Kroger, TikTok Tap Creators to Battle Shopper Forgetfulness
CANNES, France — The gap between product discovery and purchase represents billions in lost sales for consumer brands. Creators spark interest, but interest fades fast without reinforcement.
That problems is the focus of a new collaboration between Kroger Precision Marketing and TikTok, which aims to bridge the chasm between scrolling and shopping by pairing creator content with grocery purchase data.
“There is a real opportunity here where brands are missing sales if they don’t drive frequency of messaging and really carry that message through,” said Barbara Connors, vp, strategy and activation, Kroger Precision Marketing, in this video interview with Beet.TV at Cannes Lions 2026.
The discovery-to-purchase problem
Kroger’s internal research paints a picture of both opportunity and leakage. According to Connors:
- Two-thirds of Kroger shoppers reported purchasing a product they discovered on social media within the past six months.
- Nearly half said those discoveries have become part of their regular shopping routine.
- But roughly one-third of shoppers forget the products they encounter on social platforms before ever reaching a store or checkout.
That forgetfulness translates directly into missed revenue for CPG brands investing heavily in creator partnerships.
“Not only that, nearly half of them tell us that a product that they’ve discovered on social media has now become part of their shopping routine,” Connors said. “This is really the power of influencer and creator content. It is the ability to not only drive consideration, but also purchase and even shape long-term behavior change.”
Creator content meets purchase signals
The collaboration announced in June enables brands to activate Kroger’s purchase-based audiences directly within TikTok’s self-serve advertising platform. The integration allows marketers to boost creator-led content with targeting informed by actual grocery transactions rather than inferred interests.
Kroger households that engage with social content spend twice as much in-store as the average shopper, according to KPM’s announcement. That spending differential underscores why connecting social discovery to retail activation matters.
“By enabling our audiences into TikTok’s self-serve advertising platform, we are reducing both friction and complexity in the media buying process,” Connors said. “It’s really important for brands to be able to amplify the messages created by those creators directly with relevant, quality audiences.”
A shifting media landscape
IAB projects U.S. creator ad spend will reach $44 billion in 2026, up from $37 billion in 2025. Meanwhile, Emarketer forecasts that spending on amplified creator content will match creator sponsorship revenues by 2027, then surpass them the following year.
Brands increasingly view creator content not as standalone sponsorship but as raw material for paid media campaigns. Retail media networks like Kroger Precision Marketing are positioning themselves as the connective tissue between inspiration and transaction.
“From nano influencers to celebrities, creators are really reshaping product discovery,” Connors said. “And if we really break that down, it is because of the trust and authenticity that they have with consumers.”
Closing the loop
Kroger has expanded its offsite media capabilities beyond TikTok. Recent additions include self-service activation through Google’s Display & Video 360, YouTube inventory, Snapchat Sponsored Snaps, and Meta Threads. The expansion suggests retail media networks are competing not just on data quality but on platform reach.
For Connors, the formula comes down to pairing the right audiences with content that resonates. Retail signals identify who to reach; creator authenticity determines whether they listen.
“Brands now have the ability to not just reach the right audiences, but to reach the right audiences with content that really resonates,” Connors said.
CANNES, France — The gap between product discovery and purchase represents billions in lost sales for consumer brands. Creators spark interest, but interest fades fast without reinforcement.
That problems is the focus of a new collaboration between Kroger Precision Marketing and TikTok, which aims to bridge the chasm between scrolling and shopping by pairing creator content with grocery purchase data.
“There is a real opportunity here where brands are missing sales if they don’t drive frequency of messaging and really carry that message through,” said Barbara Connors, vp, strategy and activation, Kroger Precision Marketing, in this video interview with Beet.TV at Cannes Lions 2026.
The discovery-to-purchase problem
Kroger’s internal research paints a picture of both opportunity and leakage. According to Connors:
- Two-thirds of Kroger shoppers reported purchasing a product they discovered on social media within the past six months.
- Nearly half said those discoveries have become part of their regular shopping routine.
- But roughly one-third of shoppers forget the products they encounter on social platforms before ever reaching a store or checkout.
That forgetfulness translates directly into missed revenue for CPG brands investing heavily in creator partnerships.
“Not only that, nearly half of them tell us that a product that they’ve discovered on social media has now become part of their shopping routine,” Connors said. “This is really the power of influencer and creator content. It is the ability to not only drive consideration, but also purchase and even shape long-term behavior change.”
Creator content meets purchase signals
The collaboration announced in June enables brands to activate Kroger’s purchase-based audiences directly within TikTok’s self-serve advertising platform. The integration allows marketers to boost creator-led content with targeting informed by actual grocery transactions rather than inferred interests.
Kroger households that engage with social content spend twice as much in-store as the average shopper, according to KPM’s announcement. That spending differential underscores why connecting social discovery to retail activation matters.
“By enabling our audiences into TikTok’s self-serve advertising platform, we are reducing both friction and complexity in the media buying process,” Connors said. “It’s really important for brands to be able to amplify the messages created by those creators directly with relevant, quality audiences.”
A shifting media landscape
IAB projects U.S. creator ad spend will reach $44 billion in 2026, up from $37 billion in 2025. Meanwhile, Emarketer forecasts that spending on amplified creator content will match creator sponsorship revenues by 2027, then surpass them the following year.
Brands increasingly view creator content not as standalone sponsorship but as raw material for paid media campaigns. Retail media networks like Kroger Precision Marketing are positioning themselves as the connective tissue between inspiration and transaction.
“From nano influencers to celebrities, creators are really reshaping product discovery,” Connors said. “And if we really break that down, it is because of the trust and authenticity that they have with consumers.”
Closing the loop
Kroger has expanded its offsite media capabilities beyond TikTok. Recent additions include self-service activation through Google’s Display & Video 360, YouTube inventory, Snapchat Sponsored Snaps, and Meta Threads. The expansion suggests retail media networks are competing not just on data quality but on platform reach.
For Connors, the formula comes down to pairing the right audiences with content that resonates. Retail signals identify who to reach; creator authenticity determines whether they listen.
“Brands now have the ability to not just reach the right audiences, but to reach the right audiences with content that really resonates,” Connors said.
