How this fashion brand stepped up with TikTok Shop

Want to get the best deal possible? For many shoppers, especially those looking to buy shoes and apparel, it’s often more cost-effective to go directly to manufacturers.

Adco Pakis Mas, an Indonesian shoe manufacturer founded in 2015 under the Aerostreet brand, has been capitalizing on this by selling directly to consumers. However, there’s a key difference between Aerostreet and many of the brands in outlet malls.

Photo credit: Aerostreet

“Nearly 100% of our distribution is online and direct-to-customer,” shares Ayu Rizeki, chief marketing officer of Aerostreet.

As such, when ecommerce platform TikTok Shop started getting more popular in Indonesia, Aerostreet took notice.

“We believe that TikTok Shop is one of the most suitable ecommerce platforms for us to collaborate with, as its popularity and level of user engagement align closely with our goals to not just sell more, but reach a broader online audience as well,” Rizeki says.

The first foray

In the last quarter of 2021, Aerostreet created a storefront on TikTok Shop. While reaching a new, young consumer base was exciting, the firm had some teething problems.

“We had to learn TikTok Shop’s mechanics, and the different types of consumer behavior patterns on the platform,” Rizeki explains.

For example, he noticed that on TikTok Shop, consumers were often more impulsive with their purchases, particularly during livestreams. Aerostreet tapped on this further by presenting products with limited-time promotions in their sessions.

A wide variety of Aerostreet’s products / Photo credit: Aerostreet

However, one of the company’s biggest challenges was optimizing product exposure. It was already creating organic content and holding livestreams to drive traffic and boost engagement, but these efforts weren’t enough.

As such, its marketing team experimented with different pricing strategies, promotions, and collaborations with online creators to increase sales. It also had regular discussions with its relationship manager – a TikTok Shop representative who works with brands to coordinate operations and meet their needs – on how to boost traffic.

As the team better understood the engagement patterns and preferences of TikTok Shop users, Aerostreet saw gradual improvements in conversion rates.

But something was still missing.

“Even with these campaigns and platform support, we didn’t always generate the traffic we expected,” Rizeki says. “Sometimes, we didn’t even surpass our business-as-usual levels.”

It needed a stronger dose of help, a silver bullet … an ace in the hole.

The start of something new

In 2024, Aerostreet’s relationship manager informed the shoe manufacturer of a new system and program that TikTok Shop had come up with: ACE Indicator System, which stands for Assortment, Content, and Empowerment.

The ACE system is a framework that guides brands to optimize their store operations on TikTok Shop.

“It helps us understand the TikTok Shop ecosystem better,” Rizeki explains. “Instead of trying to figure everything out ourselves, we can leverage TikTok Shop’s knowledge, expertise, and resources in social commerce.”

The first strategy under the system, Assortment, refers to optimizing a brand’s product variety. It helps brands figure out how to offer the best pricing across different products and decorate their online storefront to appeal to shoppers. The system also helps brands optimize search results to convert new customers who search with intent, or those who consume content then search for related products.

Breaking down the ACE Indicator System’s flow / Photo credit: TikTok Shop

In Aerostreet’s case, the system provided insights from creators and affiliates so that it could better understand TikTok Shop user trends. For instance, it identified popular search terms so that the brand could include them in the relevant product listing details, boosting discoverability.

The system also helps brands personalize their products to fit what people want at the time. A study by McKinsey shows that such personalization has the potential to boost revenue by 10% to 15%.

According to Nguyen Ngo, TikTok Shop Vietnam marketing manager, this was something that Bông Bạch Tuyết, a Vietnamese beauty brand, identified through the ACE System. As it targeted a younger demographic with strong skincare interests, the company emphasized cotton pads as a flagship product, ensuring that it had a consistent supply during peak shopping seasons to capitalize on demand spikes. In December 2023, it sold over 10,000 cotton pad products, generating a 10x revenue increase compared to the year before.

As for Aerostreet, it launched a TikTok Shop-exclusive collection that was designed to look more youthful and modern, appealing to the demographics of the platform’s users.

“Curating relevant products so that we incorporated popular trends helped us increase daily sales by up to 50%, especially when we included exclusive product offers on our TikTok Shop store,” Rizeki adds.

Rounding off the system

The second pillar refers to Content strategy, which means helping brands develop appealing short-form video content and livestreams. It also recommends partnerships with a diverse, reputable range of top creators and affiliates, letting brands connect easily with these creators to promote products.

“Through these creators’ organic videos and livestreams, we generated more diverse, engaging, and authentic content, which boosted consumer trust and engagement,” Rizeki says. “Additionally, I could analyze which types of content were most effective in driving sales.”

In this area, Aerostreet’s dedicated in-house team creates two to three short videos each day to showcase its products and offline events. It also offers themed setups and exclusive promotions for its 24/7 live sessions.

A recent livestream from Aerostreet / Photo credit: Aerostreet

According to Ngo, Bông Bạch Tuyết leveraged livestreams to similar effect. It conducted over 4,000 sessions with affiliate creators, and these livestreams now make up nearly 50% of the company’s total revenue.

Such efforts are helpful in capturing a large portion of online shoppers. Around 79% of consumers say user-generated content influences their purchasing decisions.

Last but not least, the Empowerment strategy helps sellers with customer engagement, monthly marketing campaigns, and advertising solutions to boost sales.

For example, under the ACE system, Aerostreet used TikTok Shop’s advertising solutions and coordinated with the platform’s team to join sales campaigns, ensuring that it could maximize the benefits of vouchers and subsidies. It participated in a campaign called Beli Lokal when TikTok Shop relaunched in Indonesia, alongside super brand days and other promotional events.

“This allows me to focus more on product development and business strategy, and collaborating with trusted creators means that our promotions can run automatically and smoothly,” Rizeki says.

Franco Aligaen, TikTok Shop Philippines marketing lead, adds that Chef Tony’s Popcorn, a Philippine food brand, offered a 20% discount and free giveaways during TikTok Shop’s 6.6 sale in 2024, driving a 48% increase in gross merchandise value.

To 2025 and beyond

In the coming year, Aerostreet will implement several strategies to expand its business on TikTok Shop, especially since the platform has been growing rapidly in Southeast Asia.

For one, it plans to increase collaborations with creators. This includes developing a comprehensive live shopping strategy, as the sales channel has become more relevant in recent years.

“Creating these real-time interactions and encouraging instant purchasing decisions is so important, and we intend to leverage this feature to boost sales and strengthen our connection with customers,” Rizeki says.

Aerostreet is also looking to optimize its ad campaigns on TikTok Shop to maximize visibility and drive traffic. This will mean diving deeper into the data and insights offered through the ACE system, so that it can refine ad targeting and explore different formats.

“We hope to enhance both our reach and effectiveness, so that we can sell more relevant products to customers and supercharge our brand presence,” Rizeki adds.

TikTok Shop is a leading platform in shoppertainment, empowering sellers with data-driven insights, seamless shopping experiences, and robust aftersales support. Sign up to become a seller here.

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This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.