TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, has successfully concluded TikTok Unboxed Malaysia, an event designed to unveil innovative branding and commerce solutions. These solutions are aimed at helping Malaysian enterprises engage more effectively with their audiences and customers within the digital economy.
The event took place at the Tropicana Gardens Mall Convention Centre and focused on practical strategies to maximize TikTok’s full-funnel capabilities for brand building and accelerating Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) growth. Notable marketing leaders from prominent brands and agencies, including Grab, Dentsu, and MediaDonuts, attended the event. They shared valuable insights on how upper-funnel activations on TikTok are creating significant business impact while harnessing content as a powerful tool for audience engagement.
Southeast Asia’s commerce landscape is experiencing a profound transformation, driven by content-led experiences that seamlessly merge discovery with purchase. TikTok is at the forefront of this shift, boasting over 325 million users in the region, thereby becoming a formidable player in the commerce sector. The rise of content-driven commerce on TikTok has fundamentally changed how consumers interact with brands. It allows for building awareness, generating interest, and driving demand, all within the same platform. This evolution is further propelled by TikTok Shop, a closed-loop shopping ecosystem that integrates community, creativity, and commerce to provide a smooth shopping experience.
In Malaysia’s fast-evolving digital ecosystem, TikTok encourages businesses to explore unique digital solutions that enhance audience reach, drive growth, and unlock new opportunities. The platform aims to support businesses throughout this journey by equipping them with the necessary tools and solutions to engage audiences effectively across the funnel. This approach helps build lasting brand equity and achieve strong ROI while leveraging TikTok Shop and other platform features to convert engagement into sales.
To further assist brands, TikTok is set to unveil new creative AI solutions and e-commerce guides. A recent BCG study revealed that generative AI could reduce production costs by 5-15%. In response, TikTok has collaborated with some of the most creative marketers in the industry to innovate its advertising products and provide the best experiences for businesses, creators, and the entire TikTok community.
Brands can anticipate the rollout of TikTok’s new creative AI suite, which includes tools like TikTok One and TikTok Symphony. These innovations will enable brands to scale their creative production while crafting content that resonates globally with audiences. TikTok One will serve as a centralized hub for marketers to access TikTok’s creative tools. Brands will have the opportunity to connect with nearly 2 million TikTok creators, discover top agency and production partners, and access insights through various features such as TikTok Creative Exchange, TikTok Creator Marketplace, and TikTok Creative Challenge—all with a single login.
On the other hand, TikTok Symphony will provide businesses with a generative AI-enabled video editing suite. This tool simplifies the process of creating content, from writing scripts to producing videos and optimizing assets, thus enhancing creativity and productivity on the platform. With Symphony, marketers can achieve real results through an efficient creative process.
Beyond product innovations, TikTok will also release an e-commerce playbook detailing key strategies for businesses to foster growth, based on insights from successful sellers in the region. Among the strategies outlined are:
- Identifying and nurturing Hero SKUs: These are products that gain significant traction on the platform, often driven by creators and users. A pivotal moment occurs when an SKU reaches an average of 30 daily orders over a 30-day period, resulting in a 36% uplift in orders over the following month. Similarly, an average of 100 daily orders can lead to an additional 60% increase in daily orders in the subsequent 30 days.
- Utilizing a combination of TikTok Shop Ads: Starting with Product Shopping Ads (PSA) for initial sales, then using Video Shopping Ads (VSA) to extend reach, and incorporating LIVE Shopping Ads (LSA) can create Super Hero SKUs that drive GMV. This multifaceted approach has been shown to deliver 2.4 times GMV growth compared to using only two ad formats.
- Accessing TikTok’s Business Accelerator on Seller Center: This resource supports businesses by providing shop diagnostics and tailored recommendations for success. Such insights enable businesses to effectively engage their target audience and achieve sustainable growth on TikTok Shop.
“Our vision for this event is to empower and celebrate businesses by showcasing the creative possibilities they can unlock through TikTok,” stated Delilah Chan, Head of Partnerships for Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia at TikTok. “We want to demonstrate how brands can not only drive growth but also forge meaningful connections with their audiences. This event is about more than just digital tools; it’s about inspiring homegrown businesses to harness creativity, stand out in the e-commerce space, and thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.”
Hatim Azizan, Creative Director at Dentsu Creative Malaysia, echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the rapid growth of AI in the APAC region as a significant opportunity for scaling. “By partnering with TikTok Creative Exchange, we developed the Face of Courage campaign, which created an avatar that gave a voice to domestic violence survivors, allowing them to share their stories while protecting their privacy. By understanding the role generative AI plays in our creative process and empowering it with human insights, we can address real issues in our communities in innovative ways.”
