TikTok Study Highlights ROI of Short and Long-Term Ad Campaigns

A new study commissioned by TikTok and conducted by Dentsu provides insights into the return on investment (ROI) of advertising on the platform, comparing short-term and long-term sales impact. The research analyzed 15 brands running TikTok campaigns, measuring immediate sales effects over six weeks and extended results over 10 months.

The findings suggest TikTok is particularly effective for short-term revenue generation, with an average short-term ROI of 11.8, positioning it as one of the strongest-performing media channels for immediate sales. According to the study, 75% of advertisers saw their highest ROI on TikTok compared to other platforms, with sales effects continuing for up to four weeks after campaign exposure.

For long-term performance, the study indicates that ongoing brand engagement on TikTok can sustain sales growth. While some platforms may provide better long-term results, TikTok’s strength appears to lie in its ability to drive quick consumer action, which can be expanded into longer-term brand recognition.

However, since the research was commissioned by TikTok and takes advantage of their own free access to their platform’s deeper metrics, the findings naturally highlight the platform’s effectiveness. Brands considering TikTok advertising need to factor in the cost of content creation and whether the potential long-term benefits justify the investment. The study suggests that repurposing campaign content over an extended period could help maximize value by reducing the effective costs of a campaign.

For marketers, this report reinforces that TikTok can be a valuable tool for both immediate sales and ongoing brand visibility, provided that advertisers maintain a consistent presence rather than relying on one-off campaigns. The full report goes into more depth about the marketing mix modeling study that Dentsu performed, and the results that they gained from