TikTok
At its Small Business Month showcase event in New York, TikTok introduced U.S. small business owners to its expanding business opportunities, citing GlobalData research to highlight the platform's significant value for small businesses in brand discovery, sales conversion, and community connection.
TikTok announced a series of in-app activities and creator collaborations for International Museum Day on May 18, including the "Museums Come Alive" global livestream program, and released the 2026 Museum Insights Report. Data shows nearly 5 million global views, with 56 top museums now on the platform.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off next month, TikTok has revealed its World Cup creator reporter team, composed of 30 creators from around the world, offering unique real-time coverage within the app and enhancing fan engagement through a dedicated content hub.
At the sixth TikTok World event, TikTok announced multiple advertising tool updates, including the upgraded TopReach ad placement, monetization solutions for Mini Games and Mini Series, the Branded Buzz and Search Hubs search marketing combination, as well as enhancements to the Symphony AI suite.
TikTok announced the launch of the TikTok Real anti-counterfeiting protection program, aimed at addressing the increasingly complex issue of counterfeit goods. The program will incorporate input from over 300 global intellectual property experts and add new detection features such as brand verification to the TikTok Shop Intellectual Property Protection Center. According to OECD data, global counterfeit trade reached $467 billion in 2025. TikTok also disclosed that in the first half of last year, it removed over 143 million violating videos and took down more than 530,000 pieces of creator content involving infringement.
TikTok announced further expansion of the TikTok Go program in the U.S. market. The program, initially launched in August with limited access for hotel promotions, now allows creators to earn commissions by tagging accommodation and vacation-related businesses. New partners include Booking.com, Expedia, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, and Trip.com. A recent Adobe report shows that nearly half of U.S. consumers use TikTok as a search engine during the discovery process.
TikTok has announced the launch of an ad-free subscription service called "TikTok Ad-Free" in the UK, priced at £3.99 per month (approximately $5.44). The service allows users to turn off ad-targeting data tracking in response to changes in UK data regulations. This move follows Meta, but TikTok emphasizes that it aims to provide users with more choices.
TikTok shopping trends continue to heat up, and in-platform content is profoundly reshaping consumers' purchase paths. According to data shared by Donte Murry, TikTok's director of beauty, health, and personal care in North America, with Glossy, 77% of intent-driven shoppers search for more product information after seeing affiliate content, while user comments have become one of the most powerful factors driving first purchases. Murry advises brands to proactively steer the conversation in comment sections to boost conversions. Additionally, tutorial and product-mechanism videos significantly impact repeat purchases.
TikTok launched a new international marketing campaign this week, focusing on its advertising platform's connective role across the full 'discover-consider-act' journey. The new slogan 'Watch it. Love it. Want it.' marks the platform's extension from entertainment to shopping scenarios. The campaign cites Ipsos research and data from Germany, the UK, the EU, and other regions, showcasing the growth momentum of TikTok Shop, and references third-party reports disclosing 2025 GMV-related figures.
TikTok announced a new partnership with out-of-home advertising technology company Vistar Media, aiming to extend its Out of Phone ad expansion options to over one million newly added high-traffic digital out-of-home ad placements. According to eMarketer, as of January 2025, Vistar Media has controlled over 1.1 million digital out-of-home ad placements, including iconic locations like New York's Times Square. This collaboration not only expands brands' visibility opportunities in the public eye but may also give rise to new ad content based on TikTok video clips. TikTok told SMT that Out of Phone campaigns do not simply reuse mobile content but are redesigned from format, creative, to cross-market presentation specifically for physical environments, reflecting the trend of social platforms evolving from pure distribution to cross-channel integration. Since launching its Out of Home ad expansion program in October 2023, TikTok has gradually extended its reach to shopping malls, in-flight promotions on airlines, and water stations across the U.S., and introduced UGC creative options. The partnership with Vistar will further enrich ad placement choices and explore new promotional methods based on insights from past campaigns.