Marketers: Adaptability is no longer optional – it’s essential, here’s why
Marketers need to move beyond outdated attribution models and adopt more agile, outcomes-driven strategies that reflect today’s dynamic environment as the digital marketing landscape grows more complex across the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.
So says the report The Certainty of Uncertainty: Why Marketing Needs a New Measurement Mindset, a new co-authored whitepaper from TikTok, in partnership with Warc.
The whitepaper outlines a paradox that marketers across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey are facing: the more they rely on familiar, easily measurable metrics like clicks or last-touch attribution, the more disconnected they become from actual business outcomes.
With more than $741bn spent globally on digital advertising in 2024, the risks of misattribution and inefficient spend are significant.
In South Africa, a market undergoing rapid digital transformation, the urgency is even greater.
A clear shift
According to the research, 93% of South African consumers use video platforms to search for products before making a purchase, while 88% say they come across new brands or products through video that they hadn’t seen before.
These behaviours signal a clear shift away from linear, traditional consumer journeys and make a compelling case for marketers to rethink short-term, lower-funnel tactics that no longer tell the full story.
“Marketers in South Africa and across the region are being asked to do more with less – build long-term brand equity while showing short-term impact,” says Carl Jordan, head of sales, global business solutions, TikTok - Sub Saharan Africa.
“To thrive in this environment, they need measurement systems that are adaptable, not absolute,” adds Jordan.
Outdated models
Across the region, the study shows that 60% of underperforming marketers in the region remain overly focused on lower-funnel conversion, despite evidence that 35% of last-click attribution spend generates zero incremental sales.
In some cases, as much as 79% of conversions are missed entirely by outdated models.
This reliance on metrics that are always in flux often leads to over-investment in performance marketing at the expense of brand-building, which can undermine long-term growth.
Adaptability essential
The report draws on expert interviews, regional data, and local case studies.
The findings advocate for a mindset shift, from chasing the illusion of precision to designing flexible systems that mirror the complexity of real-world consumer behaviour.
Adaptability, the report argues, is no longer optional – it’s essential.
Cautious optimism
Against the backdrop of rapid technological change, economic pressure, and increasing demands on marketing teams, the research captures a sense of cautious optimism.
For marketers who are ready to embrace ambiguity and evolve their approach, this new mindset presents an opportunity to reconnect the signals between content, commerce, and consumer intent, and build long-term success even when certainty is out of reach.
To support this shift, the whitepaper introduces the GRO measurement framework, a practical model built to help teams manage complexity without becoming overwhelmed by it.
Grounded in three key stages – aligning around business goals, assessing internal readiness, and optimising with agility – the framework enables marketers to build systems that help them make smarter, faster decisions.
“The Certainty of Uncertainty: Why Marketing Needs a New Measurement Mindset” is available here.