Last summer, Sol de Janeiro's body spray campaign became a textbook example of what happens when performance meets creativity on TikTok. By inviting creators to bring the brand's scent to life in sensory, platform-native ways, the brand generated over 850 million views – and tripled its sales, hitting $1 billion [1]. This success shows that, on TikTok, performance and brand-building go hand in hand, driving results while deepening connection.
In today's climate of shrinking budgets and rising pressure, this kind of dual impact matters more than ever. Marketers need results, but they also need relevance. That's where TikTok stands apart: a platform where commerce and culture converge, enabling brands to deliver measurable ROI and long-term brand equity.Read on to learn why moments of market volatility make brand-building more essential than ever – and how TikTok can help you drive both immediate returns and enduring brand value.
Brand is not a discretionary spend; it's a core driver of sustained business growth and competitive advantage. High-equity brands consistently deliver outsized results and drive up to 6.5 times greater marketing effectiveness compared to lower-equity peers [2]. What's more is they have significantly more pricing power; consumers are willing to pay as much as 70% more for brands they trust [3].
Why? Because brand is more than awareness; it’s trust, familiarity, and emotional security. In moments of uncertainty, consumers gravitate toward brands they know, trust and relate to, brands that embed themselves in culture and community. This is why strong brands mitigate downside risk while unlocking greater upside potential. They enhance marketing efficiency across the funnel, boost performance across channels, and create a halo effect that elevates the entire customer experience.
Conversely, businesses that reduce brand investment typically see declines not just in awareness or preference but in core business outcomes. In fact, the world’s top brands have collectively missed out on an estimated $3.5 trillion in cumulative brand value [4] largely due to an overemphasis on short-term efficiencies at the expense of long-term brand equity.
The most effective organisations recognise that brand and performance work best together. A strong brand primes consumers for conversion, reduces price sensitivity, and creates long-term loyalty, making every performance dollar work harder.
On TikTok, entertainment, culture, and commerce intersect in a single, immersive feed, where conversions and brand-building happen side by side. Because of the platform's dynamic and entertaining nature, performance campaigns on TikTok are unique in being able to drive lower-funnel objectives and contribute to brand uplifts.
Rooted in creativity, community and entertainment, strong performance campaigns on TikTok deepen engagement, spark advocacy, and strengthen brand perception. UK haircare brand Hair Syrup's recent TikTok performance campaign drove a massive 125% increase in ROAS and increased brand metrics, proving that platform-native storytelling can simultaneously deliver both short and long-term outcomes.
Founder Lucie Macleod herself says, "TikTok played a pivotal role in transforming Hair Syrup’s exposure into long-term brand growth. The brand saw a surge in new customers, increased organic engagement, and strengthened loyalty within the haircare community."
In a landscape defined by economic headwinds and heightened ROI expectations, there’s a competitive advantage in powering performance without compromising on brand-building. On TikTok, with the right blend of creative excellence, cultural relevance, and precise execution, brands have the power to turn a single quarter into more than just a revenue boost, but a catalyst for lasting brand growth.
So, are you ready to unlock performance power of TikTok? Read the thoughtpaper to explore how TikTok performance campaigns can contribute to the brand growth and how to boost your results even further.
If you want to learn how your brand can leverage TikTok's complete suite of solutions to deliver impactful commerce outcomes – whether online, in-app, or in-store – check out our brand new playbook.
Sources
1. Sol de Janeiro: Scent of Success, TIME, 2024
2. The Multiplier Effect: A CMO’s guide to brand-building in the performance era, WARC, 2025
3. Modern Marketing Dilemmas, Kantar, 2022
4. Best Global Brands Report, Interbrand, 2024