TikTok’s impact on brand attitudes and performance outcomes grows

63% of people have positive perceptions of TikTok ads; 14% said they make purchases from a TikTok recommendation on a weekly basis

June 13, 2024, Los Angeles, CA – Brand experience platform DISQO today released its third annual "TikTok Advertising” report, exploring consumer engagement with TikTok content and its impact on purchase behaviors. Nearly a third of consumers (28%) use TikTok on a daily basis (+8 from 2023), highlighting the platform’s growing engagement power despite the looming ban. 

“The TikTok advertising opportunity is undeniable, but the platform’s brand experiences are evolving at a record pace,” said Stacy Perrus, Director of Brand Communications at DISQO. “The need to stay on top of consumer attitudes and measure the effectiveness – from awareness all the way through to purchase – of social media campaigns has never been greater. Frequent innovations and optimizations are crucial for keeping pace with TikTok’s dynamic evolution and maximizing the ROI of ad spend.”

Report Highlights

TikTok has evolved into a trusted source of information and discovery.

Today’s TikTok content is radically different from what it was a few years ago. Influencers, the seamless integration of ads into the scrolling experience, and feed personalization have changed the way that people engage with the platform.

• While entertainment (73%) remains TikTok’s primary use, over a third of consumers cited information gathering (36%), product discovery (35%), and keeping up with trends (34%) as other primary motivations.
• Gen Z is more likely than the general population (+12) to use TikTok for search.

People like ads on TikTok and take action from them.

TikTok’s true power lies in the platform’s ability to influence consumer attitudes and behaviors. While it remains a trusted brand-builder, it’s also growing as a facilitator of product discovery and the path to purchase – even outside of the TikTok Shop.

• 63% of consumers have positive perceptions of TikTok ads; this positive sentiment has remained consistent since last year.
• Sharing content (64%), researching a project (42%), and purchasing a product (27%) are the most common actions reported after seeing a TikTok video.

TikTok is growing as an e-commerce platform

While the TikTok Shop is still relatively new, the platform has been growing its influence on e-commerce activity through in-feed integrations and shoppable ads. 

• 14% of consumers said they make purchases from TikTok recommendations weekly; another 15% said they do so monthly.
• 23% have made a purchase through the TikTok Shop (+9 for Gen Z).
• The shopping cart value of TikTok users is on average +21% higher than non-TikTok users in the DISQO audience.

People are evenly split about whether the ban is good or bad.

The TikTok ban will have a tremendous impact on the ad ecosystem. Consumer views of “good” and “bad” are rooted in their feelings of safety and vary significantly across generations. Younger users will likely increasingly pressure brands to stick with the platform.

• 29% of people feel negative about the ban, while 33% feel positive.
• 52% are concerned about Chinese ownership; this dips to 25% with Gen Z.
• If the ban occurs, Gen Z is most likely to head to Instagram whereas Boomers are more evenly split across various social media platforms.

To maximize the ROI of TikTok ad spend, marketers must monitor how TikTok ads are working individually and in cohort with other social platforms and media channels. DISQO’s identity-based Brand Lift and Outcomes Lift products enable full-funnel campaign measurement across siloed social media platforms, empowering clients to see how their TikTok campaigns are impacting consumer attitudes and behaviors.

Methodology

Insights were sourced from 6,532 consumers in DISQO's first-party audience, May 3 - 9, 2024, and weighted to represent the US population.