Google Introduces New Data and Measurement Capabilities Across Google Ads, DV360 and Meridian

 

What the Latest Updates Mean for Performance Marketers

On 10 September 2026, Google announced several updates to its advertising measurement tools, focusing on first-party data integration, conversion measurement, Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) and incrementality testing.

The updates cover Google Ads, Google Analytics, Display & Video 360 (DV360), Data Manager and Meridian.

For performance marketers, the developments are relevant to three areas: improving conversion data quality, understanding marketing's contribution to business results and measuring incremental advertising impact.

Understanding the Tools

Before examining the updates, here is a brief overview of the tools involved.

• Google Ads: Google's advertising platform for managing campaigns across Search, YouTube, Display and other supported inventory.
• Google Analytics (GA): A measurement platform for understanding website and app activity, user behaviour and conversions.
• Display & Video 360 (DV360): Google's demand-side platform (DSP) for planning, buying, managing and measuring programmatic advertising campaigns.
• Google Data Manager: A tool for connecting, managing and activating first-party customer data across supported advertising and measurement platforms.
• Enhanced Conversions: A measurement capability that uses securely processed first-party customer data to improve conversion matching.
• Meridian: Google's open-source Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) solution for evaluating how marketing investments contribute to business outcomes.
• Meridian GeoX: Google's open-source framework for conducting geographic experiments to estimate advertising's incremental impact.

1. Data Manager Integration Expands to Google Analytics and DV360

What's New?

Google is integrating Data Manager directly into Google Analytics and DV360.

This is designed to simplify how advertisers connect, manage and activate first-party data across these platforms.

Google is also introducing Enhanced Conversions in Google Analytics and DV360 to improve conversion matching.

Google reports that advertisers connecting offline and app data to Data Manager see an average 26% increase in incremental ROAS.

Practical Example

Consider an eCommerce advertiser running campaigns through DV360.

Customers interact with advertisements, visit the website and complete purchases.

However, not every purchase may be successfully matched to an advertising interaction.

Enhanced Conversions can help improve conversion matching using eligible first-party customer information.

With Data Manager integration, the advertiser also has a more streamlined way to connect and activate relevant first-party data.

Why it matters: More complete conversion information can help marketers evaluate campaign performance and make better-informed optimization decisions.

2. Universal Data Manager API and New Diagnostics

What's New?

Google has announced that its Data Manager API is now universal, based on the IAB Tech Lab's Event and Conversions API (ECAPI) standard.

The API is designed to provide a unified approach to connecting, managing and activating audience and measurement data across major advertising platforms.

Google is also introducing built-in diagnostics to identify and address data issues.

Practical Example

Consider a retailer managing customer and purchase data across several systems.

The business wants to use relevant first-party information for advertising measurement and audience activation.

Instead of maintaining entirely separate data connections for every supported integration, the universal Data Manager API is designed to simplify how these connections are established and managed.

Built-in diagnostics can also help identify issues affecting data quality.

Why it matters: Marketers can benefit from more reliable data connections and fewer measurement problems caused by incomplete or incorrect data transfers.

3. New Data Strength Uplift Metric in Google Ads

What's New?

Google is introducing a Data Strength Uplift Metric within Google Ads.

The metric calculates the additional conversions recovered through improvements in an advertiser's first-party data setup.

Google reports that advertisers using Google tag gateway observe an average 14% conversion uplift, exceeding 20% for Demand Gen campaigns.

Practical Example

Consider a Google Ads campaign that initially reports 1,000 conversions.

After improvements to the advertiser's first-party data setup, the platform identifies additional conversions that were previously not measured.

If the improved setup recovers another 50 conversions, reporting would increase to 1,050 conversions.

This is an illustrative calculation, not a Google-reported result.

The important distinction: Those 50 additional reported conversions do not necessarily represent 50 new purchases generated by advertising.

They may represent purchases that already occurred but were not previously captured.

Why it matters: Marketers can better understand whether changes in reported performance reflect improved measurement or actual business growth.

4. New Capabilities in Meridian Marketing Mix Modeling

What's New?

