Australian Brands Lift Offshore TikTok Ad Spend 105%, TikTok Says

Australian and New Zealand brands raised their international advertising spend on TikTok by 105% over the past year, according to TikTok. The company says more than one in three major advertisers from the two countries now invest overseas, mainly in the US, UK and Europe.

TikTok shared the figures at a business event in Sydney. The data comes from TikTok itself and has not been independently verified.

Brands Treat TikTok as a Growth Platform

TikTok revealed the 105% figure at an event that brought together hundreds of Australian businesses. Topics included consumer insight, commerce, retail and marketing technology.

Amy Bradshaw, general manager of global business solutions at TikTok Australia and New Zealand, said brands use the platform for more than ads. "We're seeing Australian and New Zealand businesses use TikTok not simply as another advertising channel, but as a platform for international growth," she said.

She added that companies can now "move from local ambition to international scale much faster."

Two brands illustrate the trend. Australian oral care company Hismile launched on TikTok Shop in 2023 and now operates in 16 markets. It expects US$50 million in gross merchandise value (total sales value) through the platform in 2026. The source does not specify the currency.

Hismile's toothpaste became the top-selling oral care brand in the US on TikTok Shop. General manager Justin Gaggino said the demand helped the company secure physical retail opportunities in the US and UK.

New Zealand toy and consumer goods maker ZURU uses TikTok for product ideas. After users "Baddiefied" its Fuggler collectables, the company created its Baddies plush range. TikTok says related content drew 177 million US hashtag views over 90 days.

A Soft Home Market Forms the Backdrop

The shift comes as Australia's advertising market is under pressure. Standard Media Index data shows the market fell 1.7% in 2025 after multiple years of flat to negative growth.

March 2026 bookings fell 5.2% year on year. Linear TV dropped 10.1% and radio fell 6.4%, while outdoor, cinema and streaming grew.

None of the sources states that weak local conditions are driving the offshore shift. That link is an inference.

Australia also has no TikTok Shop, and TikTok says there are no imminent plans for one. Brands that want to sell through the feature must do so across borders, into markets where it operates. About 20 Australian brands use these cross-border tools, according to reports.

Measurement is another challenge. IAB Australia found 60% of retail media buyers increased spend, but tracking results lags investment. That research covers retail media rather than offshore advertising.

New Tools and Open Questions

TikTok is adding products aimed at Australian advertisers. Small Business Connections, citing B&T, reports the company has opened its TikTok Ad Network to Australian advertisers targeting US audiences. The underlying B&T report was not reviewed.

TikTok has also introduced Brand Consideration in Ads Manager for advertisers in Australia and New Zealand. It is a tool for monitoring brand performance.

Bradshaw said brands use TikTok "to understand new markets, build culturally relevant creative and turn demand into measurable business outcomes." For finance and marketing chiefs, that places research, creative and measurement under one budget line.

Offshore spending raises practical questions. A guide on local content says rigid global workflows can slow publishing, duplicate content and weaken local relevance. Reports on costs and creative norms in the US, UK and Europe come mainly from vendor blogs and are not audited.

Reports from Social Tale, a secondary source, put TikTok Shop sales growth for Australian and New Zealand brands selling overseas at 300% this year. Those figures were not checked against TikTok material.

No independent data on the size of cross-border advertising from Australia and New Zealand was found. TikTok has not released overall revenue figures for the region.