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TikTok uncertainty: Natural CPG brands should adapt to other social mediaTikTok uncertainty: Natural CPG brands should adapt to other social media
TikTok disappeared for a day, but its future isn’t clear. Natural CPG brands that use the platform for consumer engagement and sales must prepare for TikTok’s end. Consider this advice.
Mark Hamstra
January 21, 2025
5 Min Read
Originally a music streaming service, TikTok has become a major economic player. It drove $15 billion in sales for U.S. small businesses in 2023, according to its own economic report. Oxford Economics estimated TikTok added $24 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.Alamy
At a Glance
- Consumers trust authentic product discovery on TikTok, so brands must adapt this strategy on other social media.
- Natural CPG brands should explore Instagram, YouTube and other video platforms in case TikTok is banned for good.
- Because TikTok’s future is uncertain, CPG brands need to build websites, apps and podcasts to enhance consumer engagement.
TikTok, the widely popular video-sharing app that many small natural and organic CPG companies use as a marketing and sales platform, was quickly back online in the U.S. on Sunday following a brief shutdown.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 17 unanimously ruled in favor of a law calling for a ban on TikTok’s use in the U.S., but President Donald Trump, who took office on Monday, issued an executive order for the ban not to be enforced for the next 75 days. He said he would review the security risks of the app and could seek to find a way to transfer ownership to U.S.-based control. It remains unclear if Trump actually has the legal authority to override the Supreme Court’s decision, according to reports. TikTok is currently owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
Former President Joe Biden, with bipartisan support in Congress, in April signed the law calling for TikTok to be banned or sold to a non-China-based company because of the potential for China to gather data on its users in the U.S. and because China could also use the app to spread misinformation. Supporters of TikTok say the law infringes on the right to free speech, and TikTok itself says it does not share user data with Chinese authorities.
Although TikTok is currently available to existing users, it is no longer available for download on the Google and Apple app stores, which are seeking to avoid violating the ban.
Cody Levine, cofounder of SmileTwice, made a "last" video on Jan. 19 as it appeared TikTok would be banned. Since it was reinstated Monday, he has added more short videos to promote his product.
Saying farewell to TikTok
Some companies rushed to post farewell messages on the app before it briefly went dark. Cody Levine, cofounder of SmileTwice, a maker of toothpaste and other natural oral wellness products, posted a TikTok video on Jan. 19 in which he says that it “could be his last” video on the platform. (As of publication time, he has posted four videos since.) In it, he describes the charitable mission of the company, which supports free dental care in underserved communities, and talks about the founding of the company.
“I quit my job, my brother quit his job, and we set out to build a better-for-you oral care company,” he says in the video. “Whether it is my last TikTok or not, please give us a follow, throw down a follow on Instagram, go buy our products on Amazon or at Walmart, or on our website, and make a decision that makes you feel good.”
Caroline Grace, founder and CEO, Product & Prosper, a consulting firm for start-up brands, says Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are the “obvious frontrunners” that CPG brands could turn to in the wake of a TikTok ban.
“They’ve already built similar short-form video functionality and have massive existing user bases,” she says. “Instagram especially has the shopping integration that makes it attractive for CPG brands.”
Grace also says some other platforms could benefit if TikTok does disappear in the U.S., including Pinterest, LinkedIn and Reddit.
Or, she says, “Platforms we haven't even seen yet could fill the void with new features specifically designed for product discovery and community building.”
TikTok has been a favorite platform among many food and beverage companies because of its ability to showcase real customers and thus engender trust among consumers, she says.
“This authenticity, combined with TikTok Shop’s seamless integration, creates a powerful ‘digital discovery aisle’ where consumers aren’t just passively viewing products—they’re watching them being used, tested and reviewed in creative ways that drive immediate action,” says Grace.
The commerce element of other social platforms often feels “bolted on,” she says, while TikTok Shop provides a frictionless transition between product discovery and purchase.
In addition, TikTok’s broad reach creates the opportunity for posts to go viral and drive brand awareness in a fraction of the time required for a traditional marketing campaign.
Advice for brands
Grace offered the following advice for brands to prepare for a potential ban on TikTok:
Start diversifying your content and social presence. “Begin by repurposing your top-performing TikTok content for other platforms, adapting the format and style as needed for each one,” she says.
Build your email list and owned channels aggressively.
Test what content resonates on other platforms while TikTok is still available. Grace suggests adapting top-performing TikTok posts for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Pinterest, and tracking which formats and stories connect best on each platform.
Build strong, genuine community engagement across all of your social channels. “Engaged community members will follow your brand anywhere,” she says. For example, she suggests fostering real conversations in comments, creating platform-specific hashtags and engaging with user-generated content across all channels.
TikTok may provide valuable lessons for other channels, says Grace. “Document what’s working on TikTok so you can adapt those strategies elsewhere,” she says. “Track not just views and engagement, but what hooks work best, which product features resonate most, what questions keep coming up in comments, and which storytelling approaches drive the most interaction.”
Brands should also keep in mind that different social media platforms have different requirements in terms of content formats and strategies, and operating on more platforms means brands will have to devote additional time to managing those communities, tracking their performance, and striving to maintain a consistent brand voice.
Grace suggests that brands should start by focusing on one or two additional platforms for expansion.
“Focus on creating content that can be repurposed across platforms while still feeling native to each one,” she says.
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