For more than two years the fate of TikTok in the U.S. has hung in the balance. But even now, with the platform’s existence more precarious than ever, it continues to expand its user base, cultural influence and status as a marketing and commerce powerhouse.
If the current ban on the platform is upheld, it will be blocked in the U.S. on Jan. 19, 2025 unless it is sold to a U.S.-based owner. TikTok is appealing the ban on the grounds that it is unconstitutional, with a ruling expected by December.
If the social media platform goes away, millions of passionate consumers — not to mention the brands that use the platform to connect with them — will be devastated. But James Weiss, Managing Director of digital marketing agency Big Drop, said that perhaps the biggest, and saddest, impact of a TikTok ban would be less commercial and more cultural. Over the last six years, TikTok has not only redefined consumer engagement; it has also become an important cultural hub, defining and driving the zeitgeist (with commercial activity following in the wake).
Weiss sat down with Retail TouchPoints to discuss what makes TikTok such a standout among its peers, which platforms might be able to fill its rather large social media shoes and how brands can prepare given the uncertainty around its future.
Advertisement
Retail TouchPoints: What makes TikTok such a powerful platform, both for consumers and marketers?
James Weiss: There really hasn’t been a platform like it that’s launched with such meteoric success. I think there are two reasons for that. One, it skews toward a much younger demographic, one that is a digital native, so the adoption is very easy. The barrier to entry is low and the ability to promote content in various ways speaks to the culture on the platform itself; it’s very easy and intuitive to use.
The second is that, by virtue of the first, it’s become where the zeitgeist lives. TikTok is responsible for promoting the ability to be viral, and within that, also putting the stamp of approval on what is trend-worthy, having created a formula and algorithm that really caters to users’ preferences and interests in a way that other platforms haven’t quite done.
Yes, you can do that through Instagram and initially through Facebook, but TikTok is really for the user. It’s been incredible to watch the amount of success advertising has had on the platform, and how brands have been able to grow their own footprint through TikTok and market themselves in a way that was never really possible before.
RTP: Why do you think advertising has been so successful on TikTok?
Weiss: It has to do with the advertising capabilities and the way you can reach more users. [TikTok has] really celebrated the micro-influencer and the nano-influencer, whereby you can have a connection to someone who is really engaged with a product or brand and is able to communicate that directly to individuals who relate to them. They may not be this grand type of influencer, but nonetheless they have the ears and eyes of a core group of followers. That has been something that other platforms have not been able to do quite as well.
The type of content that exists on TikTok, those snackable, short videos for shorter attention spans, mixed with the ability to grow reach on a much more granular level, almost a grassroots level, has really allowed brands to break through with their marketing.
RTP: So if TikTok were to go away, is there a viable alternative at the moment?
Weiss: The only one I think that is really worth it would be Instagram. Instagram has expanded its functionality because of TikTok’s functionality, so with the adjustments they’ve made to accommodate [the competition from] TikTok, Instagram is now the next best thing. YouTube could also be a viable contender, but of the platforms that exist, the closest one would have to be Instagram. Even still, the culture on Instagram is not the same as on TikTok and the [user base] skews a bit older.
RTP: As someone in this industry, what is your opinion on the TikTok ban?
Weiss: Adherence to regulations around data privacy can’t be ignored, and everything should be done to ensure the highest level of security, especially with a user base that is 1 billion+ strong.
Having said that, the thing that I think needs to be understood from a policy perspective is that I don’t know if there’s going to be another way for anyone who uses TikTok as their main source of income [to replace the power of TikTok]. There will be other platforms of course, but there are larger cultural implications around banning TikTok that I don’t think are quite being understood from the policy perspective.
RTP: What kinds of cultural implications?
Weiss: TikTok is responsible for promoting trends and creating trends that then seep into everyday life globally, but especially in the United States. TikTok is at the forefront of culture right now and if that were to go away, I’m not sure what would happen to those conversations.
There’s such an appetite right now culturally for new brands that are solving a problem that legacy brands haven’t wanted to deal with or didn’t deal with properly. That’s what’s exciting about the younger generation — they’re not just commenting on things, they’re trying to solve the issues. When a platform like TikTok, which has been such a [powerful channel] for that, is revoked, how much progress will we lose? Where do we go from here? I don’t think progress is going to stop, but it could stall, and that’s a real consideration.
I don’t mean to sound alarmist, and I’m not sure how big of a cultural shift there will be, because there will be a default to other platforms, of course. It’s somewhat reminiscent of what happened with Vine years ago — the value proposition that Vine had within the marketplace of social media platforms was not available on any other platform. But nevertheless, [when Vine shut down] the world found what they were looking for somewhere else.
No one is clamoring for Vine to come back, but TikTok is different. TikTok ascended very differently and it was adopted much more rapidly, which is why I think the cultural implication issue is probably the biggest issue [with a ban], next to data privacy.
RTP: The ruling on TikTok’s appeal of the ban is expected in early December, and if it’s turned down the law will go into effect a little over a month later, so it does feel as though brands need to have a plan B, just in case. What are you advising brands to do?
Weiss: There are three core elements here that brands need to be aware of. The first would be, when you’re talking about a plan B, think about where your audience is — analyze your audience, understand it from a demographic perspective and drill down as much as you possibly can to understand where they want to see you and where you need to show up. And then on that platform, [understand] what type of content is getting the best reaction.
The other thing that I think is really important is understanding the ROI associated with TikTok relative to all the other channels you may have in their marketing arsenal. If TikTok is where it’s at for you, [as you face the potential] removal of that channel within your marketing arsenal, some additional investment may be required to capitalize on what you currently have. Now is the time to double down on the audience that is very engaged with your brand [on TikTok], before you no longer have the opportunity. As long as you have the audience, as long as you have the attention, capitalize on it as much as you possibly can.
And then third, understand what may need to happen from a branding perspective in 2025 if your brand has been heavily social media-influenced, meaning that it was either created on social media or social media has been the main driver of its success and growth. Explore different avenues to make sure that you are not a one-trick pony when it comes to your marketing. You can always go to Instagram; not all of your audience may be there, but harness that audience as much as you possibly can.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. There are a lot of tools available to help you maintain growth and scale, but I think you do yourself a disservice as a brand if you only leverage one platform above others, and don’t distribute your spend or attention or effort across the other mediums that are be available to you.
RTP: Wouldn’t you say that last one is always true though, even when there isn’t the risk of one of the channels going away?
Weiss: Absolutely, that’s a huge risk, and you don’t necessarily know the equity your brand has unless it can be seen in different spaces. Yes, you can get competitor information and insight [even if you’re not on these channels], but that’s not going to tell the full narrative of how you’re competing in the marketplace.
[TikTok going away] wouldn’t change the way in which you market. If TikTok didn’t exist, you’d have one less platform to reach users on, but you’re still trying to connect to someone to buy a product or to engage in a service or become an ambassador for a brand — that doesn’t change. Any marketer should be thinking about leveraging as many other types of platforms and opportunities [as they can] to help grow the brand beyond just TikTok. And now would be the time to either start to funnel users toward another platform, or to certainly be sure to capitalize on the moment [while TikTok is still here].
