikToks,'” he adds. “We allowed creators to be their authentic selves, while still spotlighting one of KOHO's core values and positioning the brand as a free, reliable spending and savings account that makes your personal finances simple, smart, and rewarding.”

TikTok is so community focused. It’s less filtered, rawer, and funnier. People just want to laugh and learn!"

– Kyne

Q&A with Alexandru Otrezo,

Chief Marketing Officer, KOHO. How have your preconceived notions about TikTok changed?

I thought that it was a pure entertainment platform on non-essential topics. As we started working with different types of creators, I quickly understood that the platform is much more than just entertainment—it's a space for all kinds of passions and conversations. We were able to find our space within the environment by inserting ourselves in the most organic way possible.

What drew you to the platform?

One of the best things about TikTok is that it’s a massive community. And then there are sub-communities where you can find people with common interests, with whom you can connect and share content. This provides a huge opportunity for brands to connect directly with their users. On #FinTok, people are talking about finance in a way they have never done before!

How does your experience as a brand on TikTok differ from other channels?

We leverage creators more than anywhere else because the nature of the environment is so engaging. We want to make sure that our message is delivered at the organic level that users consume the content within TikTok. Being authentic and transparent is key here and it aligns perfectly with our brand.

"On #FinTok, people are talking about finance in a way they have never done before!"

– Alexandru Otrezov, Chief Marketing Officer, KOHO