Partnering With TikTok Creators Boosts Brand Recall, Video View Rates And Engagement

Creative is a critical part of any successful ad campaign but new research from TikTok shows it plays an even more important role in driving ad effectiveness on the app. 

Based on a combination of first-party meta-analysis and third-party research conducted by TikTok’s marketing science team, the report found brand recall, video view rates (being watched for longer) and engagement are all positively impacted by TikTok-specific branded content in partnership with creators. Creating content specific to TikTok and partnering with creators is especially important for TikTok In-Feed Ads and their ability to drive higher video view rates. 

TikTok-specific ads created in partnership with creators saw a 27 percent higher ad recall as well as longer view rates, with six-second views increasing by 91 percent versus non-creator partnerships. These ads also achieved 83 percent higher engagement rates.

These ads are watched 13 percent longer than non-TikTok-specific content, and 62 percent of consumers consider them the best way for a brand to connect with them.  

Ads made in collaboration with creators have visibly higher engagement rates for most formats, but ads created for TikTok alone (without creators) aren’t enough to drive engagement, according to TikTok’s findings. This type of ad saw a 19 percent higher ad recall, with six-second view rates increasing by 8 percent. They also generated 12 percent higher engagement rates.

Ads not native to TikTok and not created with creators performed the worst.

Additionally, TikTok found that creator beauty content is especially effective at promoting brand recognition. This type of content saw the strongest aided and unaided brand recall from the TikTok-specific branded content when collaborating with creators.

As well as partnering with creators, beauty ads showing product use and using comedy cues drive a significant increase in watching ads all the way through by seizing attention—and in the case of showing product use—driving a positive emotional response. TikTok says the result is a 24 percent view rate for ads showing the products in use or featuring comedy.

Beauty content experienced the greatest aided (72 percent) and unaided (27 percent) brand recall from the TikTok-specific branded content in partnership with creators. Fashion saw increases of 50 percent and 8 percent, respectively, while consumer packaged goods brands saw increases of 55 percent and 7 percent, respectively.