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The clock is ticking on the TikTok ban, as the wildly popular social platform prepares to go dark in the US after failing to sell its US operations, which is reported to be worth between $30-$35 billion bucks.
With over 170 million US users, TikTok has been a transformative force for both content creators and marketers looking to connect with younger audiences.
The looming ban has been a controversial topic since the jump, with supporters arguing it protects national security and data privacy, while opponents claim it stifles free expression and disrupts livelihoods for creators and businesses.
What's the TikTok ban really about? What are it's implications for social media and marketing as a whole? And who really wins if TikTok actually drops out of the US (hint: he sports a perm and a rebrand that’s as authentic as his company’s privacy policy).
We break it all down in issue 28 of The Grip.
Other stories from this issue include:
👉 Publishers Pivot To Video Amid Search Disruption
👉 For the First Time in 10 Years, Google Has Less than 90% of Total Search Traffic
👉 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Proposes HIPAA Update to Boost Healthcare Cybersecurity
👉 OpenAI, The New York Times Debate Copyright Infringement of AI Tech Companies in First Trial Arguments
All this and much more in issue #28 of The Grip!
I Can’t Believe That’s a Keyword
Using Semrush, we hunt down bizarre (and totally real) search queries and try to answer them.
This Week’s Keyword: Are Bananas Radioactive?
Avg. Monthly Search Volume: 3,600
Answer: It turns out that bananas are slightly radioactive, as they contain small amounts of potassium-40. Don't worry - they're not radioactive enough to glow in the dark or pose a health risk...unless you bought them from the Chernobyl farmers market.
Top Stories We’re Tracking
Essential marketing and healthcare headlines of the week.
TikTok Prepares for US Shutdown
TikTok plans to shut down its app for U.S. users starting Sunday, after failing to sell its US operations. However, incoming President Trump (who takes office one day after TikTok's deadline), has signaled renewed commitment to postponing the TikTok ban in favor of selling it to a U.S.-based company.
How the Ban Works: The ban would initially stop new downloads of TikTok from app stores but allow current users to access the platform temporarily. Some users might try using VPNs to bypass the ban, but it likely won’t work since U.S. service providers wouldn’t be allowed to support the app.
What's the Ban Really About?: The ban stems from a law signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024 requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. assets by January 2025. The law was put into motion over national security concerns that TikTok could be used to spy on US users and manipulate public opinion within in the US.
While the push stems from security concerns, the obvious goal is to get TikTok sold to a US-based tech company, because, well...money. After all, TikTok's US revenue is projected to reach $10 billion by the end of 2025. Chump change, really.
Why Should Marketers Care?: TikTok is massive. It has eclipsed Google several times over as the most popular website in the world, with millenials and younger generations turning to the platform for everything from search to shopping.
A ban in the U.S. would significantly impact marketers by disrupting their ability to engage with the younger demographics who dominate the platform. As a result, marketers would need to redirect budgets and strategies to other avenues like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, potentially increasing competition on these channels and driving up ad costs.
This would be particularly convenient for Mark Zuckerberg, who funded a campaign to magnify the threat of TikTok. If you can't acquire 'em, mire 'em, amirite?
Influencer marketing would also face challenges, as many major content creators built their audiences exclusively on TikTok. This could change up influencer marketing plans for many brands, while simultaneously sabotaging the lucrative communities that creators worked hard to build.
Will banning TikTok address concerns about Chinese apps influencing Americans? US users are already pivoting to RedNote, a similar Chinese-owned platform. In fact, Duolingo reported a 216% spike in US learners picking up Mandarin to navigate RedNote more easily. Now that’s loyalty!
📄 Read Article (Source: Reuters)
Publishers Pivot To Video Amid Search Disruption
A new report from the Reuters Institute highlights how AI-driven search and platforms like Google Discover are changing the way people search for information, forcing publishers and marketers to adapt.
The rise of "zero-click" searches, where users get direct answers without visiting websites, is a growing threat, with 74% of publishers expressing concern about declining web traffic.
To counter this, many publishers, content creators and marketers are optimizing their content for Google Discover, which has seen a 12% year-over-year growth. This surge comes as social media traffic declines due to the depreciation of sharing links.
Brands are also doubling down on video, increasing investments in YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to meet the growing demand for authentic, creator-driven content. With AI-generated junk flooding the internet, authenticity has never been more critical.
Human-centric video offers a more personable experience than text-centric content that may/may not have been slapped together by ChatGPT. With more users turning to YouTube and social media for search, embracing video is a no-brainer for brands looking to establish deeper connections with their audiences.
📄 Read Article (Source: Social Engine Journal)
For the First Time in 10 Years, Google Has Less than 90% of Total Search Traffic
A BrightEdge report revealed that Google’s search dominance, which has exceeded 90% for over a decade, dipped to about 89% between October and December 2024. During this time, competitors like Microsoft's Bing, Yahoo , and Yandex gained ground, with Bing capturing nearly 4% of the market.
