January 17, 2025  |  SIGN UP

Jim Cooper
DIGIDAY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As zero hour approaches for TikTok (this coming Sunday marks the start of the U.S. ban - unless President elect Trump can spin up an exec order to reverse it) we spent a great deal of our focus this week on the implications of TikTok’s exit from American screens.

There is of course the marketing angle and what brand stewards, which have relied heavy on the app to reach tens of millions of young consumers enthralled with the platform, will do to replicate that engagement. And there are rival platforms waiting eagerly in the wings to scoop up those marketing dollars orphaned by the ban. The creator and influencer economy will also be majorly disrupted. Where will all the talent, creative and marketing investment associated with the app go?

The ban will also impact the gaming and esports sector and most certainly the U.S. employees of TikTok. The media and marketing world will surely survive this change – but it maybe a bit less fun.

Read more below ICYMI – Happy Friday!

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THE CREATOR ECONOMY

Creators fast-track efforts to rely less on platforms amid intensifying TikTok uncertainty — here’s where they’re going

As the U.S. forges ahead with its TikTok ban that’s approaching a Jan. 19 deadline, creators have gone mask-off, growing more proactive and more explicit with their attempts to divert fans off of TikTok as a ban or sale becomes a likely reality. Even though moving followers over onto another social network isn’t easy, it shouldn’t immediately disrupt many brand deals.

MARKETING ON PLATFORMS

As TikTok teeters, YouTube, Meta, Snapchat and more race to claim its ad dollars with incentives, discounts

With TikTok’s fate in the U.S. dangling between the Supreme Court and President-elect Donald Trump, competitors are moving in to try and claim its ad dollars. Snapchat, for example, isn’t holding back. In recent pitches to marketers, the app’s ad sales team has highlighted the notable audience overlap between Snapchat and TikTok in the U.S., both on a daily and monthly basis, according to two slides shared with Digiday.

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How AI is scaling personalization efforts that drive engagement

AI is reshaping digital advertising by streamlining workflows, enhancing personalization at scale and providing the flexibility needed to respond to real-time market shifts. As marketers continue to integrate this technology into creative production, they’ll be better equipped to deliver highly effective and personalized ads. 

GAMING & ESPORTS

Twitch streamers lament likely loss of TikTok as an audience referral engine

The impending U.S. TikTok ban could threaten some creators’ ability to grow their audiences across all platforms — not just the embattled Chinese-owned short-form video app. As the United States marches toward a TikTok ban on Jan. 19, livestreaming creators in particular are lamenting the potential death of the platform’s so-called “clipping culture,” which they believe had an uplifting effect on their followings on both TikTok and other platforms.

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Report: How brands are leveraging generative AI to drive creative transformation

The ability to quickly create multiple iterations of images and videos that can be used to optimize ad campaigns based on seasonality, performance, audience preferences, etc., especially by leveraging automation, is at the heart of creative transformation. Generative AI tools allow teams to produce multiple versions of ad creative and automate A/B testing, furthering creative transformation efforts.

View the report

MARKETING ON PLATFORMS

Marketers question TikTok ban refunds ahead of Supreme Court debate

Late last month, Chris (not his real name) fired off an email to his TikTok rep. As the go-to guy for managing client ad spend at his agency, he needed clarity ahead of a critical moment for the app, the looming federal deadline that could force ByteDance to sell TikTok — or face a U.S. ban. The response he got wasn’t just telling, it was practically a confession. TikTok reps were offering make-goods to advertisers locking in ad inventory through the end of the second quarter.

MARKETING ON PLATFORMS

‘I need those home runs’: TikTok viral brands plan a future without the For You Page

For some companies, TikTok’s algorithm has been a big get, one of the last cost-effective ways to reach a broad audience in an increasingly pay-to-play and fragmented social media landscape. While some brands are going down with the ship, posting to TikTok with a business as usual cadence, others have outlined contingency plans on TikTok competitors, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and even LinkedIn, in hopes to strike viral gold again. Or at the very least, maintain its social currency. 

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How businesses fuel high-margin commerce media networks with data clean rooms

As the commerce category evolves and expands to more verticals and use cases, the industry is seeing a proliferation of media networks. Now, across many verticals — like travel and hospitality, rideshare, entertainment, financial services and more — data-rich enterprises searching for growth want to get in the game.