Marketers react to TikTok hearing

Welcome to the new Raisin Bread cadence. From now on, we’ll be in your inbox, serving up fresh marketing insights, every Tuesday and Thursday. On with our scheduled programming.

TikTok Hearing Update

In response to the Biden administration’s potential ban of TikTok, last Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about “the app’s privacy and data practices, its potential impact on kids, and its relationship with the Chinese government.” Ahead of the hearing, TikTok pushed advertorial content all over the DC area and in Beltway outlets like Politico, Axios, and the Washington Post.

The hearing has also become a meme on TikTok itself, with users inserting their silliest videos into the CapCut format. Other users are saying the U.S. is “the bad place” for initiating the ban. For a breakdown of the videos which were actually shown in the courtroom, check out KnowYourMeme’s Twitter thread and linked breakdown of the entire timeline.

The possible TikTok ban is big news for marketers. Although it’ll be fairly easy to shift short-form vertical videos to other platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts, a TikTok ban would mean the cheapest, most effective social ad platform disappears—and all of the spend that went into it.

And where will TikTok’s audience go next? Considering Gen Z’s loyalty to trusted brands and influencers, there’s a good chance Gen Z consumers will follow their favorite creators to whichever platforms the creators choose.

Publishers Look to AI to Cut Costs

Publishers didn’t perform as well as they would have hoped in 2022. Now, they’re looking to generative AI to save money and up their scale of production. Some publishers are even moving away from SEO-driven approaches “to prepare for the potential of AI chatbots like ChatGPT taking over the role of a typical search engine.”

But publishers might just be latching on to the “generative AI” phraseology because of the buzz surrounding it. In January, BuzzFeed’s shares rose to a seven-month high after announcing the media company started employing generative AI to create its infamous quizzes. BuzzFeed has also added the AI tool to its content management system, allowing writers to use it at-will.

What does this mean for marketers? As content evolves, marketers will need to keep pace with the new targeting approaches publishers use to connect with their audiences. That way, the right ads appear in the right content for the right people.

Around the Web

• Lush Cosmetics is cutting its ad spend with Google to move away from Big Tech.

• Magna 2023 credit retail media and streaming for a resilient U.S. market.

• ‘Mike’s Hard Comeback Hotlime’ launched to promote the return of its Limeade flavor.

• Marketer enthusiasm for TikTok is declining.

• Levi Strauss & Co. will start using AI models to “expand their diversity and improve customers’ online experience.”

Just Can’t Get Enough

Female humorists. Whoever says “women aren’t funny” needs to read more. Here’s a few for your reading list:

• Emily Flake and Miriam Jayaratna’s “Lesser-Known KitchenAid Stand-Mixer Attachments” in The New Yorker—illustrated comedy at its finest.

• Hayley Deroche’s McSweeney’s Internet Tendency piece “Things TikTok Could Pivot to So Congress Would Leave It Alone.”

• Emily Kling’s “The Wedding Vows of Someone Marrying Their ‘Best Friend’” in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.

How are your March Madness brackets faring? Do you wish you had used generative AI to pick them? Are you feeling nervous about TikTok? Reply and let us know your feelings—there’s a lot going on.

Thanks for joining us on the new schedule. We’ll see you Thursday!