The Future of Measurement: Key Takeaways from IAB ALM with Rockerbox and TikTok

At this year’s IAB Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM), marketing leaders gathered to discuss the future of digital advertising, innovation in measurement, and the evolving role of platforms like TikTok in driving business outcomes. Rockerbox CEO Ron Jacobson joined a panel alongside TikTok’s Ann Nguyen, Power Digital Marketing, and Anonym to explore how brands can future-proof their measurement strategies in an era of rapid discovery and shifting consumer behavior.

Here are the key takeaways from their conversation:

The Measurement Landscape is Evolving—Are You Ready?

Marketers are facing more challenges than ever when it comes to understanding performance across channels. The days of relying on a single method for attribution are over. Instead, brands need to embrace a multi-layered approach that blends:

✅ Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) – Acknowledging that no single touchpoint drives conversions alone, MTA helps marketers understand the contribution of each interaction along the customer journey.

✅ Media Mix Modeling (MMM) – Long-term trends and macro-level insights are crucial for optimizing budgets and making strategic investments.

✅ Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) – As privacy regulations evolve, solutions that preserve user privacy while maintaining measurement accuracy will define the next era of marketing effectiveness.

✅ Triangulation of Data Sources – No methodology is perfect on its own. The most sophisticated brands are layering MTA, MMM, and testing methodologies to get a more accurate view of what’s driving performance.

Why TikTok’s Rapid Resurgence Matters for Advertisers

During the conference, TikTok executives shared data underscoring the platform’s resilience and impact:

📈 Ads are back and performing well: Brands that resumed TikTok advertising after the pause are seeing performance equal to or better than before.

🎥 Creators are leading the charge: The top 1,000 US creators increased their content output by 26% within two days of the platform’s return, driving a 97% spike in global views.

💰 Now is the time to test and scale: With brands returning, there’s a unique opportunity to capture attention and maximize efficiency before competition intensifies.

Tying It Together With The Metrics

Rockerbox’s 2024 Wrapped report provides a deeper look into how brands are adapting their media strategies in today’s evolving landscape. A few key takeaways reinforce the importance of future-proofing measurement:

🔹 Shift in Media Mix: Over the past year, we’ve seen a significant swing toward search and affiliate marketing, while paid social and TV budgets have declined. Brands are prioritizing performance-driven channels that capture high-intent consumers.

🔹 The Rise of TikTok: Supporting the themes from the IAB chat, TikTok was the breakout platform of 2024, with rising ad spend and increased CPMs, now comparable to Facebook. This signals that brands are seeing strong returns and scaling investment accordingly.

🔹 Efficiency Challenges: Despite increased spend on high-intent channels, rising CPAs across many industries have made efficiency a challenge. Rockerbox data shows that apparel, cosmetics, and beauty brands saw higher CPAs in 2024’s BFCM season, highlighting the need for more sophisticated measurement and optimization strategies.

🔹 Blended Attribution is Critical: With digital shopping and media investment becoming more complex, brands that integrate MTA, MMM, and testing are better equipped to make data-driven decisions that improve ROI.

Navigating the Future: Measurement at the Speed of Culture

The pace of digital transformation means marketers must move faster than ever. TikTok’s panel discussion highlighted that traditional measurement models often struggle to keep up with today’s rapid discovery cycles. Instead, brands should focus on:

🔹 Real-time insights: Understanding creative and media performance in the moment, not weeks or months later.

🔹 Cross-channel connectivity: Ensuring that TikTok performance isn’t analyzed in isolation but is integrated into a broader measurement framework.

🔹 Testing and adaptability: Leveraging incrementality testing and triangulation to validate what’s truly driving conversions.

How Rockerbox Helps Brands Adapt

At Rockerbox, we specialize in helping brands centralize and structure their marketing data to make measurement more actionable. Whether you’re navigating TikTok’s resurgence, testing new ad formats, or optimizing spend across channels, our platform ensures you have the insights you need to make confident decisions.

The key takeaway from IAB ALM? The brands that embrace a unified measurement strategy—one that integrates MTA, MMM, and testing—will be best positioned to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

Want to learn more about how Rockerbox can help you future-proof your measurement strategy? Schedule a demo today.