TikTok opens up to programmatic with The Trade Desk deal

TikTok is opening its platform to third-party adtech vendors, striking a partnership with major DSP The Trade Desk to offer its inventory via private marketplaces (PMPs) across Asia-Pacific.

The partnership will allow The Trade Desk customers to purchase TikTok inventory alongside their other media buys, enabling them to compare results. It is The Trade Desk's first deal with a short-form video platform.

TikTok inventory will be limited to PMPs for now, with Open RTB coming later.

The partnership currently covers 11 Asia-Pacific markets—including Southeast Asia, India, Australia and Japan—as well as Russia.

PepsiCo is the first client to access TikTok inventory via The Trade Desk, running a campaign for the Lays portfolio in Thailand. The campaign was planned by its media agency Mindshare.

Commenting on the campaign, PepsiCo senior director of marketing services Arun Mehra said the smartphone-first demographic across Asia is "absolutely critical" for the brand, and that the partnership between TikTok and The Trade Desk makes reaching this audience "easier and more precise". Having piloted in Thailand, it is now looking to extend the TikTok campaign across the region.

TikTok's VP of monetisation in India, Sam Singh, said the key objective of the partnership is to enable more brands to tap into TikTok's short-form mobile video as part of their omni-channel campaigns.

"As our advertising solutions scale, we're always looking to partner with industry leaders like The Trade Desk to bring quality and high-performing advertising options to brands in Asia Pacific, including India," he said.

The Trade Desk's VP of South Asia, Mitch Waters commented: “Everyone in this region understands the scope of TikTok’s reach, particularly with smartphone native users in India and Indonesia. Brands will be able to scale their campaigns to include short video, simply and safely.”