Google has announced several improvements to Meridian, its open-source Marketing Mix Modeling solution.

These include:

• Agentic AI capabilities: Help with data quality checks, error resolution and model development.
• Faster modeling: Improvements to Meridian's underlying infrastructure to make analysis more efficient.
• Brand signals: The ability to incorporate signals such as Branded Google Query Volume into marketing mix models.

The addition of brand signals is intended to help advertisers evaluate how brand-building activities, including video and TV advertising, contribute to future sales.

Practical Example

Consider an advertiser investing across Google Search, YouTube, DV360 and other advertising channels.

Search campaigns may capture customers who are already actively looking for a product.

Video and TV campaigns may contribute to awareness and demand before those customers begin searching.

Looking exclusively at individual campaign conversion reports may not provide a complete understanding of these contributions.

Meridian can help evaluate how different marketing investments contribute to overall business outcomes.

With the new brand-signal capabilities, advertisers can also incorporate relevant branded search activity into their models.

Why it matters: Marketers can evaluate media investment from a broader business perspective, including the potential contribution of upper-funnel advertising to future sales.

5. Meridian GeoX Is Now Generally Available Globally

What's New?

Google has announced the global general availability of Meridian GeoX.

GeoX is an open-source framework for conducting causal geographic experiments across advertising platforms.

Advertisers can also incorporate incrementality results into Meridian models to help improve their accuracy.

Practical Example

Consider a retailer evaluating the incremental impact of a video advertising campaign.

The advertiser runs a geographic experiment using appropriately selected test and control markets.

Advertising runs in the test markets, while the control markets are used to estimate what would have happened without that advertising activity.

By analysing the difference in business outcomes through a suitable experimental design, the advertiser can estimate the additional sales attributable to the campaign.

This is different from simply counting conversions attributed to advertising by a platform.

Why it matters: GeoX can help marketers evaluate whether advertising is generating additional business rather than only receiving credit for conversions.

The findings can also support broader marketing measurement through Meridian.

What These Updates Mean for Performance Marketers

Google's September announcement brings improvements across three important areas of advertising measurement.

1. Better First-Party Data and Conversion Measurement

Data Manager integration, Enhanced Conversions and the universal Data Manager API are intended to simplify data connections and improve conversion measurement.

For marketers, the focus is on obtaining more complete and reliable information for campaign reporting and optimization.

2. Greater Visibility Into Measurement Improvements

The new Data Strength Uplift Metric provides a way to quantify additional conversions recovered through stronger first-party data collection.

This helps distinguish improvements in conversion reporting from actual increases in business activity.

3. Better Evaluation of Marketing Effectiveness

Meridian's new capabilities and the global availability of GeoX provide additional ways to evaluate marketing contributions and incremental business outcomes.

These tools can support advertisers looking beyond individual platform reports to understand the wider impact of their media investments.

Final Perspective

For performance marketers, these updates are relevant to both campaign execution and broader media investment decisions.

Data Manager and Enhanced Conversions focus on improving the quality and availability of conversion information.

The Data Strength Uplift Metric helps quantify improvements in conversion measurement.

Meridian provides a broader view of marketing contributions, while GeoX supports causal experiments to estimate incremental advertising impact.

The key is understanding the difference between measuring conversions, evaluating marketing contributions and proving incremental business outcomes.

Each serves a different purpose, and together they can provide a more complete foundation for evaluating advertising performance and making informed investment decisions.

 

Pinterest Expands Programmatic Advertising: What It Means for Media Buying, Audience Reach & Commerce Intent

 

Pinterest is expanding its programmatic advertising capabilities, making selected display and video inventory available through established programmatic buying platforms.

 

On 26 October2026, Pinterest announced the general availability of Programmatic Deals in selected global markets. The development allows enterprise advertisers to incorporate Pinterest inventory into broader media plans using existing demand-side platform (DSP) relationships.

For programmatic media buyers, the significance goes beyond gaining access to another inventory source.

Pinterest combines visual discovery with commercial intent, reaching consumers who are actively exploring products, ideas and potential purchases, often before deciding which brand to choose.

