Bosses at a major advertising company are furious over a video that praises TikTok with a number of gags and cartoon scenes. This comes just days after Congress passed a bill that would force the sale and ban of Chinese-owned apps.
a tone-deaf person, 75 second video circulating on LinkedIn Since Saturday, executives from Havas, IPG Mediabrands, Horizon Media, Publicis Group, GroupM, and Dentsu have appeared, each pitching why using TikTok is “key to scaling your brand’s success.” I also crack jokes.
In one segment, IPG Mediabrands’ Dani Benowitz pretended to be distracted by her phone during filming and called audience engagement “TikTok’s superpower.”
“Of course we know TikTok is for more than just Gen Z. How else can you explain that I always end up crying my eyes out over heartwarming dog videos?” Top News from Publicis Media CIO Shelby Saville said before crying into a tissue.
“We’re in the media, and of course we bought 50 transparent collapsible shoe boxes because of our discovery on TikTok,” Havas CEO Greg James said in yet another corner.
The video seems ill-timed given the government in Washington is cracking down on TikTok, citing national security concerns. President Biden signed a bipartisan bill last month that says the company must sell its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance within a year or face a total U.S. ban.
TikTok said none of the executives who participated in the video received compensation.
Critics say companies are doubling down on TikTok, even as traditional news organizations and U.S.-based platforms, including Elon Musk-owned He pointed out that
“At a time when advertising executives are flipping around and trying to tear contracts out of social media platforms like That’s rather hypocritical.” CEO of Fixed Gear Strategies.
“Why would marketing professionals be so cavalier about data issues and manipulation of app algorithms, especially as the shot clock on forced app sales is ticking?” Riemer said. added.
Representatives for the media companies did not respond to requests for comment.
When asked for comment on the criticism of the advertising executive’s participation in the video, a TikTok spokesperson declined to comment.
“Certainly we can’t all be talking about the same videos,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
The company added that the videos were produced before, during and after Congress passed the divestment bill, and participants knew when the videos would be released — some media sources said they were advertising executives. He wonders what he is thinking.
“Normally, something like this wouldn’t get any attention at all…It’s nothing unusual for media executives to extol the virtues of a particular platform,” one media executive told the Post. “But given the political context, now is not the time.”
Critics of TikTok say the app could be used as a spy and information weapon by the Chinese Communist Party, fueling everything from election interference to terrorist-supporting propaganda to a mental health crisis among teens. It warns that there is.
TikTok has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and touted its efforts to build a safe and secure platform for U.S. users. The app is also trying to rally the public against the ban by touting its huge user base in the US and its impact on the US economy, which was highlighted in a video on LinkedIn. Same point.
In March, TikTok released an economic impact study from Oxford Economics that said the app “contributed $24.2 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023” through its collaboration with small and medium-sized businesses.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said that if the bill goes into effect, it would “siphon billions of dollars from the pockets of small business creators” and “put more than 300,000 American jobs at risk.” be exposed to.”
The company has vowed to fight the bill in court.
As of Monday afternoon, the video had received 400 reactions since it was posted. The “TikTok For Business” LinkedIn account has approximately 275,000 followers.
Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the U.S. Foreign Policy Council, said the video was another sign that TikTok is “using American companies to advance the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.”
“This is the core of Beijing’s negative influence in the United States: using America’s voice to undermine American democracy,” Sobolik said. “That’s TikTok. It’s the Chinese Communist Party’s disinformation weapon to divide American voters and political groups.”
“American media companies should think twice before playing the Chinese Communist Party’s insidious games,” Sobolik added. “Today it may help boost sales, but tomorrow it could cause irreparable damage to America.”
