The Monthly Marketing Minute: Tik Tok Users Planning Jump, Retailers Banking on AI in 2025, Super Bowl Marketing Shenanigans?

All the business/marketing news you need, in around a minute

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Photo by Eyestetix Studio on Unsplash

What is Tik Tok’s future?

Tik-Tok was set to shutter in the US on January 20th, but incoming President Trump lifted the ban and gave Tik Tok a 75 day reprieve. During that time, Tik Tok will attempt to find a suitable US-based partner or owner in order to continue to function in the US. I suspect Tik Tok will ultimately be able to come up with a deal that the DOJ will sign off on.

Even if Tik Tok continues, the uncertainty over the potential ban has caused some users to either leave Tik Tok, or at least explore their options. The most popular new home for Tik Tok users is Instagram and Facebook. Thankfully, Substack is not one of the sites most users of the video-heavy site are looking at, but Substack is still pushing video as a way to court Tik Tok users. Which I’m honestly not thrilled about. Courting Wordpress publishers here makes sense for Substack. Courting video influencers does not.

And breaking news within the last 72 hours…

President Trump hints at one possible future for Tik Tok could be being bought and made part of the new Sovereign Wealth Fund that the President will be creating. If I understand how it could work, I believe it could mean that Tik Tok goes into the SWF, and then Americans are cut checks for the dividends. Alaska already has something similar, and pays its residents dividends off the money it makes from leasing oil fields in state.

IBM Study Finds Retailers Ready to Invest in AI in 2025

Retail companies in 15 countries are forecasting allocating over 3% of revenue to AI investments in 2025, according to a new IBM study. The study also found that 45% of existing employees will need AI skill training within the next 3 years.

And just as this study comes out, China enters the AI game with DeepSeek. At this point I am woefully ignorant on why DeepSeek is a big deal. It seems lower resource-usage and DeepSeek making its code open source are creating a buzz.

Neela 🌶️

has some thoughts on why the lower costs to operate are a big deal:

Past that, I will wait for

Paul Chaney

and his team to give a more complete rundown on DeepSeek.

Super Bowl Shenanigans, or Smart Marketing?

I’m not a huge NFL fan, but every Sunday, X is alive with tweets about blown calls and fans who are convinced the NFL is rigging games for the Chiefs to win. Those fans will likely raise their eyebrows at this:

Former Lakers/Heat coach Pat Riley has shrewdly trademarked the term ‘Three Peat’ and apparently the NFL has already struck a deal to use the phrase on merchandise ‘if’ the Chiefs win their third straight SB this weekend.

We’re running out of conspiracy theories, y’all.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! See you next Tuesday!

Mack