ThreadBeast | Scaling TikTok with Hyper-Personalized Ad Experiences
The Challenge
Communicating the emotional high a customer feels when opening their Threadbeast subscription box
Threadbeast is a popular streetwear subscription service. Customers receive curated boxes from a diverse and unique range of apparel brands—Nike, Grizzly, HUF, and Adidas just to name a few. The challenge for a brand like Threadbeast is communicating the emotional high a customer feels when opening their subscription through a digital ad. We learned early on in our 4-year partnership with Threadbeast that unboxing videos drove new customers to purchase more than any other type of ad. But as we started to venture into TikTok advertising, it became clear that unboxing videos alone were not effectively communicating the Threadbeast customer experience.
Results
What we achieved
We worked with Threadbeast to strategically tackle this problem in two ways:
- We undertook a grassroots effort to find content from anyone who was talking about Threadbeast on TikTok. This meant more than just marketing influencers or creators. It meant targeting real, everyday fans of the brand. Threadbeast connected with over 50 customers and fans who have talked about them on TikTok and asked them to use their videos in a targeted campaign.
- We tested user-generated videos and found that ads showing genuine excitement and authentic unboxing reactions produced a 70% higher swipe rate and a 5x higher conversion rate relative to standard ads.
Our Approach
We identified the 4 key elements of a winning, hyper-personalized strategy
- Decentralized content production. In the old world, everything was funneled through the Director of Brand. Now there are too many creators and opportunities to make that a sustainable practice. Decentralized, user-generated content allowed us to scale larger volumes of high-performing content more quickly.
- Invested in diverse influencers. By engaging with real enthusiasts, we unlocked the ability to speak to a wide range of customer segments, boosting customer acquisition power in the process.
- Broke free from content norms. Letting go of rigid content norms allowed ThreadBeast to be more agile and embrace authenticity while staying true to its unique brand voice.
- Let consumers influence the brand. Customers are already eager to share their amazing experiences. We set them loose to be ThreadBeast's most powerful, vocal brand ambassadors.