An interview with
Hannah Schalles, Associate Creative Director
We sat down with Hannah Schalles, Associate Creative Director at Wondersauce, to unpack what makes that work. In this Q&A, she shares her take on storytelling that sells, user trust, and how to design content that doesn’t feel like content at all.
WS: What do you see as the biggest creative opportunity in TikTok's and Instagram's new shopping tools?
Hannah: I think the biggest creative opportunity here is in making the shopping experience feel like an extension of the content that people already love and are engaging with and not a disruption. With tools that feel like a native storefront and in-app ability to complete purchases, you can blend that point of inspiration and action into one moment so that you're really not taking people out of it.
I think you have to balance the power that you have in doing that. You know, I think it's very easy to just be like, “Oh, that's cool…and check out.” But it's about doing it in the right way that doesn't feel too salesy or too gimmicky.
That's where brands can win, where you're amplifying the storytelling aspect of it and not replacing it with a “just buy this” moment. Continuing to build your vibe around your brand and help it feel really natural is where that sweet spot is in working with these tools.
WS: What creative tactics can agencies use to make social commerce campaigns feel organic and engaging?
Hannah: It’s still about looking at what people are already engaging with and building on that.
I think for TikTok especially, it's like what trends or sounds or POV formats are people using? Finding ways to naturally embed that brand or product into your ecosystem.
For those types of platforms, it's interesting to try out content that isn’t your super polished campaign. Maybe it's a piece of behind-the-scenes content from the campaign that you created maybe that goes in the out-of-home strategy. For TikTok, use a different perspective to gain more of a sense of being in on the joke or part of that brand story. Make it feel like it belongs in someone’s feed, not in an ad.
WS: How can brands balance content-driven storytelling with product promotion on these platforms?
Hannah: Make it feel more native to that platform, not like, “Oh, this is a sponsored post.” You want to hook people in a little bit, get them in on that story, or feel like they're a part of it. And that’s going to be a bit more successful and feel organic.
WS: What role does UGC play in building that trust — and building more conversions?
Hannah: It’s huge. We live in a society where everyone is a critic. You're always looking for a Yelp review, or a Google review, or an Amazon review.
You're looking for those products that have a larger sense of credibility because you feel like you can trust it. User-generated content is showing how your product or service or brand lives and interacts in the real world, not just how the brand has curated it to look in more polished pieces of content. We’re past that point in society where a super polished campaign is the only thing that can carry your brand and story. You have to have all of these different angles to build a campaign that is trustworthy, a product people are willing to buy into and be able to retain those customers through that sense of trust.
I think we are at an interesting turning point, though, for UGC, because there are so many of these influencers. You really have to think about who you’re pairing with. You can’t just be like, “Okay, this person looks cool.” You have to do a bit more research and make sure that person and their account and their voice align with your brand and what you're ultimately trying to do - or it's just gonna seem fake.
Again, you’re just pushing product and you don’t actually care about the end result or your consumers. And I think people are becoming more discerning - they are going to choose brands that make them feel understood or cared about.
WS: What’s one example of a social commerce execution you thought was especially well done, and why?
Hannah: A very stereotypical example might be Glossier because they’ve been around for a long time. They have a huge creator community that feels authentic and organic. They work with huge influencers, a lot of micro-influencers, and highlight regular people who love and evangelize the brand and product and that feels really seamless to Glossier.
One campaign at Wondersauce that struck a really great balance between product and cultural relevance was our campaign for the Dairy Farmers of America and Dairy Pure. It had really beautiful visuals of milk and cream pouring into recipes, with an ASMR element to the campaign.
On social media, that feels really relevant. That kind of content engages people - they’ll sit there and watch the whole thing. At the same time, dairy milk is having a cultural resurgence so there was a really nice sweet spot. We paid attention to trends on social and what people were already loving and engaging with, and from a health and food stance of cultural relevance. The campaign looked really beautiful. And all the internal numbers and client numbers were super positive with a high engagement rate across all content. That was an especially well-done Wondersauce project.
Social commerce isn’t new but the playbook keeps shifting. What Hannah reminds us is that the work that sticks often starts from the inside out: a brand with a clear voice, an honest message, and the creative clarity to meet people where they already are.