TikTok partners with Publicis Groupe to let its clients drive social commerce

TikTok announced a global partnership with the French holding company Publicis Groupe, marking it as TikTok’s first agency partner for commerce. 

With the partnership, Publicis clients will be able to access special perks, including the ability to test TikTok’s new commerce products, capabilities, and creative solutions. 

Publicis clients will also be chosen to participate in TikTok’s first-ever “Community Commerce Sprint”, a multi-week incubator program that will prepare brands to create impactful commerce campaigns for TikTok ahead of the holidays.

Additionally, Publicis clients will be seminal to fielding data-driven insights, supported by WARC research, and best practices to apply to their future commerce strategies, TikTok said.

“As we’ve seen time and time again, the TikTok community has an incomparable ability to make products go viral – and sell out – almost instantaneously. By partnering with a global force in commerce and media like Publicis Groupe, we’re co-creating resources for brands that will help them better understand and take advantage of the incredible momentum around commerce that’s been building on TikTok.” said Khartoon Weiss, Head of Global Agency and Accounts of TikTok. 

This isn’t TikTok’s first move on the shopping vertical. The company has been making moves to turn its popular app into a social commerce platform for a while.

In June, the company globally launched its native ad format called ‘Spark Ads’ that lets advertisers use organic user posts as part of their ad campaigns in order to make it easier to leverage trending content and to increase conversion. 

Per a June report from Bloomberg News, TikTok will charge $1.4 million for a homepage takeover in the US during Q3, and that figure will rise during Q4, especially during the holiday period. The increase reflects growing demand as TikTok has been ramping up its advertising portfolio.

In May, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that ByteDance’s popular short-video app had begun working with brands in Europe, including the U.K, on ways they can sell their products directly to millions of its app users. 

“TikTok charged into the world of entertainment virtually overnight, but its role in evolving consumer shopping patterns, and creating instant groundswell, is what’s caught our attention. Incredible opportunities exist at the intersection of content and commerce, especially when endorsed with a sense of community and authenticity that grows organically on TikTok. We are thrilled to partner with TikTok to lead the charge in Community Commerce, bringing a unique suite of capabilities to Publicis clients around the globe.” said Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer at Publicis Groupe.