Best Examples of Leveraging TikTok for Brand Marketing in 2025

Real examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing that actually worked

Before we talk frameworks and tactics, it helps to look at concrete, recent wins. The strongest examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing share a few patterns: they lean into native TikTok culture, use creators instead of polished ads, and tie content directly to measurable business outcomes.

Here are several real examples across industries that you can learn from and adapt.

1. Duolingo & Ryanair: Personality-led brands that mastered TikTok culture

If you want a textbook example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing through brand personality, look at Duolingo and Ryanair.

What they did:

• Duolingo turned its green owl mascot into a chaotic, self-aware character that comments on user posts, jumps on trending sounds, and occasionally roasts followers.
• Ryanair does the same with its airplane face filter, leaning into sarcastic humor about budget travel.

Why it worked:

• Both brands post like creators, not corporations. The content feels native to TikTok’s culture.
• They focus on entertainment first, product second, which builds massive organic reach.

Results (public data & reported outcomes):

• Duolingo passed 10M followers on TikTok by early 2024, with multiple videos crossing tens of millions of views.
• Ryanair’s TikTok content regularly outperforms its more traditional social channels in engagement rate.

This is one of the best examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing when your goal is brand affinity and top-of-funnel attention. The takeaway: don’t just “post ads”; create a character or POV that could exist on TikTok even if your product disappeared.

2. Ocean Spray & the “Dreams” longboarder: Riding user-generated moments

One of the earliest viral examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing came from a user, not a brand. Nathan Apodaca’s 2020 video of himself longboarding, drinking Ocean Spray, and lip-syncing Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” exploded on TikTok.

What Ocean Spray did right:

• They didn’t try to hijack the trend with forced branding.
• Instead, they leaned in by gifting Apodaca a truck filled with Ocean Spray and amplifying the story.

Why this still matters in 2025:

• TikTok remains driven by user-generated content (UGC). Smart brands monitor trends and respond quickly instead of trying to control the narrative.
• It’s a powerful example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing by elevating an authentic fan moment rather than manufacturing one.

The lesson: build a social listening workflow so when your product shows up organically in a trend, you can respond within hours, not weeks.

3. e.l.f. Cosmetics: Original sounds and TikTok-native campaigns

If you want a more structured example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing with a planned campaign, e.l.f. is a strong case.

What they did:

• Commissioned an original song, “Eyes. Lips. Face.” tailored for TikTok.
• Launched a hashtag challenge encouraging users to show their makeup looks.
• Partnered with creators to seed the trend and teach the dance.

Why it worked:

• Original audio gives your brand an anchor that others can reuse.
• Hashtag challenges, when done natively, turn users into co-creators.

Impact:

• The campaign generated billions of views across the hashtag and became one of the benchmark examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing via music and challenges.

Even in 2024–2025, when users are more skeptical of obvious hashtag challenges, the underlying strategy still works: create a format people actually want to participate in, not just a branded slogan.

4. B2B and SaaS brands: Turning expertise into snackable content

B2B doesn’t get the same headlines, but there are growing examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing in SaaS and professional services.

Think of:

• Law firms answering common legal questions in plain English.
• Tax and accounting firms posting quick “before/after” tax savings scenarios.
• Marketing agencies breaking down ad creative and funnel strategy.

Why this works in 2024–2025:

• TikTok has quietly become a search engine for “how to” and “what to do if…” queries. Pew Research and other surveys show increasing use of social platforms for information-seeking, especially among younger adults. For broader context on how people search for health and information online, see research from the National Institutes of Health: https://www.nih.gov
• Short, authoritative breakdowns build trust and drive inbound leads.

A typical example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing in B2B:

• A small marketing agency posts daily 30-second breakdowns of winning ad hooks.
• Their videos rank for terms like “Facebook ad tips” or “TikTok hook ideas.”
• Prospects who binge those TikToks click through to their site and book calls.

Here, the metric isn’t virality; it’s lead quality. TikTok becomes a top-of-funnel education and trust engine.

5. Local restaurants and “TikTok made me try it” moments

Local businesses are some of the most underrated examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing.

Typical pattern:

• A customer posts a video of a visually striking dish (think loaded fries, colorful drinks, or massive portions).
• The video goes viral locally.
• The restaurant reposts, engages with comments, and creates follow-up content showing behind-the-scenes prep and customer reactions.

Real-world outcomes reported by many small businesses:

• Hours-long lines after a single viral video.
• Menu items selling out for days.
• Ongoing foot traffic as people search “that place from TikTok” in their city.

The smart operators take this further by:

• Adding “as seen on TikTok” to menus.
• Encouraging customers to post and tag them.
• Creating their own TikTok content that mirrors what performed well in UGC.

This is a clear example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing where the path from view to revenue is extremely short: users see content, visit the location, and spend money.

6. TikTok Shop & live shopping: Direct sales, not just awareness

In 2024 and into 2025, TikTok has been pushing TikTok Shop and live shopping aggressively in the U.S. and other markets. Some of the best examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing now include direct commerce.

