Publicis Media

The objective

Proving TikTok’s incremental contribution to core automotive business metrics

In 2024, Publicis Media started to test TikTok as a potential growth channel within its digital media mix for a leading global automotive brand. While early performance appeared positive under a traditional last-click attribution model, this approach did not provide the level of confidence required to justify a strategic shift in investment.

The objective was to move beyond directional performance signals and establish clear, statistically robust evidence of TikTok’s true contribution across the funnel; particularly its impact on quality traffic and sales-driving site actions within a highly competitive automotive market.

The solution

Applying regression-based analysis to measure TikTok’s full-funnel impact

To accurately assess TikTok’s effectiveness, Publicis Media applied its Publicis Regression-Based Analysis (PRBA) methodology, designed to isolate the true contribution of each channel beyond last-touch attribution.

The analysis evaluated TikTok’s performance over an extended period, accounting for:

• The carry-over impact of video advertising through ad stock and decay modelling

• External market factors such as seasonality, public holidays, and organic trends

• Model stability and consistency through regular validation and refitting

This approach enabled Publicis Media to remove noise from the data and directly link TikTok investment to core business KPIs, providing a clear and transparent view of its incremental value across both prospecting and remarketing activity.

The results

Demonstrating stable, efficient performance across mid- and lower-funnel metrics

The PRBA findings confirmed TikTok as the top-performing social channel for mid-funnel prospecting, driving high-quality traffic and supporting lower-funnel actions, even without dedicated lower-funnel optimisation.

Key outcomes included:

• TikTok got a PRBA Rank of 3rd overall for efficiency in driving Quality Site Sessions, outperforming other social formats regardless of spend levels

• TikTok ranked 5th overall for efficiency in driving Lower Funnel Site Actions, demonstrating strong audience quality

• Performance remained stable during Q4 budget fluctuations, maintaining efficiency across both prospecting and remarketing segments

The analysis also highlighted a clear opportunity for further growth. With limited optimisation toward lower-funnel objectives during the test period, the findings suggest that shifting investment towards these goals could unlock even greater efficiency gains.

By moving from last-click measurement to PRBA, Publicis Media delivered statistically robust proof of TikTok’s role in driving sales-related KPIs. These validated insights provided the confidence required to scale TikTok investment as a core strategic channel into 2026.