The new program in the United States, known as Project Horizon, is calling on 100 eCommerce agencies to each recruit dozens of brands with at least $10 million in annual sales on other platforms like Amazon and Shopify, The Information reported Wednesday (Jan. 21).
These agencies help brands manage their eCommerce businesses on various online shopping services, the report said, citing unnamed sources.
Each participating agency will be rewarded by TikTok if it recruits at least 30 brands and if those brands’ sales on TikTok Shop collectively come to $50 million by the end of 2026. Agencies that recruit brands and hit the goal will receive a percentage of the sales volume, according to the report.
Project Horizon is the No. 1 priority for TikTok Shop for the year, the report said. The effort comes as TikTok is expanding its eCommerce efforts now that the debate around its ownership has been resolved.
Katya Constantine, who manages ad spending for brands at the agency DigishopGirl, said her clients are spending more on TikTok because it helps them target customers who might not be using Meta’s social platforms, according to the report.
Some of her clients scaled back their advertising spending when the threat of a TikTok ban seemed more possible earlier last year, then resumed spending in the second half of 2025 as the threat appeared less likely, the report said.
Meanwhile, TikTok and parent company ByteDance signed agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX last month to form a new TikTok U.S. joint venture that will allow the app to continue operating in the U.S.
The transaction is scheduled to close Jan. 22, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a memo to employees that was shared with PYMNTS.
The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Gen Z Decoder Ring” found that social media influencers help shape purchasing decisions, particularly among younger consumers.
The report revealed that 14% of Generation Zers said they routinely make purchases based on influencer recommendations, 20 times more than older generations.
