Halaw Kakaw, a confectionery business based in Kuwait, started as a family project by brothers Ahmed and Khairy Alsskaf. Faced with limited choices for their favorite sweets and snacks, the brothers decided to open a candy store and create a mobile app that allowed customers in Kuwait to order confectionery from around the world. To build a strong and loyal customer base, Halaw Kakaw turned to TikTok, focusing on a mix of organic and paid content.

Strategy

Halaw Kakaw’s primary objective was to increase product sales through their in-house app by leveraging their TikTok community in Kuwait, through both Spark Ads and organic video. Spark Ads is the ad format that allows brands to create ads from existing TikToks from their accounts while maintaining the native feel and functionality of organic posts, including comments, likes, shares, follows, etc — a powerfully authentic way to reach their audience, drive more engagement and promote business. Additionally, with the option to incorporate a call-to-action button, brands can direct users to their landing page, potentially boosting click-through rates and enhancing overall ad performance.

 

One of the approaches that helped Halaw Kakaw create the content that users loved is by keeping a close eye on the relevant TikTok trends. The brothers created and promoted entertaining videos using trending sounds and staying true to the brand’s clear message and fun vibe. By providing virtual in-store experiences and sharing upcoming trends and new product finds, Halaw Kakaw successfully engaged its customers and increased their loyalty through TikTok.

Results

After launching their campaign in June 2022, Halaw Kakaw made TikTok their main advertising platform, leading to exceptional results. Within just 10 months, they gained 81,000 new customers on their app, experienced a 60-fold increase in daily orders, and saw their daily sales surpass 1000 Kuwaiti dinars (approximately US $3,250). The success of their TikTok campaign even attracted international attention, with people from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt and even France expressing interest in their products and requesting shipping to their locations. As a result, Halaw Kakaw is now working on a plan for international shipping. 

When asked if the results of the TikTok campaign had met his expectations, Ahmed Alsskaf, Co-Founder of Halaw Kakaw shared, “I’ve tried working with many social media platforms, but, wow, Halaw Kakaw is in a different place after joining TikTok.”  

Product offering

What sets Halaw Kakaw apart is their diverse selection of candies sourced from all over the world. They offer American, Mexican, Korean, and Japanese snacks which are not commonly available in the Arab region, as well as special edition candies such as the BlackPink edition Oreos. Some of their popular products include American fruit roll-ups, noodles, and Takis. Additionally, the store has a dedicated Asian items corner with a wide variety of sweets and snacks, catering to the demand fueled by the popularity of K-pop and K-dramas in the GCC.

Creative content positioning

Halaw Kakaw’s TikTok account showcases a variety of colorful visuals, featuring chips, snacks, candies, noodles, beverages, ice creams, and more. Simply put, their content looks good enough to eat! Their popular videos, which have views ranging from 250,000 to more than 1 million, display creative snack combinations and engage viewers through “challenges” and taste tests. The creators announce the arrival of new products encouraging viewers to try them out before they run out. The brand also involves its TikTok audience by packing their online orders and recording the process as requested by viewers.

Engagement through visual appeal

Halaw Kakaw’s videos on TikTok capture the enticing deliciousness and visual appeal of the items they stock, presented in the cozy charm of a typical neighborhood Arab baqala (grocery store). The videos are creative and colourful, often shot in close-up, and utilize various TikTok shooting styles and dynamic video editing. Popular tracks getting viral on the platform are used to enhance the videos and viewing experience, as well as rap songs in Arabic written and performed by the staff members themselves. The brand also incorporates the element of gamification by showcasing an in-store “Wheel of Fortune” that customers can spin to win free snacks, further engaging their followers.

What small businesses can learn from Halaw Kakaw

By leveraging TikTok as their main advertising platform, Halaw Kakaw has achieved remarkable success. They saw significant growth in their customer base, daily orders, and sales, attracting attention not only within Kuwait, but also internationally. The brand’s engaging content, diverse product offering, and visual appeal resonated with TikTok users, leading to increased customer loyalty and a successful expansion into new markets.

The Halaw Kakaw story showcases the immense potential of TikTok as an advertising platform. Small businesses looking to replicate their success story can follow the confectionery brand’s playbook by embracing TikTok trends, utilizing the platform’s immense visual appeal and in-app editing tools to create catchy videos, incorporating fun, play, humour and cultural references while staying true to their brand’s core idea and spirit.

Leveraging the power of Spark Ads to market their offerings is also key to finding success on the platform. To decide whether Spark Ads are the right fit for the business, owners need to take these factors into account: 

  1. If they want to build a social presence fast on TikTok and grow their following,
  2. If they have a mix of marketing objectives, and want to retarget followers later in lower-funnel campaigns,
  3. If they have an always-on strategy that combines organic and paid methods.

In doing so, brands must also remember to measure results and adapt, regularly analyzing the performance of their TikTok campaign and adjusting their content strategy based on what best resonates with their audience, for sweet results.