CTC Acquires TBAR Partners to Expand TikTok Shop Services

We've acquired TBAR Partners to expand the TikTok work we already do for our clients at Common Thread Collective. Founded by Alex Rudolph and Tyler Brechbiel, TBAR is an official TikTok Shop Agency Partner with experience running creator programs, managing storefronts, and scaling paid campaigns.

Their team has scaled more than 40 brands and manages over $5 million in monthly gross merchandise value (GMV), having worked with Grüns, Vita Coco, Ridge, and HexClad, among others. That experience makes them a strong fit for the seven- and eight-figure ecommerce brands we serve. It adds to the work we already do in financial planning, creative strategy, and performance marketing.

Why We're Expanding Our TikTok Shop Capabilities

Our work starts with a client's financial goals. We use proprietary data tools to connect those goals to decisions about creative, paid media, and where to invest next. As we expand our TikTok Shop services, we want clients to have that same financial context for the channel.

Alex and Tyler's experience in creator-led commerce strengthens our ability to deliver on that goal. Their team connects the day-to-day work of running a shop with the product choices, creator commissions, and advertising costs that determine what clients earn from it.

TikTok Shop can also influence sales elsewhere in the business. A shopper might discover a product on TikTok and later buy it on the brand's website. This influence beyond direct shop sales is called the halo effect. Separately, creator videos can give a brand more content to test in channels such as Meta.

Our software and measurement infrastructure give us more resources to assess those connections alongside direct shop sales and guide the next investment.

“Combining what they have built with CTC’s operating system and financial discipline allows us to maximize the growth of this channel for our clients, while giving them visibility into the broader cascade of impact TikTok Shop has on their whole business.”

— Luke Austin, President of CTC

The TikTok Shop Expertise We're Adding

Alex and Tyler have developed a creator network and an operating playbook that covers the work from storefront management through paid promotion. Trained creators produce content, while AI-assisted outreach helps the team find and recruit affiliates. Together, those capabilities support the ongoing work of getting products in front of new shoppers.

Once those affiliates begin posting, the team supports them through training, feedback, and creator communities. That ongoing involvement helps build relationships that can continue as the shop grows.

“Joining CTC gives us the infrastructure and client relationships to take what we’ve built and bring it to a much bigger stage.”

— Alex Rudolph and Tyler Brechbiel, co-founders of TBAR Partners

What This Means for Our Clients

For our clients, this means more people and operating experience behind our TikTok offering, with access to a larger range of services. Existing engagements continue with the same team and delivery, now supported by additional resources and software.

If you've been working with Alex and Tyler's team, you'll also have access to CTC's broader capabilities. As we bring the teams together, the aim is to make decisions about your shop with a clearer view of the rest of your business.

We're excited to welcome Alex, Tyler, and their team to CTC.

If you're preparing to launch or need help with an existing shop, explore CTC's TikTok Shop services and tell us where you need support.