Well, what a week it’s been in the media world.

There’s been more twists than Simone Biles in the Olympic final! I’m sure there are some questions about what on Earth has been going on in the USA and everyone’s favourite “where has an hour gone” app, TikTok. The WePlay team have caught up to discuss the changes and potential impacts this may have.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of information about what would happen to TikTok, so we’ve compiled a summary of the events. The U.S. government has been pressuring TikTok to sell the app to a US owner or face a ban on Jan 19 2025. There have been concerns over data security, citing the Chinese government’s potential access to American user’s data. A federal court upheld this law, however, TikTok has appealed and they presented in front of the Supreme Court on the 10th January 2025. On Friday 17th, the Supreme Court announced that the app would be banned on Sunday 19th January.

Jump forward 12 hours later, and the app was restored as the soon-to-be US President implemented a 90-day executive order.

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What does this mean?

While this only affects the US market, due to the audience size and cultural influence, we could see this determine the future of TikTok’s global impact.

TikTok has been a priority platform for brands, particularly sports teams and leagues, to engage and build deeper relationships with fans. So, there may be a need to reach these fans and rebuild relationships with them across competitor platforms. Along with potential disruption to campaigns, we also expect to see fluctuations in costs across paid media, as there may be shifts in strategies as brands look to swap platforms.

Along with potential disruption to campaigns, we also expect to see fluctuations in costs across paid media, as there may be shifts in strategies as brands look to swap platforms.

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What to do?

• Diversify your strategy: across both organic and paid. Brands with a strong cross-platform presence will be the least affected by the uncertainty and changes over the coming months. Don’t forget about TikTok, but ensure you have a presence across other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. This also allows one to look at niche platforms like Discord, which provide deep fan engagement.
• Be flexible: When exploring other channels, ensure these align with your audience, KPIs and business goals. Build your plans with strategies for all channels if you need to shift budgets or content schedules at the last minute. When looking at paid CPMs in the US, TikTok has been one of the more cost-efficient channels but has seen a steep increase in CPMs (eMarketer) due to more brands adding this to their media plans. Other platforms such as Meta, YouTube and Snapchat all have vertical video placements, so the investment in this content isn’t wasted, but ensures the content aligns with the platform’s best practices.

• Opportunity for owned: Consider shifting resources towards owned channels. This can reduce dependency on social media and maintain relationships with your core audiences. A renewed focus on leveraging sports streaming platforms and OTT channels could also target fans directly – we can advise!

So there you have it. Hopefully, you’re now feeling slightly less anxious about the TikTok madness.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us.

Stay tuned for further updates, insights, and strategies to keep you ahead of the curve—because when the game changes, we’re here to help you win.