This post was created in partnership with TikTok
Social media still has the power to reach consumers, but how it’s used along the purchase journey is changing, and brands must adapt.
During Brandweek 2026, TikTok co-hosted a three-day series called “Agencies Doing Cool Sh*t,” in which Emily Freed, general manager of U.S. agency at TikTok, sat down with two agency leaders to discuss new strategies for social media and creators.
Boosting a brand
The first day featured Leslie Ann Hall, founder and CEO of Iced Media, an agency that specializes in the beauty industry.
Hall talked about Iced Media’s client Rael, a Korean holistic cycle care brand, that was launching a microneedling serum. She laid out two main challenges: beauty on TikTok is very competitive and the scientific product needed to be simplified for social media.
The agency’s solution was to team up with “mega creator” Mikayla Nogueira. Leveraging Nogueira’s reputation led other creators to talk about Rael, which turned TikTok into a “demand engine.”
“It’s about these connected systems where you’re combining performance media, social commerce, and then thinking about generative engine optimization, when you’re working with a creator like this,” Hall said. “The best thing that we did was look at TikTok as a way to drive awareness to fuel omnichannel growth instead of as a single channel.”
