It was business as usual for TikTok at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, as executives presented the findings of the app’s fifth annual “What’s Next Report” in a packed conference session. It was the situation. The panel, titled “TikTok: From Trends to Business Transformation — What’s Next at TikTok,” featured Cassie Taylor, the company’s global head of creative solutions and trends, and Rema Vasan, head of business marketing, as the brand We shared insights on how to break new ground. The platform predicted how marketing and business development strategies will be restructured under TikTok’s “Brand Chem” movement.
The impending US ban on TikTok was not included in the conversation’s “selective algorithm” and was not brought up. When asked how trend forecasting would be affected by the ban, TikTok representatives at CES declined to comment on pending legal issues and reiterated an official statement from Dec. 18. Ta. The 170 million Americans who use our platform can continue to exercise their right to free speech. ” But in just a few days, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hold an emergency hearing on January 10 to determine whether banning social media apps violates the First Amendment.
Although they remained quiet about the future of TikTok, company executives throughout the hour-long CES presentation highlighted user data and brand case studies that have seen exponential growth thanks to the app’s engaged community, while also highlighting the platform’s advertising potential. claimed ability.
“We’re honored to be not only an entertainment destination and a place where so many of our viewers spend their time, but TikTok has had a huge impact on culture, and our It changed the way we search. It even changed the way we talk. Who knows what the word of the year is?” Vasan says, referencing TikToker and beauty influencer Jules LeBron’s catchphrase “So modest, so thoughtful.” “TikTok has a far-reaching impact across audiences and cultures.”
Taylor presented a condensed version of “What’s Next,” predicting what the report calls “trend signals…reflecting evolving content patterns that highlight new behaviors and interests.” Brands can leverage these patterns to shape future-proof content strategies. ” She highlighted three “trend signals.”
“Brand Fusion” allows brands to partner with diverse creators to build lasting bonds with their audiences and meet them “where they are,” whether behind the scenes or on the street.
According to the Trends Report, “40 percent of users feel brands are more relevant when they express their personality, but 45 percent of users on social and video platforms say their brands are perceived as relevant. We feel this is driven by a sense of community and emphasizes the importance of content that is consistent, collaborative, and fun.”
Through ‘Identity Osmosis’, the brand integrates evolving consumer values, allowing changing ideals to reshape the brand’s identity and connect with the community on a deeper level.
(Trends Report data shows that “81% of users say TikTok introduces them to new topics and trends they didn’t know they liked, connects them globally, and builds a engaged community.” ”)
Brands can use “Creative Catalyst” to explore new and efficient tools, including AI, and take more creative risks in content production.
(According to data, 76% of TikTok users enjoy image and video combinations that allow brands to stay relevant and continually engage with their audience.) Real-time feedback further strengthens this strategy and allows brands to innovate with consumers. 68% of users say brands should use comments to better understand their audience. )
Later in the session, Vasan welcomed Jamie Gersh, chief marketing officer at footwear giant Rothys, and Bridget Jewell, executive creative director at advertising agency Dentsu (representative of Nutter Butter). , shared their TikTok success stories.
Gersh says TikTok is essential in leveraging product development insights to predict business.
Rothy’s TikTok year-end roundup of 2024 successes featured 42 style launches, 90 store openings, 100,000 Mary Jane orders, and hosting four bottle swaps. This means 200 million plastic bottles will be kept out of landfills and reused. On shoes. They attributed Clog and Mary Jane’s multiple sell-out successes to the team finding authentic, natural creators who naturally love the brand and “bring it to life on the platform.” “[Mary Jane]went from No. 8 to No. 1 bestseller, and it wasn’t even a new product,” Gersh said. This is thanks to working with the right creators and even “de-influencers.”
“We own our own factories. When we started seeing how much traction Mary Jane was gaining on the platform, we went back to the product team and said, ‘Here’s something. ” he said. And they were also looking at market trends. Since then, five new styles have appeared. We’re taking the insights that we’re seeing within the platform and within the comments section and saying, “How can we use this as a guide, how can we further develop products that are an extension of what our customers love?” You can say. It accelerates momentum,” Gersh said.
Rothy’s launched a men’s version of its clogs on Black Friday, echoing comments.
“[Mary Jane and clogs]are two products that attract a younger customer, between the ages of 20 and 34,” she says. “These products and insights are connecting customers and acquiring more customers.”
Jewell shares that Nutter Butter was one of the Mondolez family brands that was always “fighting to increase” its marketing budget. When we introduced it to TikTok in 2021, we found that “while brand awareness was high, brand relevance was low, especially with emerging generations. For us, this is an interesting place to play, experiment, and explore, and this Nutter Butter’s “crazy” visual standards in various horror-inspired pop culture scenes have garnered over 10 million views per video.
“From an agency-client relationship standpoint, things have changed. If you think about the history of advertising agencies and the way they used to work, lead times used to be long, but now they’re much faster. ” says Jewell. “I think the unique aspect of the community’s response to Nutterbutter and what they’ve done is that they feel a sense of shared ownership. In trying to deconstruct the stories we’re telling on Reddit, We see them on TikTok. Because we’re so invested in the content that we’re putting out there, we’re using that to drive what we’re doing going forward. Our overview is based on those comments. It’s not coming from what we think they might want. We know that’s what they want.”
To that end, in just a few days, we will all know exactly what the Supreme Court wants regarding TikTok’s presence in our lives.
