Mutti

The Objective

Mutti Italia, the iconic Italian tomato brand, set out to tackle a double challenge:

• Domestically, the brand aimed to drive awareness and consideration, especially for the launch of these new product lines — Zuppe (soups) and Ragù Vegetale (plant-based ragù).

• Internationally, Mutti needed to expand brand awareness, positioning as a top of mind brand across the European market.

The overarching ambition? Build a long-term strategy to increase brand equity in Italy while scaling brand visibility and resonance across Europe.

The Solution

Mutti adopted a hybrid content strategy, mixing premium branded assets with authentic creator-led videos. Across the European market, TTCX (TikTok Creative Exchange), which connects brands with top-performing creators, helped localize storytelling and maximize creative impact. The selected creators developed native content that resonated greatly with the audiences. The use of brand + creator content proved the most effective, lifting key metrics across all markets.

To reinforce its communication strategy, Mutti Italia incorporated TikTok Brand Basics, a set of fundamental principles for executing a successful branding campaign and learning how to optimize media planning and increase brand performance with an advanced measurement framework. In terms of media planning, Mutti Italia leverages a bundle of premium ad formats including:

• TikTok Pulse

• Top Feed

• Auction Reach + Focused Views

These formats were strategically combined with the use of other fundamental best practices such as: optimal ad frequency, campaign duration and ideal number of Creator assets. This integrated approach ensured optimal visibility and message retention across all phases of the funnel.

In order to prove TikTok's impact on brand in the long term, Mutti Italia designed a measurement approach rooted in sequential TikTok's Brand Lift Study (BLS):

• In Italy, measuring how TikTok content impacted Brand KPIs for the new Zuppe and Ragù Vegetale lines;

• In UK to support growth abroad, Mutti rolled out advanced measurement solutions as Multi-Cell BLS in order to measure which creative strategy works better. The goal was to test content variations, comparing brand and creator assets, and identify which creative mix resonated best.

A key takeaway from the Multi-Cell BLS? The right mix of Brand + Creator content consistently outperformed brand-only assets across all funnel stages — from recall, to familiarity to purchase intent.

The Results

Mutti’s TikTok strategy generated exceptional results across all activated markets, proving TikTok’s effectiveness in long term in brand-building. The use of creator content amplified authenticity and engagement, while branded assets reinforced visibility and trust.

Across the European markets, Brand Lift Studies (Jan–Dec 2024) confirmed the success of the strategy:

• +69% lift in Ad Recall (vs. TikTok BLS Norms 2024)

• +264% lift in Awareness (vs. TikTok BLS Norms 2024)

• +162% lift in Brand Association (vs. TikTok BLS Norms 2024)

These results not only exceeded TikTok benchmarks but also validated the scalability of Mutti’s creative approach in both mature and emerging markets.

In the Italian market, TikTok played a central role in supporting long-term equity growth, especially for the new product lines.

• Zuppe Campaign (YoY growth 2025 vs 2024):

  • +130% Ad Recall

  • +102% Awareness

  • +13% Intent to Purchase

• Ragù Vegetale Campaign (April, 2024) featuring creators and grandparents' creatives registered:

  • +13% lift in Ad Recall

  • +22% lift in Awareness

  • +1.3% lift in Intent to Purchase

By blending brand storytelling and authentic creator content, and leveraging TikTok's unique formats, Mutti was able to boost awareness, shape attitudes, and drive product consideration across Europe. Their long-term commitment to TikTok, especially in Italy, continues to yield sustained growth in brand equity and intent, making their approach a repeatable and scalable model for future campaigns.