On January 19, 2025, TikTok experienced a 14-hour blackout in the U.S., causing significant panic among brands reliant on the platform for marketing. The incident, reminiscent of earlier political tensions surrounding the app, prompted marketers to reconsider their strategies. Many had been preparing for such disruptions since the app's initial challenges in 2020. Experts argue that while the blackout was shocking, it prompted brands to rethink audience engagement and future-proof their tactics. Some marketers quickly resumed spending, while others remained hesitant due to previous challenges associated with TikTok's unpredictability.
"It was a shell shock to the system," said Jennifer Kohl, chief media officer at VML ... a possibility they'd only entertained in hypotheticals: life without TikTok.
I think the most sophisticated marketers ... have been spreading their content and their efforts long before this week," she said.
It gave them a chance to rethink how they reach their audience and future-proof their strategies," Andrew Fingerman said.
The outage and subsequent return wasn't just a technological hiccup - it was a stark reminder of their uneasy pact with TikTok these days.
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