This is a very different picture than what was painted by a November 2024 SparkToro analysis, which estimated Google’s market share at 83.54%, with ChatGPT accounting for 4.33%, outpacing Bing. However, this report assumes all ChatGPT usage is search-related, which isn’t entirely accurate. That said, the BrightEdge report doesn’t factor in that Bing integrates a modified version of ChatGPT in its search engine, which suggests the actual market share lies somewhere between the two reports.
📄 Read Article (Source: Tech Crawlr)
HHS Proposes HIPAA Update to Boost Healthcare Cybersecurity
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed its first update to the HIPAA security rule in over a decade to address escalating cybersecurity threats in healthcare. The changes aim to clarify requirements, strengthen safeguards, and ensure organizations regularly review, test, and update their security policies.
Key Updates: Mandating multi-factor authentication, creating detailed technology inventories and network maps, and conducting risk analyses and vulnerability scans.
Why Marketers Should Care: For healthcare marketers, these changes drive home how important it is to prioritize data security in building trust. Making sure your marketing efforts align with these new rules isn’t just about compliance, it’s about showing patients and buyers that you take their privacy seriously.
📄 Read Article (Source: Healthcare Dive)
OpenAI, The New York Times Debate Copyright Infringement of AI Tech Companies in First Trial Arguments
The copyright infringement trial between The New York Times and OpenAI, supported by Microsoft, centers on claims that OpenAI used the Times' content to train its AI models without proper authorization, thereby undermining publishers' ability to monetize through ads and subscriptions.
The Times argues this use constitutes as copyright infringement, citing instances of verbatim copying, regurgitated summaries, and the misuse of time-sensitive content. I mean, they're not wrong!
OpenAI and Microsoft are defending their actions under the fair use doctrine, arguing that AI models don’t store content but learn from training data like humans do. That’s kind of like saying, “I borrowed your book from the library, memorized every word, and now I'm reciting it back to anyone who's interested..but it's totally not plagiarism because I returned the book!”
To be fair, OpenAI has shown willingness to play fair with some other publishers, as it has been striking up more and more licensing deals in recent months.
This trial is one of many involving generative AI companies, reflecting a broader legal and ethical debate around AI model training and intellectual property.
📄 Read Article (Source: Digiday)
The Latest from Grippi Media
Recent articles and videos from the Grippi Media team
B2B Marketing Trends for 2025
For most B2B marketing teams, doing more with the same won’t just be a challenge in 2025…it’ll be the norm.
With 65% of B2B marketing budgets shrinking or staying flat in 2025, teams will have to embrace automation, precision targeting, and creativity like never before (per Forrester).
In my latest video, I share the 5 key trends shaping B2B marketing in 2025.
Our Latest Podcasts
Recent episodes of the podcasts that we produce.
Can Opioid Settlement Funds End the Crisis?
Opioid makers and distributors are paying over $50 billion to settle lawsuits with states and cities.
This follows years of devastation from the opioid crisis, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting over 110,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2022 alone, nearly 70 percent caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
But how is this settlement money being spent?
And is the opioid crisis nearing an end?
In this episode of CareTalk Podcast: Healthcare. Unfiltered., David E. Williams and John Driscoll explore the impacts of recent opioid lawsuits and whether they could finally put an end to the crisis.
Increasing Transparency with Cost-Plus Drug Pricing
Every year, medication prices keep going up, putting even more strain on Americans’ budgets.
To make it worse, the price you see online often doesn’t match what you’re charged at the pharmacy counter.
So why the lack of transparency?
And equally important, what can be done to ease the pressure of these rising costs?
In this episode of Health Care Rounds: A Darwin Research Group podcast, Vinay Patel, founder of MakoRx, unpacks the complexities of prescription drug pricing and reveals how MakoRx is disrupting traditional models with cost-plus pricing to make medications more affordable and accessible for everyone.
What We’re Listening To
New music that has been inspiring us.
Vincent's Pick: Portishead - Dummy
The start of the year is always and odd time for music, as most artists wait a month or so to release new material. What better excuse to revisit a classic? This week, I've been spinning Portishead's Dummy - the crown jewel of Trip Hop and arguably one of the top 10 albums of the 90's.
This album makes melancholy sound dangerously cool and seductive, blending the mysterious swagger of a James Bond theme (but actually good) with moody hip-hop beats and glitchy jazz/synth ornaments. Dummy's potency and influence is simply timeless.
Sal's Pick: Too Much to Lose - Boy in Space
With the days still short and the chill in the air, I've been drawn to music that lifts my spirits and adds a little warmth to the season. Too Much to Lose by Boy in Space has become my go-to comfort, like a cozy bowl of chicken noodle soup for the soul. If you're craving a song that wraps you in its ambient charm, this sweet and catchy track is sure to hit the spot.
The track blends tender acoustic elements with bass-heavy electronic beats, creating a soundscape that feels both intimate and energizing. Gentle guitar fingerpicking and soft piano chords build into a chorus full of groovy percussion and rhythmic vocals, bringing a bright energy to lyrics of longing. It's the perfect mix of acoustic warmth and synthpop vibrancy to keep you feeling upbeat on even the coldest days.
Don't forget to check out our 2024 Digital Health Inbound Marketing Report:
Thanks for reading! See you next week! 👋
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