Marks & Spencer
Learn How Marks & Spencer Drove Incremental Customer Growth With Smart+ and TikTok-First Creative
Smart+ lifts M&S efficiency
Marks & Spencer tested Smart+ against manual campaigns and found that pairing creator-led TikTok-first content with Catalog Ads improved efficiency and customer growth in the UK, including a 44% higher conversion rate, 94% lower purchase CPA, 28% higher CTR, and 56% lower CPC.
The objective
Testing automation to unlock stronger conversion performance
Marks & Spencer, a major British multinational retailer, set out to understand whether shifting from manually built campaigns to Smart+, TikTok’s automated performance solution, could unlock stronger and more efficient conversion outcomes.
With this approach, M&S wanted to discover whether they could outperform traditional buying approaches and drive incremental customer growth at scale in the UK.
The solution
Pairing creator-led creative with Smart+ automation
At the heart of the strategy was a deliberate move away from repurposed, highly produced assets towards authentic, creator-led content designed specifically for TikTok. Rather than relying on traditional studio-led executions, M&S leaned into the platform’s strength as a place for real-world inspiration.
The campaign was built around two core creative pillars. First, M&S activated UGC and creator content through its ambassador programme and fashion influencers. Content focused on familiar TikTok formats, including try-on hauls, outfit-of-the-day videos and styling tips, helping the brand feel accessible, relevant, and native within the feed.
Second, dynamic Catalog Ads were used to connect inspiration directly to commerce. By integrating M&S’s product feed, Smart+ automatically served personalised Carousel Ads featuring items users had already viewed or shown interest in. This ensured relevance at scale, while directing audiences seamlessly to product pages within the app or on the M&S website.
All products were fully mapped within Smart+, with transparent pricing and product details surfaced directly in the ad experience. This reduced friction in the path to purchase and reinforced trust, while allowing TikTok’s algorithm to optimise delivery in real time.
The results
Driving efficiency and elevating TikTok as a core growth channel
The shift to Smart+ delivered a step-change in performance efficiency for Marks & Spencer. Conversion rate increased by 44%, while purchase CPA fell by 94%, significantly outperforming previous benchmarks.
Engagement efficiency also improved, with a 28% uplift in CTR alongside a 56% reduction in CPC, demonstrating the power of pairing automation with TikTok-native creative.
These gains enabled M&S to reinvest with confidence, scaling Smart+ activity further. As a result, TikTok was elevated to one of the brand’s top-performing paid social platforms within an MMM attribution window: driving new customers and delivering measurable incremental growth.
We embraced the challenge of automation with Smart+, pairing TikTok-first creative that felt native and authentic with technology that connected us to the right audiences at scale. By seamlessly uniting strategy, creativity and the combined expertise and ambition of M&S and the team here at Incubeta, the campaign drove conversions and cemented TikTok as a core Paid Social pillar.
Your questions, answered
Business Help CenterHow did Marks & Spencer use Smart+?
Marks & Spencer tested a shift from manually built campaigns to Smart+, TikTok’s automated performance solution, to see if it could improve conversion efficiency and support incremental customer growth in the UK.
What creative approach supported the campaign?
The campaign paired creator-led UGC and fashion influencer content with familiar TikTok formats like try-on hauls, outfit-of-the-day videos, and styling tips, rather than relying on highly produced studio assets.
What results did the test report?
Marks & Spencer reported a 44% increase in conversion rate, a 94% drop in purchase CPA, a 28% uplift in CTR, and a 56% reduction in CPC. The page also notes this case study is for informational purposes and past performance does not guarantee future results.