The announcement also introduces developments in supply-side partnerships, DSP connectivity and AI-assisted programmatic operations.

01. Pinterest's Next Phase of Programmatic Advertising

Pinterest Programmatic Deals introduce another way for advertisers to access selected Pinterest inventory through the buying systems they already use.

This includes eligible display and video inventory purchased through participating DSPs and supported by supply-side technology partners.

What Changes for Advertisers?

Pinterest inventory can now become part of broader programmatic media planning and buying workflows.

For example, an advertiser managing video and display campaigns across several media environments can consider eligible Pinterest inventory within its existing programmatic buying arrangements.

This creates an additional opportunity to reach audiences during product discovery and purchase consideration.

However, the announcement refers to selected inventory and supported partnerships. It does not establish that every Pinterest advertising format or placement is available programmatically.

The commercial implication: Pinterest is expanding how advertisers can access its inventory, making its discovery-oriented environment available through established programmatic infrastructure.

02. How Pinterest Programmatic Deals Work

Programmatic Deals connect Pinterest inventory with advertisers through participating supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-side platforms (DSPs).

The arrangement involves three main components.

1. Pinterest: The Inventory Source

Pinterest makes selected display and video advertising inventory available for programmatic purchasing.

Its audience and contextual signals contribute to the opportunity for advertisers looking to reach consumers exploring products and ideas.

2. Supply-Side Platforms: Inventory Connectivity

Supply-side partners provide technology that connects Pinterest inventory with participating buying platforms.

They support the infrastructure through which eligible inventory becomes accessible to programmatic demand.

3. Demand-Side Platforms: Advertiser Access

Participating DSPs allow advertisers to access Pinterest inventory through established buying workflows.

For media buyers, this means Pinterest can be considered alongside other eligible inventory sources when preparing and activating broader campaigns.

A Practical Buying Example

Consider a retailer planning a video and display campaign through a participating DSP.

The retailer wants to reach consumers who are researching products but may not have selected a specific brand.

With supported Programmatic Deals, the media buyer can consider eligible Pinterest inventory as part of that campaign's media plan.

The advertiser can then evaluate the contribution of Pinterest inventory alongside other campaign activity, using the measurement capabilities available through the relevant buying arrangement.

The important distinction is that Programmatic Deals provide another route to Pinterest inventory, not an entirely new advertising channel.

The announcement does not specify individual deal pricing, auction mechanics or the complete set of available targeting and measurement controls.

03. Magnite, Google Ad Manager & Supply-Side Access

Pinterest's expansion is supported by established supply-side technology partnerships.

Magnite: Primary Supply-Side Partner

Magnite serves as Pinterest's primary supply-side partner for programmatic activation.

Its technology connects Pinterest inventory and audience signals with buying platforms, supporting access for participating DSPs.

This relationship is particularly relevant because the expansion is not limited to making advertising placements available through another purchasing interface.

It connects Pinterest inventory with broader programmatic infrastructure.

Magnite Orchestration

Pinterest inventory is also included in Magnite Orchestration.

This coordination environment connects buyer and seller agents, supporting activities such as:

• Inventory discovery and evaluation.
• Inventory packaging.
• Activation.
• Optimization.

These capabilities introduce an additional agent-based coordination layer within the programmatic ecosystem.

For media buyers, the important distinction is that Magnite Orchestration concerns coordination between buying and selling agents.

It should not be interpreted as confirmation that every advertising decision or campaign operation can run autonomously without advertiser involvement.

Google Ad Manager: Regional Supply-Side Partnership

Pinterest also works with Google Ad Manager on the supply side in Latin America and Asia Pacific.

This expands the supply-side infrastructure supporting programmatic access to Pinterest inventory in those regions.

The commercial implication: Pinterest is using established supply-side partners to connect its inventory with broader programmatic demand, while Magnite Orchestration introduces additional agent-based coordination capabilities.

04. DSP Access: DV360, Amazon Ads, Yahoo DSP & DeepIntent

Pinterest's Programmatic Deals are accessible through several established demand-side platforms.

