Much has been written about ad effectiveness in traditional media like TV. But what about short form media, which has become one of the most important channels for brands communication today? TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users and 15% of all product discovery across all media, email and word of mouth happens on this platform (1). We have some fascinating answers to this question thanks to a new study by System 1 and TikTok: The Long and the Short (Form) of It: How Short-form Entertainment Builds Brands and Converts (1). In this post we share some of the key insights from this study*.
* The study used System1’s Test Your Ad Social to test 847 TikTok ads across sectors in eight major markets. Ad level creative findings were then matched with Brand and Conversion Lift Data from 239 Brand Lift Studies and 119 Conversion Lift studies.
1. Welcome to show business
The most effective short-form ads don’t feel like ads at all. They entertain, surprise, and reward the viewer. “Showmanship” is the term used by System1’s Orlando Wood to capture this idea. “Showmanship features* like Story, Character, a Sense of Place and People Interacting attract the broad attention of all future buyers and leave them feeling great,” report System 1 (1). “We clearly see this impact on the formation of more branded memories crucial for long-term effectiveness.”
The most entertaining TikTok ads delivered +39% memory lift, 2x higher brand awareness and nearly 3x the brand image improvement. Entertaining ads also resist creative fatigue. The study found they hold attention and sentiment even after multiple exposures, while duller ads decay fast.
* The full set of short-form video Showmanship features measured in the study: 1. Characters acting, 2. A story unfolding, 3. Entertaining language, 4. Spontaneous changes in facial expressions, 5. a recognisable place, 6. a hummable tune, 7. people interacting, 8. a pause or a soft, hushed voice, 9. Something out of the ordinary
2. Brand early, but brand smart
In short-form skippable media, getting your brand noticed early is critical. Ads that delivered brand recognition within the first 2 seconds saw a +92% lift in brand awareness, with no drop in engagement (1). In fact, early branding generates higher levels of positive sentiment, by allowing viewers to quickly grasp what they are watching.
The trick to driving early branding? Use distinctive brand assets early but weave them naturally into the story (see below). A logo slapped in the corner drives recognition (vertical axis below) but not attention (horizontal axis). Brand assets that are effective at grabbing attention and recognition include logos in context (integrated into the scene) and also sonic assets like music and jingles. And don’t stop at one asset. The sweet spot is four distinctive cues in the first two seconds.
3. Fresh Consistency drives effectiveness
Sticking to one core creative idea and delivering it with fresh consistency helps drive effectiveness. “When you iterate on that idea in fresh, entertaining ways each time, you get all the benefits of entertainment and consistency,” System 1 report (1). Campaigns with freshness perform better on long-term brand-building potential than those without and this effect compounds over time.
The report illustrates this finding with ads promoting the BBC’s breadth of content that use different characters from the universe of Aardman animation (creators of Wallace & Grommit). They campaign has consistent use of entertaining Showmanship features, while bringing freshness across different executions.
4. Show and sell
Entertainment drives attention and awareness but on its own doesn’t deliver against the key objective of all marketing, which is “SMS” = Sell More Stuff! “Salesmanship features”* speak to people who are in buying mode and help quickly convert awareness and interest into conversion. “Ads with the highest levels of salesmanship features drive 88% higher conversion lift than ads with the lowest levels of salesmanship,” explains the report (1).
However, leaning to much into Salesmanship alone can have negative effects on brand building, in terms of awareness and image (see below). To note, this negative effect is much bigger for challenger and contender brands, owing to their lower levels of brand equity.
This is another example of how brand-led growth needs a balance of product “sausage” (Salesmanship) and emotional “sizzle” (Showmanship).
* The full set of short-form video Salesmanship features measured in the study: 1. Many words on screen, 2. Someone talking directly to the viewer, 3. Lots of fast-cut scenes, 4. A divided or split screen, 5. Facts, figures & comparisons, 6. Useful information, 7. A focus on a product, 8. A call to action
5. The power of creator-led ads
Distinctive “creator-led” ads deliver increased attention creators garner without sacrificing early brand recognition, by integrating branding in a way which feels natural. This form of creative delivers significant brand awareness and brand image benefits in comparison to “brand traditional” (developed by brands for traditional channels repurposed for the platform) and “brand native” ads (made by brands built natively for the platform).
In conclusion, short-form video is no longer just for tactical sales activation. This new research shows how it can deliver brand-building punch and commercial impact – when creativity is done right. That means embracing entertainment and using your brand assets to drive distinctiveness, to make every second count. The brands that crack this code can win both the long and the short game.
