Online Commerce: How Ecosystem-Led Marketing Turns Connected Interactions into ROI

A New Playbook from IAB Europe and TikTok

As consumer journeys become increasingly connected, traditional approaches to planning, activating and measuring marketing are being challenged. Discovery, consideration and purchase now happen across content, creators, communities and commerce, creating new opportunities for brands to drive growth.

Developed in partnership with TikTok, this new playbook brings together insights from an executive roundtable with senior industry leaders to explore why marketing effectiveness is moving beyond optimising individual touchpoints towards understanding how interactions work together to deliver stronger ROI.

The playbook explores four key principles:

• People experience ecosystems, not channels - Understanding how connected consumer experiences are changing the path to purchase.
• Presence amplifies performance - Why organic activity and paid media should work together to drive results.
• Trust compounds before revenue - The growing importance of creators, communities and authentic advocacy in building long-term value.
• Measurement must move from attribution to understanding - Why a more holistic approach to measuring incrementality and connected interactions is essential.

It also introduces a practical framework for bringing content, commerce, creators and measurement together, helping marketers rethink how they plan for and measure growth.

Thank You to Our Contributors

A big thank you to the industry experts from PepsiCo, Nectar360, Douglas, McKinsey, WPP, Influencer, LiveRamp and Onyx, who contributed their perspectives and expertise to this important discussion.

The playbook builds on the conversations from our executive roundtable with TikTok, The Multiplier Effect: Rethinking How Modern Marketing Powers ROI, held in July 2026.

Read our original roundtable highlights and key takeaways to explore the discussions that informed the playbook.