J.Crew

The objective

Quantifying TikTok's contribution to brand discovery and online search

J.Crew sought to understand how TikTok influences consumer behavior beyond the platform, specifically how ad exposure prompts users to search for J.Crew on Google. The team wanted to move beyond standard last-click attribution models and measure TikTok's role in driving curiosity, brand discovery, and consideration that eventually leads to conversion.

The goal was to validate TikTok's contribution to brand equity and search-driven engagement that may not appear within traditional analytics tools. By analyzing how audiences exposed to the Rollneck campaign interacted with Google Search afterward, J.Crew could better quantify how TikTok helps bridge the gap between inspiration and intent.

The solution

Measuring incremental impact with a Unified Lift Study

To achieve this, the brand used a Unified Lift study to isolate the incremental impact across brand preference, search traffic, and purchases. By integrating Pixel Events with Google Analytics, J.Crew was able to measure not only in-platform conversions but also off-platform activity—specifically, how often users exposed to TikTok ads later searched for J.Crew on Google.

The results

Driving real-world search intent and incremental discovery

The Unified Lift Study confirmed that exposure to TikTok directly increased Google Search activity. People who saw the campaign were more likely to search for the brand, explore its products, and engage with J.Crew's site.

According to the study, exposed audiences generated 64,000 incremental searches at an efficient cost of $6 per incremental search, with each influenced consumer searching approximately five times on average.

The campaign also fueled purchase intent and assisted conversions on other channels, resulting in a 5.9% Brand Preference Lift, 6.28% Search Traffic Lift, and 12.6% Purchase Lift compared to users who were not exposed to the ads. This led to 9,200 incremental orders and $2.1 million in incremental revenue at a $5.51 iROAS (incremental return on ad spend).

Overall, the campaign demonstrated how TikTok complements paid search by creating intent earlier in the customer journey, ultimately enhancing performance across J.Crew’s entire media ecosystem.