Maximizing Your 'Return on Creative'

Today's audiences view, create, and react to content uniquely. To grab attention and drive results, marketers need to meet an audience that craves authentic, resonant content that entertains and builds meaningful connections.

In collaboration with Ipsos, our recent whitepaper, "Return on Creative," urges brands to elevate and optimize their most critical ROI input – creative. This whitepaper reveals strategies advertisers can leverage to boost their efforts. We unpack key insights and explore how TikTok is uniquely positioned to drive business results through creativity.

The Value of Creative

The whitepaper highlights how shifts in consumer media behavior have amplified the importance of creativity in marketing. Today's audiences are savvier and more selective, craving content that is not only authentic and engaging but also resonates on a personal level. This expanded role of creativity in marketing requires marketers to elevate creative efforts to meet consumer needs and unlock the attention, insights, trends, connections and business results to stay competitive and breakthrough. By prioritizing creativity, brands can build trust and inspire action, whether it's purchasing a product, downloading an app, or engaging further with the brand.

Strategies for Unlocking Creative Value

To thrive in today's environment, brands must embrace creative freedom and experimentation. This involves:

1. Creating Empathetic Content: Empathetic marketing isn't just a buzzword; it's a proven strategy for success. Ipsos's research highlights that brands demonstrating empathy—by aligning with viewers' needs and values—are more likely to build lasting connections and drive action.

2. Embracing Resonance: Content that resonates with viewers has a profound impact. Resonance is achieved through relatable and credible storytelling. By leveraging data-backed insights, brands can craft content that genuinely connects with their audience.

3. Diversifying Content: Variety is not just the spice of life but a key driver of engagement. Brands that offer a mix of entertaining, educational, and perspective-rich content are more likely to capture and retain their audience's attention, while also reaching and expanding into new audiences.

Unlocking your Return On Creative on TikTok

TikTok has a vibrant community of over 1 billion users, offering unique opportunities for brands to connect with audiences authentically. Here's how brands can harness the power of TikTok:

1. Blend Paid and Organic Content: TikTok users appreciate a seamless blend of paid and organic content. When viewers encounter a brand's organic video on their For You Page (FYP), it signals that the brand is part of the TikTok community, enhancing the impact of subsequent paid ads. In fact, 48% of users said an ad was not intrusive after seeing an organic post from the brand.¹

2. Remix Existing Assets: By remixing existing content, brands can efficiently create a steady stream of TikTok-optimized content. This strategy is both cost-effective and ensures a regular brand presence on the platform.

3. Prioritize TikTok-First Creative: Content specifically designed for TikTok tends to perform better. Brands should collaborate with creators, stay attuned to platform trends, and adapt their storytelling to fit TikTok's unique format. Notably, 79% of TikTok users prefer brands that understand how to create content specifically for the platform.²

Embracing Creativity for Bigger Returns

In an era where consumers are bombarded with content, standing out requires a deep understanding of your audience and the ability to connect with them on an emotional level. As our whitepaper reveals, empathy and resonance are not just concepts but actionable strategies that simply come down to creating content that people want to watch. By doing this, you can significantly enhance your marketing efforts.

By focusing on creative, empathetic, and resonant content, brands can achieve remarkable returns on their creative investments. Embracing creativity allows brands to build trust, inspire action, and make the most of the incredible opportunities that today's dynamic platforms offer. To dive deeper into these strategies and unlock the full potential of your creative efforts, read our full report.

Sources

1. TikTok Marketing Science Global Organic + Paid Study 2021 conducted by Neurons

2. TikTok Marketing Science Global Community and Self-Expression 2021 conducted by Flamingo