Cleo

The objective

Testing AI-powered campaigns at scale for incremental efficiency

Cleo, an AI-powered financial assistant, is a performance-focused advertiser committed to driving incremental efficiency across app installs, registrations, and payments. Following repeated success with TikTok Conversion Lift Studies (CLS) in the U.S., Cleo set out to test Smart+ campaigns against their business-as-usual Value-Based Optimisation (VBO) strategy.

The objective was to understand how TikTok’s AI-driven Smart+ could enhance results on both iOS and Android. With significant investment behind the test, the campaign reached over 16 million users and was designed to produce statistically significant insights with 98%+ confidence across all event sources.

The solution

Influencer-led creative powered by TikTok One and Smart+

To maximize performance and ensure a fair, high-impact comparison, Cleo adopted TikTok’s most effective creative and campaign tools for this test. The campaign leaned heavily on creator-led content sourced through TikTok One, using the Creator Content at Scale tool, a trusted solution for finding and activating relevant influencers aligned with Cleo’s brand voice. These creators produced native, conversion-focused assets that have consistently demonstrated strong results in Cleo’s broader campaign strategy.

The ads were enhanced with smart features such as automated optimization, iOS app profile pages, and interactive add-ons, designed to boost engagement and guide users seamlessly through the conversion journey. The campaign was structured as two multi-cell Conversion Lift Studies, split by operating system. One group followed Cleo’s business-as-usual VBO approach, while the other utilized Smart+ campaigns. This setup allowed Cleo to isolate performance by platform and assess how TikTok’s AI-powered ad delivery impacted key conversion metrics, particularly cost efficiency and scale.

Results

Smart+ outperforms across all key conversion metrics

The results of the Smart+ test exceeded expectations across both iOS and Android. Even when budget was intentionally scaled up in the Smart+ cells to test for saturation, performance remained consistently stronger than the business-as-usual strategy. Smart+ campaigns achieved significantly lower cost per incremental subscription (CPIC), reducing this cost by 38% compared to VBO campaigns.

Furthermore, the Smart+ strategy drove meaningful lift across the full funnel. Cleo saw a 32% increase in incremental app installs, a 66% increase in incremental user registrations, and a 71% increase in incremental app payments. These results demonstrated not only greater efficiency but also deeper user engagement and higher conversion value. By combining AI-powered delivery with creator-first storytelling, Cleo was able to unlock new levels of performance and confidently scale investment on TikTok.