The announced DSP partners include:

Demand-Side Platform	Role in Pinterest Programmatic Deals
Google Display & Video 360 (DV360)	Access to eligible Pinterest display and video inventory through established programmatic buying workflows.
Amazon Ads DVA+	Programmatic access building on Amazon Ads' existing relationship with Pinterest.
Yahoo DSP	Access to selected Pinterest inventory through a participating DSP.
DeepIntent	Access to selected Pinterest inventory through a participating DSP.

 

Why DSP Access Matters

Enterprise advertisers frequently manage campaigns across multiple inventory sources.

For example, a retailer may already use DV360 for programmatic video and display advertising.

Access to Pinterest through supported programmatic arrangements creates an opportunity to include its inventory within a broader media plan.

Similarly, Amazon Ads' relationship with Pinterest provides another route for advertisers using its buying capabilities.

The practical value is the ability to consider Pinterest inventory through established programmatic workflows rather than evaluating it only as a separate platform-specific media investment.

However, advertisers still need to understand the inventory, audience capabilities and measurement options supported by their chosen DSP and deal arrangement.

The commercial implication: DSP connectivity makes Pinterest inventory more accessible within enterprise programmatic buying, while giving advertisers another potential source of audience reach.

05. Pinterest's Commercial Intent & Audience Opportunity

One of the most interesting aspects of Pinterest's programmatic expansion is the nature of its audience activity.

Pinterest reports:

Audience Indicator	Reported Figure
Monthly active users	640 million
Monthly searches	More than 80 billion
Share of monthly searches that are commercial	More than 50%
Share of text searches that are unbranded	More than 96%

 

These figures are important because they describe an environment where consumers frequently explore products, ideas and potential purchases without necessarily starting with a specific brand.

Why Unbranded Searches Matter

Consider someone researching ideas for a living room renovation.

The consumer may be exploring furniture styles, lighting, colours and interior design concepts without having selected a retailer or manufacturer.

This is different from a customer searching directly for a specific product from a known brand.

Pinterest's reported unbranded search activity suggests that a substantial proportion of text searches take place before users have expressed a specific brand preference.

For advertisers, this creates an opportunity to reach consumers during exploration and consideration.

What This Means for Programmatic Planning

Pinterest's commercial discovery environment can be relevant to advertisers seeking to reach audiences before a purchase decision is finalized.

However, commercial intent should not automatically be treated as purchase completion or guaranteed conversion.

A consumer exploring product ideas may still be comparing options, gathering inspiration or researching a future purchase.

The commercial implication: Pinterest's combination of scale, commercial searches and unbranded discovery activity gives programmatic advertisers another environment in which to reach consumers during the earlier stages of purchase consideration.

06. Moroccanoil Campaign: Incremental Reach & Performance

The announcement includes a June 2026 campaign involving Moroccanoil.

The brand used a programmatic deal enabled by Magnite and accessed through Amazon Ads to add Pinterest to an existing campaign covering premium video and display placements.

The campaign combined Amazon's first-party lifestyle and in-market audiences with Pinterest's contextual beauty targeting.

Reported Campaign Results

Performance Metric	Reported Result
Incremental reach	15%
Audience overlap	1%
New-to-brand buyers among users whose purchase paths included Pinterest	63% more
Click-through rate compared with the brand's average video and display campaigns	20% higher

 

What These Results Tell Us

Incremental Reach

The campaign reported 15% incremental reach after incorporating Pinterest.

This indicates that the campaign reached additional audiences through the expanded media arrangement.

Audience Overlap

The reported audience overlap was only 1%.

This is particularly relevant for advertisers evaluating whether adding another inventory source extends reach or primarily exposes advertising to audiences already reached elsewhere.

New-to-Brand Buyers

The campaign reported 63% more new-to-brand buyers among users whose purchase paths included Pinterest.

This is an important commercial indicator, but the wording matters.

It describes a reported outcome associated with purchase paths that included Pinterest. It should not automatically be interpreted as proof that Pinterest independently caused every additional purchase.

Click-Through Rate

The campaign also achieved a 20% higher click-through rate than Moroccanoil's average video and display advertising campaigns.

This provides an additional engagement indicator, although CTR alone does not establish profitability or incremental sales.

