Balancing Content Creation and Advertising With TikTok’s Casey Hamlyn

In this episode of The Garage podcast, hosts Dan Massimino and Evan Hovorka are joined by Casey Hamlyn, North America measurement lead at TikTok.

Join them as they explore the world of retail media on TikTok, from the challenges of balancing content creation with advertising, to the importance of data hygiene and trust-building.

Hamlyn also discusses the future of the advertising landscape, and expands on how machine learning and AI are transforming TikTok ads. 

“We ​provide ​resources across ​all ​of the ​paid ​ad ​side to ​help ​advertisers ​make ​quality ​creative. ​Because, ​frankly, ​whether ​it’s ​paid ​or ​not ​paid, ​it ​helps ​if ​advertisers ​are ​making ​awesome ​creative ​that ​people ​love,” he says on the podcast. “​And ​then ​the ​balance ​isn’t ​about ​paid ​and ​not ​paid. ​It’s ​about ​how ​many ​good ​TikToks ​do ​you ​have ​in ​the ​system that ​people ​want ​to ​watch ​and ​be ​entertained ​by.”

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Key takeaways:

[15:07] In data management, it’s crucial to recognize that systems evolve over time, and new challenges continually emerge, especially with online transactions that weren’t initially considered. He uses the example of Nielsen, who emphasize sophisticated data quality checks and sustainable processes. They utilize a system of flags and notifications (e.g., yellow, green, red) to indicate the severity of data issues. Hamlyn offers a key lesson: Data hygiene deteriorates over time, requiring ongoing adaptation of data processes and sets to maintain accuracy. Continuous evolution and vigilance are essential for effective data management.

[19:00] TikTok balances content creation and advertising to ensure a seamless user experience by prioritizing high-quality creative content. The platform allows all types of content, whether paid or organic, to have visibility, which keeps users engaged. Senior-level decision-making oversees the equilibrium between paid ads and non-paid content, emphasizing long-term strategy and the importance of quality. TikTok supports advertisers by providing extensive resources and training to help them create compelling and engaging ads. 

[26:57] TikTok is still in the early stages of establishing itself as a credible and reliable partner in the retail media space. Success in retail media requires dependable operations, strong relationships, and effective campaign management, including accurate measurement and negotiation. TikTok’s immediate goal is to prove its reliability and consistency in handling routine tasks before exploring advanced features and special projects. Hamlyn outlines how the platform aims to meet various levels of retail media sophistication, adapting to different capabilities and needs, while gradually introducing more innovative solutions as trust and credibility are solidified.

[32:16] Hamlyn anticipates significant advancements in the advertising industry, driven by reduced supply bottlenecks and enhanced creativity and processes. TikTok is leading this shift with its rapidly growing search and shop functions and new machine learning tools that transform traditional ads into engaging TikTok-style content. These tools speed up the creative process, helping marketers quickly adapt and optimize their briefs. These advancements are revolutionizing how marketers produce and manage high-volume ad content, marking a departure from traditional methods and setting the stage for unprecedented growth in the industry.