Hormel Foods
Partnering with TikTok and Instacart to seamlessly connect discovery to purchase during the playoff and Big Game window
The objective
Meeting consumers where they already are on TikTok
Hormel Foods set out to win one of the most competitive retail moments of the year—playoff football and the Big Game—by reaching consumers at the exact moment they were planning, hosting, and shopping for game day. TikTok was already where these moments were happening, with users actively searching for snack ideas, recipes, and party inspiration.
The objective was to move beyond awareness and turn that intent into action. By integrating TikTok with Instacart, Hormel Foods aimed to shorten the path to purchase, converting moments of discovery into real-world basket building and immediate transactions.
The solution
TikTok and Instacart integration built for real-time commerce
Hormel Foods activated a first-of-its-kind Instacart integration on TikTok, designed to connect upper-funnel discovery with lower-funnel conversion during high-intent snack occasions. The campaign combined Auction Reach and Smart+ Sales campaigns to balance scale and performance, ensuring broad visibility while driving measurable action.
Using Smart+ Catalog Ads, Hormel Foods dynamically surfaced relevant snack products across its portfolio, aligning creative with real-time user signals, such as football viewership, food interest, and party-planning behavior. This enabled the brand to meet consumers at the exact moment they were considering what to buy for game day.
Creative was built specifically for TikTok, leaning into TikTok-first, product-forward storytelling that highlighted entertaining and snacking occasions. Video and carousel formats showcased easy hosting solutions and visually engaging food moments, reinforcing both inspiration and immediacy. Creator-style content played a key role in driving authenticity and memorability, helping the brand stand out in a highly competitive seasonal window.
As one of the earliest brands to test this integration, Hormel Foods helped demonstrate how TikTok can function as a true commerce engine, seamlessly bridging content discovery with real-world purchase through Instacart.
The results
Full-funnel impact from discovery to purchase
The campaign delivered strong full-funnel impact, reinforcing TikTok’s ability to drive both brand outcomes and commerce. Brand Lift Study results showed a +10.9% lift in Ad Recall, +5.0% lift in Awareness, and +4.0% lift in Purchase Intent, all exceeding category norms and demonstrating meaningful movement across the funnel.
Performance metrics further validated the approach. The campaign generated over 30 million impressions at efficient CPMs, while Smart+ Sales drove a 1.17% CTR, signaling strong engagement and intent from the audience.
More importantly, the campaign proved that aligning culturally relevant moments with seamless commerce integration can influence real-world behavior. By meeting consumers at the intersection of inspiration and intent, Hormel Foods successfully turned attention into action. These learnings now provide a foundation for scaling future commerce-driven campaigns, with a continued focus on creator-led storytelling, optimized conversion strategies, and deeper integration between content and purchase.