• by Colin Kirkland , May 4, 2023

One year after unveiling Pulse, TikTok's advertising option that bundles the top 4% of TikTok videos into themed groups, the short-form video giant is expanding the product for NewFronts 2023.

Pulse Premiere will invite advertisers to place branded videos alongside premium publisher content.

“Pulse Premiere helps marketers facing a continued fractured digital marketing landscape cut through the noise and more precisely target key audiences, while providing value for publishers,” wrote TikTok in a pre-NewFronts email.

At launch, publisher partners will include Buzzfeed, Inc., Conde Nast, DotDash Meredith, Hearst Magazines, Major League Soccer, NBCUniversal, UFC, Vox Media and WWE.

With Pulse Premiere, brand ads will be placed directly after videos from these media partners in more than a dozen categories, including lifestyle, sports, entertainment and education.

“Marketers can also buy advertising on TikTok across publishers tied to tentpole events and run evergreen campaigns across publishers more precisely to reach the TikTok communities and fanbases of most value to them on an ongoing basis,” per the company.

TikTok says that publishers will maximize their revenue share via Pulse Premium “by focusing on growing, connecting and engaging with their TikTok communities.”

In placing brand ads directly after premium publisher and media partner content in the For You feed, TikTok says Pulse Premium will help situate brands alongside “culturally impactful moments” on the app.

In general, TikTok cites internal research showing that users are 2.6 times more likely to interact with Pulse ads compared to a similar unspecified ad product on another video platform. Additionally, campaigns using Pulse proved to increase brand recall by almost 10 percent on average, and awareness by almost 7%.

“We're constantly evolving and exploring new opportunities that bring us closer to our fans,” says David Bruce, SVP of brand and integrated marketing at Major League Soccer, adding that Pulse Premier has helped MLS elevate its brand while encouraging publishers to continue investing in TikTok content, “ensuring our channel is a must follow.”