IS TIKTOK GOING AWAY?
By Evan Horowitz, CEO
Let’s start with the punchline: we feel confident that TikTok is here for the long run.
While we don’t have any inside information, our money is where our mouth is. Movers+Shakers continues to invest heavily in expanding our TikTok capabilities and IP. And our clients feel similarly: none of our current campaigns have delayed during the recent news cycle.
In this article, we’ll share the thinking that led us to this conclusion. And we’ll share some of the work we’re doing to ensure our clients’ success in the unlikely event of a ban.
Let’s break this into parts:
Is TikTok going away?
How do I protect my marketing investment?
Is TikTok going away?
We’re quite confident that TikTok is here for the long run. Here are the main reasons:
The TikTok team is savvy and well-resourced. Under the leadership of their new CEO, Kevin Mayer (formerly of Disney), TikTok has been doubling down on their transparency report, billion-dollar creator fund, and other initiatives designed to strengthen its strategic position. Last weekend, they launched a whole website dedicated to “setting the record straight.”
TikTok is ready to defend itself legally. It cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of the administration’s actions, and third-parties have agreed.
Serious buyers are already at the table. Microsoft has already publicly stated its interest, and other buyers have been rumored.
US consumers are committed to the platform. TikTok’s user base has soared to over 100 million in the US. While there are many alternatives, such as Reels and Triller, they have much smaller scale and reach. Importantly, influencers aren’t able to make nearly as much money there as they do on TikTok, ensuring influencers will stay active on TikTok indefinitely. And where the influencers are, their followers want to be.
If it provides reassurance, we can share that across our client base, our TikTok campaigns are moving forward, full-speed ahead. And in recent weeks we’ve inked contracts to help several additional Fortune 500 brands enter TikTok.
How do I protect my marketing investment?
All this said, we’re also working hard to ensure our clients’ investments are protected, in the unlikely event TikTok is banned or disrupted.
We believe the rise of TikTok is the effect of an underlying shift in consumer preferences. As an agency, our focus is always understanding those preferences. Should TikTok be banned, consumers will move to “scratch the itch” on another platform. The front-runners here are Reels (a week old in the US) and Triller (suddenly thrust into the spotlight). Both are evolving rapidly to better support users’ interests.
As always, the Movers+Shakers team continues to study and test emerging platforms. There is no direct replica of TikTok, and we always tailor campaigns to feel native to each audience and context. Here we’ll share some high-level thoughts of how we see continuity for different types of TikTok programs:
Brand channels: We’re already testing the strategy and content we’re creating for TikTok by re-purposing it on emerging platforms such as Reels, with strong initial results.
Influencer campaigns: These may be the simplest to port, if influencers hop around. We also have updated our talent agreements to protect brands’ investments in the event of a TikTok disruption.
Performance marketing: We’re used to adapting our creative strategy to develop platform-native videos. We’ll continue to extend this to fit the aesthetic and storytelling nuances of emerging platforms.
Viral challenges: As Movers+Shakers approaches 50 billion views on our TikTok campaigns, we’ve developed a deep understanding of how to stoke virality, including the key pillars of challenge concept, music, and influencers. Both Triller and Reels include the key technical ingredients to support such campaigns, so we’re excited to recreate our successes there.
Having the rough “Plan B” allows us to move forward confidently on TikTok. We want to allocate our energy to reaching consumers where they’re spending their time. And TikTok’s numbers continue to skyrocket.
Running Forward
Bottom line, we’re excited about the escalation around TikTok. It means we’re getting close to clearing the air, and returning the focus to cutting-edge marketing.
And in the meantime, we’re running forward with our clients on TikTok.
On Friday, we launched the first-ever TikTok reality show with e.l.f. Cosmetics, dubbed “Eyes. Lips. Famous.” We’ll be helping three TikTokers move closer to their dream of becoming a TikTok influencer.
In the first weekend, we received two thousand entries! You can read more here, and check it out on e.l.f.’s TikTok channel, @elfyeah.
