Kantar finds ads on TikTok are seen as more inspiring, trendsetting and enjoyable than on other platforms

April 9, 2021

TikTok For Business

Insights

Last year, Kantar found that TikTok's Branded Hashtag Challenge couldsurpass iconic TV momentsin reach and engagement. Soon after that, TikTok wasranked #1 for ad equityin Kantar's Media Reactions report.

More recently, we turned to Kantar to help us understand how ads on TikTok are being perceived in comparison to ads on other platforms. The TikTok-commissioned study was conducted from September 2020 to January 2021 across 20 different countries globally, with more than 25,000 participants in total. Here are six exciting things we learned.

We're humbled to see that 72% of those surveyed agree that ads on TikTok are perceived as inspiring. In fact, this number was the highest across all attributes and platforms tested. For us, it's also a wonderful proof point that brands have started to create ads specifically for a TikTok audience. TikTok users are in a discovery mindset when scrolling through theFor You feed, and receptive to new and inspirational videos from creators and brands alike.

What truly stood out in the Kantar research was the positive way that ads on TikTok were perceived. Compared to ads on other platforms, people considered those on TikTok to be 21% more trendsetting, with almost 7 out of 10 people agreeing to this statement. With innovative ad formats such as the Branded Hashtag Challenge, brands on TikTok now have the tools to become part of culture, enabling their audiences to create trends based on branded sounds, actions, effects or brand-related storylines that can travel freely across the TikTok community and beyond.

For many of our users, TikTok is a source of enjoyment and optimism. They come to TikTok to discover uplifting content from the TikTok community. With TikTok ads being natively embedded into the user experience, they benefit from a positive spillover effect: 8 out of 10 research participants agreed that TikTok is enjoyable, while almost 7 out of 10 also agreed to the statement when asked specifically about ads on the platform.
 

67% of all participants agreed that ads on TikTok capture their attention - a 10% lead compared to other platforms. And it's easy to understand why: ads on TikTok are designed the way people are using their phones: vertical and full-screen, focusing on one video at a time. TikTok's sound-on environment enables brands to tell more captivating stories. But it's not only the format that sets them apart. Unique, upfront placements like TopView, our unmissable first-up ad spot, address users right in the moment when they're the most receptive and attentive.
 

When asked to choose between ad formats on other platforms or TikTok's TopView, 72% of all research participants preferred TopView. Among the reasons mentioned, participants pointed to its more natural placement within the platform, as well as its full-screen and sound-on features. TopView also ranked first across all engagement-related attributes tested (including lowest skip preference, lowest annoyance level, and highest attention level), as well as call-to-action related attributes (such as credibility, and willingness to click or share).

With TikTok ranking high in many of the attributes tested, we were excited to learn that ads on TikTok were perceived more favorable than ads on other platforms. Combining all attributes, ads on TikTok showed a 10% better ad receptivity on average compared to other platforms tested. What's more, many of the ad attributes tested were shown to be highly consistent with the way TikTok as a platform was perceived, indicating that ads on TikTok have found ways to authentically and nativelly become part of the TikTok community and experience.
 

These results are exciting not only because they show the value of advertising on TikTok, but because they provide an insight into how our community thinks, and what they expect from brands and ads on the platform.

We believe that when working hand in hand with advertisers and our community, we can change the way brands interact and connect with audiences. When they show up as a part of the TikTok community--joyful, authentic and real--brands are not only welcomed, but have the chance to set trends and become part of culture.