What Media Buyers Should Take Away

The strongest aspect of this example is the combination of incremental reach, limited audience overlap and reported buyer outcomes.

However, it is one campaign example, not a performance guarantee for other advertisers.

The commercial implication: Pinterest's programmatic inventory may provide incremental audience opportunities, but advertisers should assess the contribution using relevant campaign and business performance measures.

07. What This Means for Programmatic Media Buyers

Pinterest's expansion introduces several practical considerations for media buyers managing enterprise advertising investments.

1. Media Planning & Inventory Selection

Pinterest can now be considered as an additional eligible inventory source within supported programmatic campaigns.

This is relevant when advertisers are evaluating where to reach consumers during product discovery and purchase consideration.

The decision should still depend on campaign objectives, available inventory and audience relevance.

2. DSP Activation

Access through DV360, Amazon Ads DVA+, Yahoo DSP and DeepIntent creates opportunities to use established buying relationships.

Media buyers should understand which Pinterest inventory and deal arrangements are supported through their selected DSP.

3. Audience Reach & Overlap

Adding another inventory source does not necessarily improve campaign reach.

Advertisers need to evaluate whether it reaches additional audiences or largely duplicates existing exposure.

The Moroccanoil campaign provides an example of reported incremental reach with limited audience overlap.

4. Contextual & Commercial Intent

Pinterest's commercial search activity and contextual signals are relevant to advertisers seeking consumers who are exploring products and ideas.

For media buyers, the opportunity is to consider how this environment fits within the wider campaign rather than assuming every discovery interaction represents immediate purchase intent.

5. Measurement & Commercial Performance

The announcement highlights reach, audience overlap, new-to-brand buyers and CTR through its campaign example.

These indicators answer different questions.

Metric	What It Helps Evaluate
Incremental reach	Whether additional audiences were reached
Audience overlap	The extent of duplicated audience exposure
New-to-brand buyers	Customer acquisition outcomes
Click-through rate	Engagement with advertising
Conversion and profitability measures, where available	Whether advertising contributes to commercial objectives

 

For performance marketers, the important consideration is how these measures relate to the advertiser's actual business objectives.

Higher CTR does not automatically mean higher sales.

Incremental reach does not automatically mean incremental revenue.

And additional attributed buyers do not, by themselves, establish incremental profitability.

6. AI-Assisted Programmatic Operations

Magnite Orchestration introduces another development through its coordination of buyer and seller agents.

Its supported activities include inventory discovery, evaluation, packaging, activation and optimization.

This is worth monitoring as part of the wider evolution of programmatic advertising operations.

However, the announcement does not establish that all media buying functions or campaign decisions can be delegated to autonomous agents.

The commercial implication: Pinterest's expansion gives media buyers another inventory opportunity, but its value will depend on how effectively it contributes to reach, campaign objectives and measurable business outcomes.

08. Availability & Final Perspective

Pinterest Programmatic Deals are currently available in:

• North America.
• South America.
• Asia Pacific.

The announcement does not confirm general availability in Europe.

Advertisers interested in accessing the offering can contact their Pinterest sales representative for further information.

The Bigger Picture

Pinterest's expansion is significant because it brings selected inventory from a commercially oriented discovery platform into established programmatic buying systems.

Three developments stand out.

First, programmatic access is expanding.

Advertisers can access eligible Pinterest display and video inventory through participating DSPs and supply-side partnerships.

Second, commercial discovery is becoming more accessible to programmatic buyers.

Pinterest's reported search activity and unbranded discovery behaviour provide a distinct audience context for advertisers looking to reach consumers before brand and product decisions are finalized.

Third, measurement remains central to evaluating the opportunity.

The Moroccanoil campaign illustrates how incremental reach, audience overlap, customer acquisition indicators and engagement can contribute to understanding performance.

For programmatic media buyers, the important question is not simply whether Pinterest inventory is available through an existing DSP.

It is whether including that inventory helps achieve the advertiser's objectives through relevant audience reach, effective media investment and measurable commercial results.

