The power of TikTok Pulse: How content adjacency drives impact

As the entertainment landscape evolves and viewership habits change, it's critical for advertisers to understand which solutions will allow them to effectively capture audience attention within a fragmented environment. A recent global study, Revisiting the Inner Workings of Digital Video, conducted by IPG's MAGNA Media Trials in collaboration with TikTok helps shed light on this topic.

The report, which examined 36 brands across 3 verticals (CPG, Media & Entertainment, and Retail) and 6 countries, reveals valuable insights about TikTok's content halo; the power of skippable video; and how showing up next to trending, contextual and brand suitable content drives impact.

“It has been proven time and time again that TikTok works. TikTok is able to place brands upon trending, culturally relevant and entertaining content where users are engaged and looking to discover and learn," said Jorge Ruiz, Global Head of Marketing Science at TikTok. "We have partnered with MAGNA to help understand just how impactful TikTok ad solutions are, specifically our Pulse ads that place brands next to the top 4% of all videos on TikTok. Together, we were able to prove that fully skippable, contextually adjacent ads allow for greater brand favorability and a more lasting impression."

According to the study, consumers today are looking for engaging content within an experience they have control over. TikTok has proven to deliver this and has built solutions, such as TikTok Pulse, that allow brands to reach and resonate with viewers more effectively.

TikTok's content halo

In marketing terms, the halo effect refers to consumers' positive sentiment toward a brand based on their experience with its product and the context in which the product or brand appears (i.e., the content a product shows up next to). By analyzing TikTok's content halo, the MAGNA report shows that TikTok is home to content that users enjoy watching. According to the study, TikTok is 58% more likely to deliver a happy experience than similar digital video platforms.¹

Content on TikTok also over-indexes for fostering moods like relaxation relative to similar digital video platforms. Similarly, TikTok over-indexes on users' likelihood to watch the same content again and perceptions of entertainment and popularity.

With all of this great content, it's no surprise that TikTok users spend a movie's worth of time on the platform daily.¹

The truth about skippable ads

TikTok has created an engaging ad experience that gives users full control. As a result, brands reach users more effectively than in other video ad environments—and in a shorter span of time.

According to the study, non-skippable video views don’t necessarily command greater engagement and may, in fact, hinder it. In other words, viewers are more likely to watch and engage with brand-sponsored videos when they have more control over their experience.

Specifically, the study shows that 73% of viewers agree that having the ability to skip videos makes them more engaged in the experience, and 56% of viewers are more likely to actively watch videos sponsored by a brand when they have the option to skip.¹

On TikTok, every view is intentional because users can skip any video they choose, including ads. Forced view also isn't needed to create meaningful impact. According to the study, for CPG and Media & Entertainment verticals, TikTok's skippable formats perform on par with video-on-demand forced view formats across key metrics like brand favorability and purchase intent.

And even if they are viewed for a short amount of time, TikTok ads are still able to drive impact. According to a separate study conducted by MediaScience, 50% of the impact from a TikTok ad is realized in the first 2 seconds, and the first 6 seconds capture 90% cumulative impact on Ad Recall and around 80% for Awareness.²

How adjacency increases impact

The study also shows that brand impact and ad-view time increase when a preferred ad experience lives next to trending, contextual, and suitable content, regardless of platform.

For example, when served next to trending content, the same ad becomes even more relevant (+3% ppt) to viewers. Ads adjacent to suitable content drove significant increases in favorability (+6%) and purchase intent (+9%).¹ Lastly, contextual alignment between ads and adjacent content significantly impacts brand favorability, search intent, and purchase intent - which is on par with in-market audience targeting.³

Enter TikTok Pulse

TikTok Pulse is a supercharged video ad solution that checks off all three boxes identified by the study: adjacency to hot and trending content, contextual alignment, and brand suitability. It places brands alongside trending content that is driving conversation and action in an environment where users have control.

Specifically, TikTok Pulse guarantees your ad appears next to the top 4% of videos on TikTok. These trending videos are surfaced and updated daily based on their Pulse score, which accounts for dimensions such as video views, brand safety and user and creator engagement. It offers 12 categories of content to choose from, or a run of the top 4% of all content on the platform, and ensures your ad runs adjacent to verified brand-safe content with the highest level of brand suitability applied on the platform.

Activating Pulse within TikTok's skippable ad environment is a powerful combination that has a greater impact on key brand metrics compared to others within the media-mix. The study showed that TikTok Pulse ads drive higher unaided ad recall than partially skippable competitors, at every second of watch time.

And when compared to a fully completed video on demand ad, the study showed that Pulse ads are +4% ppt more effective in driving purchase intent, with just a 1/4th of the view time.¹

“With the many video user experiences available today, it’s critical that marketers understand how they compare and what truly drives ad effectiveness,” said Kara Manatt, EVP Intelligence Solutions at MAGNA. “These results show that appearing next to high quality content should be table stakes and that marketers truly amplify performance through contextual alignment. In addition, when we listen to what viewers want, which is often more control over their ad experiences, it doesn’t just benefit the viewer. Brands benefit as well.”

Download the executive summary on the Power of Pulse here and reach out to your TikTok rep to learn if TikTok Pulse is the right solution for your brand. To read the full Revisting the Inner Workings of Digital Video report click here.

Sources:

1. TikTok Marketing Science Global Revisiting the Inner Workings of Digital Video Study 2023 conducted by MAGNA

2. TikTok Marketing Science US Value Of A View 2021 conducted by MediaScience

3. TikTok Marketing Science Global Revisiting the Inner Workings of Digital Video Study 2023 conducted by MAGNA; Values were modelled using regressions to determine the impact of ad perceptions on brand metrics. All regression coefficients significant at ≥90% confidence. Modelled impact: The estimated effect or influence of predictor variables (i.e., input variables) on responses (i.e., output variables)