Case Studies: How TikTok Can Unlock Growth For Your Brand 🔥

📆 Wednesday, 22nd November 2023

Hi, and welcome to Growth Espresso - your go-to destination for 👏 all things 👏 e-commerce.

Today, we talk about TikTok 🎶 This social media platform has been on fire this year 🔥. It’s racing past Facebook and Instagram, clocking a 75% surge since 2020. Users are booming, and brands? They’re swarming in for a slice of the action like never before.

The question is - Is your brand doing enough to get a piece of this pie? 

In today’s edition, find how you can grow your e-commerce using TikTok with some interesting case studies. Excited? Let’s dive right into it 🤿 

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Now getting back to the topic…

Case 1: Idahoan Foods

In the early days of the COVID and lockdowns, there was a surge in food-related content. People, having plenty of time in isolation, dove into making trending recipes like the 'Dalgona Coffee,' banana bread, and pancake cereal, creating a whole frenzy in their kitchens.

For Idahoan Foods, a US instant mashed potato brand trying to connect with the elusive Gen Z demographic, this became a golden opportunity amidst the food content wave.

Kiersten McFarland, Idahoan Foods' marketing specialist, led a two-pronged approach. They kicked off with the #idahoanmash culinary challenge, spotlighting their Flavored Mashed Potatoes—reportedly Gen Z’s top pick.

By teaming up with lifestyle influencers showcasing creative ways to enjoy their products, the #idahoanmash campaign hit 7.2 million TikTok views 📈 , according to Ryan Ellis, VP of retail marketing.

Then came the #mashoutchallenge, a dance initiative amplifying their Buttery Homestyle Mashed Potatoes. Collaborating with TikTok influencers like Madi Monroe and The Fergie Twins, Idahoan rode the trend, garnering 4.3 million views.

These campaigns were part of Project PULL, Idahoan’s strategy led by Wes Myer, aiming to persuade consumers to choose Idahoan products. Ellis highlights a 12.6% boost in purchase rates as a result.

The TikTok move aimed to tap into Gen Z’s world. Ellis emphasized how the platform allowed them to connect in a lively and playful manner, showcasing the brand in unexpected, eye-catching ways.

This innovative approach extended beyond TikTok, with Idahoan engaging consumers across multiple platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest, teaming up with influencers on Instagram.

Case 2: Vestiaire Collective

Fashion content experienced a significant surge earlier this year, and the momentum seems to be continuing. Dior hosted the inaugural live virtual catwalk on TikTok, setting the stage for the future of luxury fashion. TikTok organized #TikTokFashionMonth in September, attracting attention from household fashion brands, which began allocating substantial budgets to the platform.

Vestiaire Collective, a luxury fashion marketplace, approached Fanbytes by Brainlabs to establish a presence on TikTok and explore it as a growth channel amid these transformative shifts. As a leading global platform for pre-loved luxury fashion items, Vestiaire Collective aimed to raise awareness about its new 'direct shipping' feature among a targeted US Gen Z audience and achieve cost-effective app installs, benchmarked against Instagram.

With this objective in mind, they created an amazing strategy.

Under the #TikTokFashionMonth campaign, influencers were instructed to present themselves as buyers, showcasing how they styled Vestiaire Collective items. The creatives varied to maintain organic integration into their feeds, avoiding a strictly promotional appearance. This approach resulted in over 1,000 organic installs and a 17.5% ad conversion rate.

To achieve a cost-effective cost per install (CPI), extensive A/B testing was done, and the best-performing creatives were used as paid ads. These ads generated an additional 4,000+ installs, reducing the CPI by 50% compared to other channels, making TikTok more effective for Vestiaire Collective than Instagram and YouTube.

The overall campaign exceeded expectations, garnering 1.3 Mn views, with notable success leading Vestiaire Collective to run a second US campaign with 2.6M views and a similar CPI.

💡 Key takeaways

1. TikTok's Organic Appeal: TikTok's organic reach magnetizes millions, offering a diverse, engaged audience eager for brand connections without massive marketing spends.

2. Demystifying TikTok: Beyond dance crazes, TikTok thrives for businesses across industries and demographics, embracing diverse brand narratives beyond youth-centric content.

3. Tailoring Your Strategy: Adapt your existing content strategy to TikTok's language, crafting educational, engaging content that aligns with short attention spans and joins conversations.

4. Crafting TikTok Content: Start smart by answering fundamental brand and industry questions, shaping engaging content facets, frequencies, and strategies for your TikTok debut.

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