How brands are using it:

• Beauty and skincare brands hosting live streams with creators who demo products and answer questions.
• Small product brands (jewelry, home decor, gadgets) using live sessions as a daily “QVC-style” sales channel.

Why this matters:

• TikTok is no longer only a top-of-funnel channel; it can drive immediate purchases.
• Live shopping blends social proof, urgency, and education.

For broader context on social media’s influence on consumer behavior and mental health, you can review research summaries from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If you’re looking for modern examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing with measurable ROI, live shopping and TikTok Shop are strong candidates—especially for visually demonstrable products.

7. Influencer and creator partnerships that feel native

Most brands now understand they should work with creators, but the best examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing through influencers share a common trait: the creator keeps their voice.

Patterns from high-performing campaigns:

• Brands give creators a clear brief (key message, product benefits, do/don’t list) but avoid rigid scripts.
• Creators integrate products into their usual content style—storytime, GRWM (get ready with me), skits, or mini-vlogs.
• Brands repurpose top-performing creator content as Spark Ads to extend reach.

Why this works:

• TikTok users are quick to scroll past anything that feels like a traditional ad.
• Creator-led content taps into existing trust and community.

If you’re hunting for examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing that scale, creator partnerships are one of the most repeatable approaches. You can start with micro-creators in your niche, test different styles, and then double down on what converts.

8. TikTok SEO: Being discoverable when users search

A newer, less flashy example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing is TikTok SEO—optimizing your videos so they appear when users search in the app.

What brands are doing:

• Including clear, spoken key phrases early in the video (e.g., “Here’s how to clean white sneakers” or “Marketing examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing”).
• Using descriptive captions and hashtags that mirror what people actually type into search.
• Creating series-based content around specific topics, so viewers binge multiple videos.

Why this matters in 2025:

• TikTok’s search bar is increasingly used for tutorials, reviews, and product discovery, especially among Gen Z and younger millennials.
• If your brand isn’t showing up in those searches, you’re invisible at the moment of intent.

This tactic pairs well with all the other examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing. Whether you’re a restaurant, SaaS tool, or beauty brand, you can structure content around the questions your audience already has.

How to adapt these examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing to your brand

Looking at the best examples is useful, but the real value is in adapting them to your own goals, resources, and risk tolerance.

Think in terms of a few strategic levers:

Lean into a repeatable content format

Every strong example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing has a repeatable format:

• Duolingo: mascot chaos + trending sounds.
• B2B experts: quick tips and explainers.
• Local restaurants: food reveals and customer reactions.
• Product brands: before/after, unboxing, and “here’s how I use this” demos.

Pick a format you can sustain weekly. Consistency matters more than chasing every trend.

Combine organic content with paid amplification

Many real examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing start organic, then get amplified:

• Test multiple organic posts around a product or message.
• Identify the videos with the strongest watch time and click-through.
• Turn those into Spark Ads targeting the right audience.

This approach respects TikTok’s culture while still using paid media to scale.

Use TikTok as a research and feedback loop

TikTok’s comments and performance data are a live focus group.

• Watch what people ask under your videos.
• Note which hooks and angles keep people watching.
• Use that feedback to refine both your TikTok content and your broader marketing.

For general background on user behavior, attention, and digital media, academic institutions like Harvard University publish ongoing research and commentary: https://www.harvard.edu

FAQ: Common questions about examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing

Q1: What are some easy examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing for a small business?
For a small business, start simple: show your product in action, introduce your team, and answer common customer questions on camera. A local restaurant might post daily specials and behind-the-scenes prep; a boutique could film styling tips; a fitness coach could share short form workouts. These are all low-budget, realistic examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing that don’t require a big production.

Q2: What is one example of a TikTok campaign that drove real sales?
A clear example of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing with direct sales impact is TikTok Shop live streams in the beauty space. Brands partner with creators who demo products live, answer questions, and offer limited-time discounts. Viewers can purchase without leaving the app, turning views into immediate revenue.

Q3: How often should brands post on TikTok to see results?
There’s no single best answer, but many successful brands post several times per week, if not daily. The brands behind the best examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing tend to treat it like a primary channel, not an afterthought. The key is maintaining a posting cadence you can sustain without burning out or sacrificing quality.

Q4: Do I need influencers to succeed on TikTok?
Not always. Influencers help, but many strong examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing come from in-house content. A charismatic founder, a knowledgeable staff member, or even a mascot can anchor your content. You can always layer in creator partnerships once you’ve proven what works organically.

Q5: How do I measure whether my TikTok marketing is working?
Go beyond views. Track profile visits, link clicks, TikTok Shop orders, discount code redemptions, and branded search volume. The best examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing tie content back to concrete outcomes—store traffic, email signups, demo requests, or direct sales—not just vanity metrics.

TikTok in 2025 is crowded, but it’s far from saturated. The brands winning now are the ones studying real examples of leveraging TikTok for brand marketing, then ruthlessly adapting those playbooks to their own voice, audience, and goals. Start with one or two formats, commit for 60–90 days, and treat TikTok as a living lab for your brand narrative.