Pinterest's next phase of programmatic advertising expands the buying options available to enterprise advertisers. The commercial value will ultimately depend on how those opportunities perform within the wider media strategy.

 

TikTok's Agentic Commerce Strategy: What It Means for eCommerce, Performance Marketing & Media Buying

 

TikTok is expanding artificial intelligence beyond traditional advertising automation and into product discovery, shopping assistance, lead generation and commerce transactions.

 

Its October 2026 developments introduce new opportunities for retailers, D2C brands, service businesses and performance marketers.

The commercial significance is straightforward: AI can now support more activities between a customer discovering a product and taking action.

But shorter purchasing journeys, automated campaigns and higher reported sales do not automatically mean better business performance.

Let's examine what these developments mean through practical examples.

01. Agentic Commerce: What's Actually Changing?

Traditionally, advertising platforms focused on showing relevant advertisements and encouraging consumers to take action.

A customer might discover a product on TikTok, visit the advertiser's website, research the product and eventually complete a purchase.

Agentic commerce introduces AI-assisted interactions into parts of that journey.

These capabilities can help consumers obtain product information, support purchases and collect information from prospective customers.

A Practical Example

Imagine a customer discovering running shoes through a TikTok video.

Traditional journey:

TikTok Ad → Product Website → Product Research → Checkout → Purchase

AI-assisted commerce journey:

TikTok Ad → Shopping Assistance → Eligible In-App Checkout → Purchase

The second journey may reduce some of the steps involved in purchasing.

However, not every customer will follow the same journey, and not every capability is available to every advertiser.

What This Means for Advertisers

TikTok's developments cover three different applications:

• Shopping and commerce: Helping consumers evaluate and purchase products.
• Lead generation: Collecting and qualifying information from potential customers.
• Advertising operations: Automating supported campaign management activities.

The opportunity is to improve the customer experience while reducing unnecessary operational friction.

02. Buy Direct & Shopping Assistant: Making Shopping Easier

Buy Direct and Shopping Assistant address different parts of the purchasing journey.

Buy Direct: Native Checkout

Buy Direct supports eligible purchases directly within TikTok, reducing the need to complete checkout on an external website.

Example: A Footwear Retailer

A customer discovers running shoes through a TikTok advertisement.

Instead of visiting the retailer's website, adding the product to a basket and completing a separate checkout process, the customer can purchase through an eligible native checkout experience.

Potential business benefit: Fewer transitions between product discovery and purchase may reduce checkout abandonment.

However, advertisers still need to evaluate conversion rates, acquisition costs and profitability.

Brands can remain the merchants of record, retaining responsibility for the underlying transaction.

Shopping Assistant: AI-Powered Product Guidance

Shopping Assistant helps consumers obtain product information through conversational interactions.

Example: An Electronics Retailer

A customer discovers a cordless vacuum cleaner and wants to know:

• Is it suitable for homes with pets?
• How long does the battery last?
• Which accessories are included?

An AI-powered shopping assistant can use available merchant product information to help answer relevant questions.

Depending on the supported experience, the shopping journey may continue within TikTok's in-app browser.

Potential business benefit: Customers can evaluate products more conveniently without independently navigating multiple information sources.

Why Product Feeds Matter

AI-assisted shopping depends on reliable product information.

Retailers need accurate:

• Product titles, descriptions and specifications.
• Pricing, promotions and inventory availability.
• Product variants and compatibility information.
• Delivery and return conditions.

The commercial implication: Product feed quality is no longer relevant only to advertising eligibility and delivery. It can also influence the information customers receive during AI-assisted product evaluation.

For retailers managing large catalogues, this makes product data accuracy increasingly important.

03. Lead Agent: AI-Assisted Lead Generation

Agentic AI is not limited to businesses selling physical products.

Lead Agent supports conversational lead generation and qualification, including supported website-based experiences.

This is particularly relevant for businesses where a customer enquiry requires additional information before a sales conversation.

A Practical Example: Solar Installation Company

A homeowner responds to a TikTok advertisement promoting residential solar installations.

An AI-assisted conversation could collect:

• Property type and location.
• Approximate electricity consumption.
• Expected installation timeline.
• Contact information.

