Marketers seem unconvinced of looming TikTok ban but assemble contingency plans just in case

TikTok’s looming ban is back on the front burner now that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has weighed in. On Monday, McConnell added his voice in the call to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, sells its stake. McConnell’s endorsement of the bill has fired up the news cycle again, throwing the TikTok ban into the spotlight. But largely, brands with active presences on the app seem unfazed.

U.S. lawmakers have been inching closer to a potential ban after a vote in the House of Representatives earlier this month. The bill’s next stop is the Senate. Until then, its future in the U.S. is uncertain, which somehow hasn’t deterred marketers — at least not yet. 

However, viral marketers, especially direct-to-consumer brands that have depended on TikTok for growth, may have reason to be concerned. If the ban passes, the countdown clock starts for TikTok, as does the short-form video app’s viral nature, at the heart of its success.

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