TikTok Works: Studies show ads on TikTok are efficient and effective

December 06, 2023

Ever wonder how hard TikTok is working for your brand? Check out the latest research showing how TikTok ads are helping drive business results in Canada.

TikTok Works

With over one billion monthly active users globally, TikTok is where communities come together to create culture and engage with their favourite brands. And all of that interaction isn't just helping users discover new businesses and products, it's also driving results for advertisers, both globally and in Canada.


TikTok recently partnered with Nielsen Canada on a Marketing Mix Model (MMM) meta-analysis study called Nielsen Compass that compares all of the MMMs that Canadian advertisers have run through Nielsen from 2020 to 2022, specifically in the CPG category. The results of the study show how different media channels perform across several key metrics, including efficiency (return on ad spend), effectiveness, and sales contribution.


So what do these results reveal about TikTok and Canadian businesses specifically?


TikTok ads are becoming more efficient and effective

According to the Nielsen Canada MMM meta-analysis, TikTok ads are not only seeing efficiency improvements, but also achieving increased effectiveness. In 2022, TikTok ads achieved a 30% improvement in ROAS and a 58% lift in total incremental sales per 1,000 impressions compared to 2021. Put differently, TikTok investment dollars are working harder, as every impression generated creates more value and drives more sales, with advertisers now seeing an average return of $2 per $1 spent.¹



TikTok Performance Chart - Image 1

TikTok is seeing the highest growth rate of all media channels

TikTok is delivering across marketing objectives, fueling brand discovery, boosting consideration of products, and driving tangible results. Due to ad efficiency and effectiveness gains, TikTok’s media sales contribution grew by 2.3 times. This marks the highest year-over-year growth rate compared to all other media channels in 2022, including Linear TV, Digital Display, Online Video, Paid Social and Paid Search.¹



TikTok's Media Contribution - Image 2

We know the TikTok community has a special relationship with brands on the platform and that video entertainment is fluid and ever-evolving—and marketers need to be, too. Specifically, when looking at Linear TV, the MMM meta-analysis found that TikTok ads pack a punch and are 1.6 times more powerful at driving both sales effectiveness and efficiency. In fact, when diving deeper into the results across all Nielsen MMMs, on average, TikTok ROAS outperformed TV by 63%.¹


TikTok efficiency vs Linear TV - Image 3

See our friends @ASAPScience chat about what these stats mean for driving brand impact:




TikTok ads drive real results

The bottom line? TikTok works impressively hard for your brand in Canada, delivering real and impactful business results for Canadian marketers through effective and efficient advertising.


To learn more about the Nielsen Canada MMM meta-analysis, reach out to your TikTok Canada representative. And to explore more of our TikTok measurement tools, and how they have been designed to cover every touchpoint in the customer journey, visit our measurement solutions page here.



1. Source: TikTok Canada MMM Compass Norms - Meta analysis conducted with Nielsen, 2020-2022

Limited Period Offer: Spend $100, Get $100 | Spend $500, Get $500 | Spend $1500, Get $1500 + 1-to-1 Expert Support

Terms & Conditions:
  1. To activate this offer, launch your TikTok ad campaign and spend according to the above mentioned tiers within 30 days from registration. Based on your advertising spend, only one of the offer tiers will be applied to your account and you can not use the free credits to avail the next tier.
  2. New registered advertisers are eligible for the offer if they fulfill the following criteria:
    1. The registered advertisers have a self-serve SMB account
    2. The new advertising account is not an Agency/Business Center created account or a TikTok Shop account
    3. Only one new advertising account under one new TikTok For Business account is eligible for this offer.
    4. Multiple advertising accounts under one TikTok For Business account, or a TikTok For Business account with an existing active advertising account are not eligible for this offer.
  3. Provided all eligibility checks are met, credit will be applied to your TikTok For Business account within 7 days - after you cross the highest spend threshold or after the spend accumulation period of 30 days.
  4. If the advertising credit is not fully utilized, it shall automatically expire by 2023/12/31.
  5. You can avail onboarding support after you setup your payment profile and get your account approved.
  6. This offer is contingent upon the advertising account being in compliance with all TikTok advertising policies and general TikTok Coupon Terms.
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