Despite months of tussling with various US lawmakers and officials, TikTok doesn’t have the time to dwell on drama. Instead, it’s launching a new, premium ad option, which will enable big brands to maximize ad placement alongside the most popular content in the app.

A Strong(er) Pulse

Called ‘Pulse Premiere’, the new offering is an extension of TikTok’s Pulse ads, which it launched last May. Pulse ads allow advertisers to place their ads alongside TikTok clips that are in the top 4% of performers on any given day, based on views and engagement. This new expansion will give advertisers more control over ad placement within the Pulse program.

According to TikTok:

“Pulse Premiere gives brands the control to choose where their ads are placed, adjacent to content from our premium publishing partners in lifestyle & education, sports, and entertainment categories for specific tentpole events as well as evergreen, ongoing content.”

So, it’s essentially Pulse ads, just with a topical element added. So, it would appear that it’s not just the top 4% of performers that you can place your ads alongside, but also those within the reach of these verticals, providing more value for specific brand partners. TikTok mentions that it’s also working with the likes of Buzzfeed, Conde Nast, DotDash Meredith, Hearst Magazines, MLS, NBCUniversal, UFC, Vox Media, and The WWE, as initial brand partners for this new offering.

It could be a valuable option for major launches, while it’ll also be interesting to see whether the expansion provides more monetization opportunities for creators. Now with more verticals in rotation, that should mean that more videos are in contention and that more creators are also in line for a bigger payday as a result – though it’s not entirely clear how much this revenue share element benefits creators at this stage.

To add, TikTok’s also looking to add these two extra elements:

  • Pulse Seasonal Lineups: TikTok’s first-ever moment-specific ad offerings where advertisers can run ads next to the hottest, trending Pulse-eligible videos around a particular marketing moment, cultural event, or season at a time when interest in the particular topic will spike, driving relevance for the brand. We will first be testing Seasonal Lineups with Thanksgiving and winter holidays, and are excited to expand this to other cultural events and seasons to help brands tap into audiences that are primed for viewership.

  • Max Pulse: A new buying mechanism that allows advertisers to run their creatives adjacent to top 4% trending content across all categories on TikTok, in addition to those represented by the existing Pulse lineups, helping advertisers maximize their brand’s reach and unlock the full potential of their campaign.

The Wrap

It’s somewhat of a more premium and high-end ad option, which will likely come with a matching price tag, but it could be a major consideration for major launches that are relevant to the TikTok audience. Up in this alley are movie releases and big sports events, but there could be other ways to use the improved Pulse program to amplify announcements and major updates.

Sources

https://bit.ly/3VwhuW6