3 sure-fire ways to elevate your supermarket ads on TikTok

It's no secret that TikTok is an incredibly creative platform. From ASMR to skits, carousels to vlogs, filters to edits, the opportunities for creativity are endless. But with all that opportunity can come challenges: what's the most effective type of creative for my audience? What type of content will really get my supermarket brand results?

We know that branded content and TikTok go hand-in-hand: 64% of users agree that branded content is immersive and entertaining on TikTok and 3 in 5 agree that branded content feels more authentic on TikTok vs other platforms [1]. So, to arm supermarket brands with the knowledge and recommendations they need to create branded content on TikTok that really resonates, we undertook a multi-market study to unearth the best creative practices that are proven to drive key brand and campaign metrics.

We analysed 200 best-in-class TikTok videos and surveyed 7500 TikTok users across 5 markets to discover the three main principles supermarkets can use to produce creative that drives deal-ightful results*. Read on to find out what they are.

1. Show you're the perfect fit in their everyday lives

For the users we surveyed, the most important creative element across branding and performance objectives were elements that "show how the brand fits into everyday lives" [1].

67% of users love supermarket content that features real supermarket customers and employees and 58% love supermarket content shot in-store or at home [1]. Similarly, 44% of users say an at-home setting helps them think that the brand is for someone like them. In fact, an at-home setting is five times more likely to be ranked as a top three feature for building trust versus in-public or behind the scenes settings [1].

With this in mind, supermarket brands can build trust with audience by setting their content in homely and familiar settings.

Activation suggestions:

• Polling the public: Vox pops feature real-life people and help drive trust and relatability. An idea for this type of content could be surprising your customers in-store with the latest offers.

• Taking the shop home: Tell the story of your supermarket from purchase through to recipe by showing a day in the life of a shopper.

2. Be accessible and approachable

We found that four out of five of the most loved creative features for supermarket content relate to tone and mood, with 76% of users preferring supermarket content to have a family, relatable feel versus an aspirational one [1]. Supermarket brands should focus on getting the tone right – create a sense of warmth, familiarity and relatability and avoid being overly formal.

Activation suggestions:

• Be warm and welcoming: Just like you have good customer service in-store, show you have it on TikTok too by using a friendly tone of voice.

• Showcase convenience and ease: Supermarkets are about real life, share convenient services offered to make shopping in-store or online practical e.g. app features or loyalty programmes.

• Be a force for good: Improve audiences’ wellbeing with tips, tricks and products that make their everyday activities easier, e.g. cleaning hacks, back-to-school product announcements or travel essentials.

• Incorporate a direct and familiar CTA: Including a call to action into the video directly is key to encouraging action. Directly spoken by a familiar person (for example, a supermarket employee) is most effective, but be careful to keep it friendly, in fitting with the wider tonality [1].

Top tip: Supermarket brands can depend on creators to build trust and credibility with their audiences across different points on their path to purchase. Leverage the TikTok Creator Marketplace (TTCM) to find the right creators for your brand and generate creative to make your content go further.

3. Bring the energy

The TikTok audience love the use of colourful, unpolished visuals, transitions and upbeat music to convey energy and fun; 82% of users say they love this type of supermarket content [1]. Further, 42% say upbeat and feel-good music grabs attention and makes them notice the brand. This is more effective than the sounds of real objects for building brand awareness for supermarket brands [1].

Supermarket brands should look to achieve a high energy and upbeat atmosphere with music and visuals to bring joy and fun to the regular shopping routine.

Activation suggestions:

• Unfiltered reality: Shoot in a realistic, messy style, and feel free to have fun with it – turn shopping into an endorphin adventure, be jokey and high energy.

• Feel good music: Set the mood with nostalgia and classic tunes (e.g. 70s disco) and immersive sounds to help maintain energy. Take inspiration from Lidl and Rossman Polska's award-winning campaigns. Both brands harnessed sound and TikTok ad solutions to drive incredible results:

Add these creative tips to your cart

TikTok gives supermarket brands an opportunity to participate in their customers’ lives in a way that feels authentic and relatable.

We have a wealth of tools and solutions to help you level up your TikTok ads. Check out TikTok Symphony, our new suite of creative solutions powered by generative AI, or partner with creative production experts using the TikTok Creative Exchange (TTCX), our one-stop solution that enables fast, scalable high-performing video production for TikTok. And, for an in-depth look at creating for TikTok, check out our creative codebook.

If you want to learn more about the retail & ecommerce opportunity on TikTok and how you can leverage it, check out this blog post. And to get insights like these straight to your inbox, sign up for our dedicated retail & e-commerce newsletter.

*Not all three principles need to be leveraged within one TikTok creative. They can be dialed up and down depending on brand personality, voice and tone.