As TikTok Shop emerged as a major player on the social commerce scene, London-based agency Strudel has refocused nearly all its operations on the platform, moving beyond its roots in music promotion to help brands drive sales through short-form video. The firm now manages hundreds of campaigns across the UK, U.S., and Europe, linking more than 100,000 creators with e-commerce opportunities.

Ilia Ignatiadi, Managing Director at Strudel, joined as one of the company’s first employees in April 2021. Having progressed from Campaign Manager to Campaign Director and then to her current leadership role, Ilia has witnessed the company’s growth trajectory firsthand through its various strategic adjustments.

“Our mission is to be the TikTok pros,” Ilia explains. “We want to be the go-to team for anything TikTok, whether that’s Shop, brands, or music.”

Strudel was established by its founder, Edward Winters Ronaldson (also CEO of talent management agency Grail), who previously ran a music label with his brother. According to Ilia, “Ed came from the music industry. He and his brother ran a label and started doing TikTok campaigns for their artists.” 

When other labels began requesting help, Ronaldson saw an opportunity. “He spent a year doing it part-time, learning the industry. This was in 2020, just before TikTok’s boom during COVID,” Ilia says. “By 2021, he started hiring his first employees.” This timing, just before TikTok’s growth during the pandemic, enabled Strudel to establish itself early in the platform’s ecosystem.

This focus aligns with broader market trends, as TikTok Shop has become the UK’s fastest-growing online retailer in 2024, according to the platform’s internal research.

Strudel’s Development and Offering

Ilia describes Strudel as “small enough to keep experimenting,” adding that “if a company isn’t sure what they want, we can help them figure it out and test ideas.”

This flexibility allowed Strudel to evolve from its origins in music marketing. When Ilia first joined, the company was exclusively managing song campaigns. “A few months later, we started doing brand campaigns,” she recalls. “Song campaigns move faster and rely more on creator trust than brand briefs.”

The company’s breakthrough came with their work for a luxury fashion house. “Gucci was our big break,” Ilia says. “If Gucci can trust us, we’re doing great work. TikTok was still niche at the time, and people didn’t know how to crack it. We were good at spotting trends and identifying who was going viral.”

This ability to identify emerging trends and creators positioned Strudel to capitalize on the growth of TikTok Shop. The agency now works closely with Grail, which Ilia describes as “our sister company and a TikTok Shop partner,” to execute e-commerce campaigns. “We’ve seen growing demand for TikTok Shop support,” she says, describing how client interest has shaped their service development.

Campaign Execution and Creator Selection

Strudel’s approach to campaign management is rooted in analytics, influenced by the founder’s economics background. “Data has always been key from start to finish,” Ilia emphasizes.

When selecting creators, Strudel evaluates metrics aligned with client goals rather than follower counts. For UGC (user-generated content), they prioritize storytelling and brief adherence. “We look at how well they tell a story and follow the brief,” Ilia explains. For song campaigns, they assess consistency: “Are their views steady? Does a song post perform as well as their usual content?”

For brand partnerships, value alignment takes precedence. “They’re ambassadors for a short while, so we make sure their values match the brand’s,” Ilia notes.

The campaign process varies by goal. For follower growth, Strudel uses micro-influencers to create UGC and run ads. For sales, they tap into their network of TikTok Shop creators, who differ from traditional influencers. Ilia believes this differentiation lets them tailor strategies rather than apply one-size-fits-all solutions.

To maintain quality across hundreds of campaigns, Strudel relies on organization and accountability. “We keep a high internal standard,” Ilia says. “We stay organized (I love Airtable).” Regular team meetings and a supportive culture ensure consistent execution, even in the face of a heavy workload.

TikTok Shop: Changing Social Commerce

Strudel has developed a framework for TikTok e-commerce, recognizing its potential to reshape the way creators and brands collaborate. 

What makes TikTok Shop effective, according to Ilia, is its interactive format compared to previous social commerce efforts. “Instagram tried shoppable content, but it wasn’t interactive,” she explains. “TikTok Shop works because you’re entertained while being sold something.”

This blend of entertainment and commerce, she adds, creates unique value for brands. “TikTok Shop doesn’t bring instant impact like a regular campaign,” Ilia says. “But it drives both sales and awareness. People talk about your brand, review it, and spread the word.”

She predicts that traditional influencers will increasingly adopt TikTok Shop. “We’ll see more established creators integrating Shop into their feeds,” she forecasts. “It’ll create more affiliate and commission-based collaborations.”

Yet, Ilia notes that many brands remain hesitant. “A lot of brands worry about losing control over who talks about them,” she points out. “They’re used to specific creators and fear how new voices might affect their image. But once they integrate TikTok Shop into their strategy, they’ll see how effective it is.”

Creator and Platform Characteristics

A key principle for Strudel is preserving creators’ appeal, especially when targeting Gen Z. Ilia sees a common mistake brands make: “Not trusting creators. Brands forget creators are professionals; they succeed because they know what works.”

This philosophy shapes campaigns for different audiences. “For Gen Z, keep it genuine and let creators lead. For older audiences, you need stricter briefs and guidelines,” Ilia says.

Platform differences also influence strategy. “TikTok isn’t like Instagram,” she observes. “Instagram’s polished, like a magazine. TikTok is about being real, weird, and building community. Gen Z loves it because it’s authentic.”

Understanding these traits helps Strudel balance brand goals with creator content. “We’re the middleman,” Ilia says. “Our priority is keeping clients happy and getting the best results for both sides.”

Case Studies

Strudel’s work with self-tanning brand Bondi Sands highlights their expertise. “They wanted to hit 500k followers. We helped them gain 190k followers in about three months,” Ilia recalls. “They became the number one self-tanning brand on TikTok.”

In TikTok Shop, their partnership with a major national sports nutrition brand and a women’s fitness brand delivered “over a million sales a month within a few months.” This shows how Strudel converts engagement into sales through TikTok’s e-commerce model.

Their early campaign with Gucci not only generated millions of views but also positioned Strudel as a credible partner for luxury brands, opening doors to further collaborations. For Strudel, success is measured in results and relationships. “It’s not just about campaign success. It’s about whether the client wants to work with us again,” Ilia says.

How Strudel measures success depends on the campaign. “For brand and song campaigns, it’s usually views and engagement. For TikTok Shop, it’s GMV (Gross Merchandise Value), the clearest indicator of growth,” she explains.

Growth and Market Expansion

After more growth in the past year than the previous three combined, Strudel is entering a new phase. The company plans to expand into entertainment lives, i.e., live entertainment content on TikTok.

“We’re exploring entertainment lives and how to make them work,” Ilia says. “We want to make it successful.”

Geographic expansion is also a priority. While the UK and the U.S. remain their biggest markets, interest from Europe is rising. “This past year we’ve seen a lot from Germany, France, and Spain,” Ilia notes. Strudel aims to strengthen its presence across Europe as TikTok Shop expands.

Long-term, the company wants to become “the #1 TikTok Shop partner,” Ilia says, with offices and teams across multiple countries. This goal builds on their history of adapting to platform shifts and client needs.

Through it all, Strudel plans to maintain its agile, collaborative culture. “Our ethos is still startup-minded,” Ilia explains. “We’re always testing new ideas. We’re not hierarchical. Everyone’s valued and heard.”

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