What The Hell Will Happen At TikTok?

Will TikTok disappear?

If there's one lesson to learn in life. When there is so much money to be made by keeping something alive, and so many people depending on it, such things simply do not disappear. We may not know what form new ownership will take. We don't know who will be the new owners. Heck, we don't even know if anything at all will change. It could stay exactly like it is. What do we know? Any thoughts about TikTok ever simply disappearing were always just silly. This is like the biggest obvious post in some time. It's a great channel, keep using it. Not going anywhere.

What is the author's theory about what could cripple TikTok?

There are now new fears about the ad algorithm, how it will work, etc. What is so unique about TikTok, do people think this is what like the only Chinese company operating in the United States? The only thing I can figure, that is different about TikTok now is how much Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg have been lobbying. If anything does end up crippling TikTok, it would need to follow this path:

  • US companies (namely Meta/Google) convince the administration that "we got this", advertisers and users would just switch over tomorrow.

  • Administration agrees and just goes forward with some major changes

  • App then gets cripped either because TikTok loses its algorithmic or data/targeting advantage

What is the most likely scenario for the ongoing situation?

This path still feels unlikely to me. If any change is made, lawsuits would then happen almost immediately -- likely forcing some semblance of the status quo until more pounds of flesh are extracted. This still feels like negotiation, and any scenarios are just trial balloons to extract more money and resources from China. Everyone, take another deep breath and settle in - this could be a while.


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Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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