While it’s still extremely uncertain whether a full TikTok ban will be coming in January 2025, at least one avenue of reprieve for the platform was cut off as a DC Circuit court ruled against TikTok on December 6th (upholding the law requiring ByteDance divest or be banned).
So what does this actually mean for brands and agencies running campaigns on the platform? Should you stop your campaigns or even start new ones? Acadia’s Head of Paid Media, Alan Carroll, shared his thoughts below:
Until a ban actually goes into effect, not much changes for paid media. Our teams, and by extension the media plans we execute, are judged by the performance metrics; the clicks, revenue, purchases, leads, or views we drive. The value of those results does not change retroactively.
What we should be looking for is changes in things like volume or expense; especially considering the abnormal circumstances for the platform.
Are Brand’s audiences starting to disengage from what they view as a dying platform, meaning impressions are more expensive and the traffic they drive is less valuable?
Is TikTok increasing ad load for an early 2025 cash grab, devaluing impressions, and shooting volume through the roof?
These things need to be monitored the same as we would monitor any other day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month performance changes.
Overall, we will need to weigh the effort/opportunity cost of starting or growing a partnership with TikTok. Continuing to run campaigns and drive results is a no-brainer to me if that's already a big part of the media plan. Testing out the platform in upcoming weeks or months could still make sense if you've already got the groundwork laid and don't have an equally exciting expansion avenue.
But if you're looking at a TikTok project that will take considerable time and effort to get running, it's probably wise to wait until Feb when we have a better view of which way the wind will blow (politically and legally).
TikTok’s position seems to be pursuing every legal avenue to avoid divesting, all the way up to the Supreme Court. If allowed to do so, this saga could easily continue throughout 2025 and into 2026. For more information from TikTok on their ongoing efforts click here.