The business receives a more structured enquiry that can be evaluated before sales follow-up.

Potential business benefit: Sales teams may spend less time collecting basic information and more time evaluating relevant opportunities.

What Should Advertisers Measure?

Generating more enquiries does not necessarily mean generating better leads.

Relevant performance indicators include:

• Cost per qualified lead.
• Lead qualification rate.
• Sales acceptance rate.
• Conversion into sales opportunities.
• Pipeline contribution, where measurable.

The commercial implication: The value of Lead Agent depends on whether automated conversations contribute to better-qualified prospects, not simply higher lead volumes.

04. Smart+ & GMV Max: Advertising Automation

TikTok is also expanding automation across search advertising, creative selection and commerce-focused campaign optimization.

Two important areas are Smart+ and GMV Max.

Smart+: Automating Advertising Decisions

Smart+ capabilities support automated campaign activities using available platform signals.

These include supported search advertising and creative optimization processes.

Example: A Fashion Retailer

A retailer has several advertising assets:

• Product demonstration videos.
• Creator-generated content.
• Lifestyle videos.
• Different product messaging variations.

Supported Smart+ automation can assist with creative recommendations, selection and optimization.

The advertiser remains responsible for creative quality, brand suitability and applicable approval controls.

Potential business benefit: Less repetitive campaign management work and more efficient use of available advertising assets.

However, automation does not eliminate the need for creative strategy, campaign monitoring or commercial decision-making.

GMV Max: Optimizing Commerce Advertising

GMV Max focuses on automated commerce advertising for businesses selling through TikTok Shop.

Its performance is closely connected to merchandise sales.

But gross merchandise value is not the same as profit.

A Practical Financial Example

Imagine a cosmetics retailer running automated TikTok Shop advertising.

Commercial Metric	Amount
Attributed merchandise sales	€10,000
Advertising expenditure	€2,000
Product and other variable costs	€6,000
Remaining contribution	€2,000

 

Illustrative figures, assuming the listed costs capture the relevant variable expenses.

The retailer generated €10,000 in sales, but only €2,000 remains after the specified costs.

This amount is not necessarily final net profit, because other business expenses may still apply.

The commercial implication: Performance marketers need to evaluate advertising results against margins, acquisition costs, returns and incremental profitability.

Higher merchandise sales do not automatically mean stronger business performance.

05. TikTok for Business MCP: AI Agents for Advertising Operations

TikTok for Business Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations introduce another application of agentic AI.

Unlike Shopping Assistant, which supports consumers, these integrations are designed to help advertisers with supported advertising workflows.

Depending on available tools, permissions and integrations, AI agents can assist with campaign preparation, activation and management activities.

A Practical Example: Performance Marketing Agency

Imagine an agency preparing a TikTok advertising campaign for a footwear retailer.

The media buyer needs to organize creative assets, prepare campaign structures and complete supported campaign management activities.

An AI agent connected through MCP could assist with eligible operational tasks.

The media buyer still determines:

• Campaign objectives and budgets.
• Audience and creative strategy.
• Applicable approvals and operational controls.
• Performance targets and commercial priorities.

Potential business benefit: Reduced manual effort across supported advertising operations.

However, the integration does not mean every campaign management function can be executed autonomously.

The exact capabilities depend on supported actions, account permissions and approval requirements.

The commercial implication: AI agents can assist with execution, but advertisers still need to make decisions based on business objectives, budgets and profitability.

06. What Happens to eCommerce Websites?

As more purchasing activities become possible within advertising platforms, the role of traditional eCommerce websites may evolve.

However, platform-native checkout does not mean websites are disappearing.

Different products and purchasing decisions require different customer experiences.

A Practical Example: Skincare Brand

A customer discovers a €20 face serum through a TikTok video.

For an eligible purchase, native checkout may offer a convenient way to complete the transaction.

But the skincare brand's own website remains important for:

• Detailed product information and education.
• Customer accounts and loyalty programmes.
• Customer service and post-purchase support.
• Repeat purchases and cross-selling.
• Direct customer relationships.

The website may also provide experiences that are not suitable for a simplified platform-native checkout journey.

