Media Buying Briefing: Back-to-school brand spending on TikTok rises
Advertisers increased investment on TikTok, YouTube and search during summer months – but the back-to-school period is becoming a longer and more general sales period.
Advertisers increased their TikTok spending by 20-40% during the summer months to capitalize on back-to-school sales. TikTok's share of overall social spending for Tinuiti clients grew by 55% between July and August. Hilton promoted its Graduate hotel chain on TikTok alongside Instagram and YouTube, with the campaign's spending deemed non-negotiable by its agency.
TikTok Shop sales rose 84% between March 2025 and February of this year, with advertising on the platform becoming a new e-commerce destination for brands as others like Amazon became saturated. Mid-funnel ad formats like Consideration Ads have also been popular among non-TikTok Shop advertisers. Increased competition and the introduction of Google AI Overviews have driven up the cost of search advertising, with eMarketer estimating TikTok Shop sales will increase by 48% in 2026.
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