CPG Industry Social Media Benchmark Report
Find out how your brand stacks up against CPG industry leaders.
To understand your brand’s social performance, start with what best-in-class looks like in the CPG industry. Download the full report to see the latest averages and key metrics across the industry. Use these CPG industry benchmarks to set clear goals, sharpen creative, and discover where you’re winning or have opportunities to grow.
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Key Takeaways: 2026 CPG Industry Benchmark Report
- TikTok reach expands without losing engagement. Views rose 66%, while engagement rate moved only slightly from 3.2% to 3.0%.
- Reels lead on Instagram. Instagram views rose 20%, and Reels stood out as the strongest format for reach and engagement.
- On-Demand drive the most views. Brands on YouTube post twice a week, generating 153K views per post.
CPG Industry Benchmarks and Statistics
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What Top CPG Brands Are Doing Differently
Top-performing CPG brands are catering content to niche communities and bringing offline experiences to life online. The most successful brands have honed unique, distinct, and entertaining voices that stand out in the feed and build deeper connections with audiences.
TRESemmé achieves a balanced Total Social Impact (TSI) through its work with creators and UGC, using mega creators like Paige DeSorbo to bolster its brand identity and boost awareness. The brand balances star power with micro-influencer UGC to connect with a broad audience while staying relevant in niche haircare communities.
Pine-Sol leans into a hilariously unique brand personality that has users do a double-take and ask, “Is this really the official Pine-Sol account?” The brand uses colorful visuals, quirky takes, and leans more into humor than education to keep audiences engaged.
Red Bull is a masterclass in niche marketing. The brand supports extreme sports, street dancing, F1, and other high-octane activities that ‘give you wings’. Red Bull curates video playlists for specific sports, catering to each unique community with content from live competitions that deliver adrenaline-fueled entertainment.
How Have CPG Benchmarks Changed Since Our Last Report?
From Broad Messaging To Niche Communities
Previously, brands created content to reach wide audiences with mass appeal.
Now, brands align with specific communities, from food creators to fitness audiences, to drive stronger engagement.
What changed: Targeted content for defined audiences outperforms general campaigns.
From Polished Brand Content To Creator and UGC Mix
In our last report, content was more brand-led and highly produced.
The latest data points to brands balancing polished creative with UGC and creator partnerships to increase reach and relatability.
What changed: Audiences respond more to content that feels native and creator-driven.
From Product Education To Entertainment-Led Content
In 2025, brands focused on explaining product benefits through tutorials and educational content.
In 2026, brands prioritize humor, storytelling, and personality to capture attention and drive engagement.
What changed: Entertainment and brand voice now lead, with education playing a supporting role.
What’s a Good Engagement Rate for CPG Brands?
CPG brands should aim for an engagement rate between 3.0% and 3.5% on TikTok, and between 2.5% and 3.0% on Instagram.
What Types of Content Perform Best for CPG Industry Brands?
Short-form video leads, especially when content is entertaining, product-focused, and easy to follow. On TikTok, humor and brand personality drive engagement. Pine-Sol achieved a 18.25% engagement rate on its top-peforming post with comedic content, while Hellmann’s uses recipe videos to show real use cases of its product, outperforming the average industry Entertainment Score at 5.4.
On Instagram, performance ties to everyday relevance. Tylenol connects to daily routines and cultural moments, while Kewpie uses creator-led recipes and trends. The platform averages 0.4% engagement and a 4.7 Entertainment Score, with stronger results tied to useful, timely content.
On YouTube, content tailored to specific audiences drives viewership. Red Bull targets communities with high-interest content. With 154K average views and 87% retention, targeted, visually engaging videos perform best for the brand.
How Our CPG Industry Benchmarks Are Calculated
Dash Social pulled a sample of global companies across TikTok (n=1,361), Instagram (n=3,363), and YouTube (n=616) analyzing their activity between July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 to determine average performance against a predetermined set of KPIs. These benchmarks include organic, boosted and promoted content but exclude paid ads. They apply to handles with at least 1K followers, covering both customers and non-customers.
Download the Full CPG Industry Report
Dash Social’s benchmark report takes you through the latest metrics behind discovery, viewership, and how leading brands stand out on social.
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Social Media Benchmark FAQs
What growth rates are typical in CPG so I can set realistic targets?
On TikTok, brands see around 3.5% monthly follower growth. Instagram growth is slower at 0.7%, while YouTube averages 1.1%. Faster growth typically comes from strong creator partnerships and high-performing short-form video.
How often should a CPG brand post on each platform to match or best industry benchmarks?
CPG brands post around 5 times per week on TikTok, 4 times per week on Instagram, and 2 videos per week on YouTube. Consistency matters, but performance is driven more by content quality than volume.
Which social KPIs matter most for CPG industry brands?
Engagement rate and video views are key on TikTok. On Instagram, focus on engagement rate and saves. On YouTube, prioritize views and retention, with 87% average watch rate indicating strong performance.