What Changes for Retailers?

Advertisers need to consider where different purchasing journeys work best.

For certain products, native checkout may improve convenience.

For more complex purchases, a dedicated website may remain important for research, customization or additional support.

Customer data availability is another consideration.

Brands need to understand what information is accessible through platform-native transactions and how it supports their wider customer relationship activities.

The commercial implication: The objective is not to replace websites with TikTok. It is to determine how platform-native commerce and owned eCommerce environments can work together to improve customer experience and profitability.

07. What Changes for Media Buyers & Measurement?

As advertising platforms automate more activities, performance marketers need to focus on both operational efficiency and commercial results.

The role of the media buyer is evolving, but hands-on campaign management remains important.

Five Areas That Matter

1. Product Data Quality

Accurate product feeds, pricing, inventory and catalogue information support advertising delivery and AI-assisted shopping.

2. Creative Strategy

Automation requires strong creative inputs, including relevant product demonstrations, creator content and messaging variations.

3. Campaign Automation & Controls

Media buyers need to understand which decisions are automated, which controls remain available and how optimization affects performance.

4. Measurement & Attribution

Reported conversions should be evaluated against acquisition costs, margins, customer quality and incremental contribution.

5. Cross-Channel Investment

TikTok performance needs to be considered alongside Google Search, Shopping, Meta, YouTube, retail media and other advertising channels.

A Practical Example: Online Fashion Retailer

A retailer spends €5,000 on TikTok advertising.

TikTok reports €20,000 in attributed sales.

Ad Spend	Attributed Sales	Reported ROAS
€5,000	€20,000	4.0x

At first glance, the campaign appears successful.

But a performance marketer should investigate:

• How much of the €20,000 is genuinely incremental?
• What are the product margins and return rates?
• How many purchases came from new versus existing customers?
• Would some customers have purchased without the advertising?

The commercial implication: A strong platform-reported ROAS does not automatically demonstrate incremental profitability.

 

 

 

Measuring Different AI Capabilities

Different capabilities should be evaluated using metrics relevant to their purpose.

Capability	Relevant Performance Metrics
Buy Direct	Conversion rate, cost per order, contribution margin
Shopping Assistant	Engagement, assisted purchases, conversion rate
Lead Agent	Qualified leads, sales acceptance, pipeline contribution
Smart+	Acquisition cost, conversion performance, creative effectiveness
GMV Max	Merchandise sales, advertising efficiency, profitability
AI-Assisted Operations	Time saved, execution accuracy, campaign outcomes

Metric availability and reliability depend on the supported implementation and measurement methodology.

The objective is to connect advertising performance with actual business outcomes rather than evaluating every feature through the same reporting framework.

08. Final Perspective: The Bigger Picture

TikTok's agentic commerce developments extend AI into more stages of the customer journey.

Consider a D2C retailer using several supported capabilities together.

A possible customer journey:

→ TikTok Advertisement: A customer discovers a product through a video.

→ Shopping Assistant: The customer receives AI-assisted product information.

→ Buy Direct: The customer completes an eligible purchase within TikTok.

→ Commercial Measurement: The advertiser evaluates acquisition costs, sales, margins and profitability.

This is an illustrative journey. It does not imply that every capability is available together in every market or account.

For service businesses, Lead Agent introduces another way to collect and qualify enquiries.

For media buyers, Smart+, GMV Max and AI-assisted advertising operations create opportunities to automate supported activities while maintaining control over campaign execution and commercial decisions.

Three implications stand out:

• For consumers: AI-assisted shopping can make product evaluation and purchasing more convenient.
• For advertisers: Automation can support commerce transactions, lead qualification and campaign operations.
• For performance marketers: The priority remains profitable customer acquisition, reliable measurement and appropriate commercial control.

The broader development is that advertising platforms can increasingly support more than product discovery and ad delivery.

They can also participate in product evaluation, purchasing journeys and other commercial activities.

For performance marketers, the competitive advantage will not come from adopting every new AI capability. It will come from understanding where these capabilities improve customer experience, operational efficiency and measurable business profitability.