A Wren Says

Maybe this was you, one of those people who laughed about the out of touch congressmen who wanted ban TikTok. Maybe you were among those who publicly ridiculed them instead of taking it seriously. Maybe you are now among the many wondering what a ban on TikTok would do to your marketing strategy.

Let’s be clear. Even though the House just voted on a bill to ban TikTok from download on U.S. devices (unless certain changes are made) this situation did not materialize out of thin air. It just feels more real now. But this has been a major talking point for a couple of years now. As politicians began to throw the idea around, and especially when the app was banned from government devices, a clear trend started brewing. You should have been paying attention then.

To be honest, this post isn’t really about TikTok, but it helps me make a point. You have to consider start considering the legal and regulatory environment as you develop your marketing approaches. Things like this happen that can vastly shape how you can do your work. With this example, they could completely take away a communication channel, but changes in the law can shift the types of products you can make and how. Legal trends can also help you pinpoint changing opinions, which can in turn help you craft more powerful messages.  Paying attention to major policy shifts can help you make better informed decisions and prepare yourself to be more agile.

Had you and your team noted this noise about TikTok back in 2022 in your market analysis, you could have started preparing alternative ways to build and engage your audiences. You might even started making sure you were crossposting everything on YouTube Shorts. Or maybe you started working to build stronger community through in-person events and set yourself apart from brands that relied solely on TikTok to connect with younger consumers. But you didn’t. But you’ve got another chance try again in this ever evolving political space. Are you ready to pay attention?