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Tariffs versus TikTok
February 14 - Edition #29
Dia Creative
February 17, 2025
February 14 - Edition #29
This week you'll learn:
đź—ł Tariffs vs. Tiktoks (and other digital ad spaces)
🗣 How To Use TikTok’s 2025 Marketing Calendar
🧳 Frank Body: Turning Coffee Grounds into a Beauty Empire
⚡️ Quick Hits: YouTube’s stats on live videos, Meta’s VR growth, and the social media ban for kids.
Tariffs vs. TikToks: The Unexpected Battle Over Digital Ads
Image Source: PYMNTS
A proposed 10% tariff on Chinese imports, along with the potential suspension of the de minimis rule (which allowed duty-free entry for shipments under $800) threatens to disrupt digital advertising projects and Ecommerce businesses.
These changes could hugely impact major Chinese Ecommerce platforms like Temu and Shein, which use digital ads to fuel their expansions into the US market.
The Impact on Digital Ad Spending
Chinese Ecommerce companies account for up to 4% of Meta’s total ad revenue.
Temu has spent billions on ads across TikTok, Google, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Higher tariffs could push companies to cut costs, likely starting with ad budgets.
As Chinese Ecommerce giants adjust their strategies, opportunities could arise across the digital advertising and retail sectors:
US Retailers: Domestic brands may benefit from reduced competition in ad auctions
Small/Mid-sized Brands: Less crowded ad markets could allow for increased visibility
Alternative Marketing Channels: Brands may pivot toward long-term loyalty-building rather than impulse-driven ads
Ad Platform Diversification: Google, Meta, and TikTok may need to cultivate new revenue streams, encouraging ad spend from other sectors like home goods, beauty, and electronics
Chinese brands might also explore alternative logistical solutions, such as setting up US fulfillment centers or working with third-party logistics providers to navigate tariff challenges.
These shifts could lead to new pricing structures and marketing approaches that focus on brand loyalty rather than price-driven strategies.
What’s Next?
For digital marketers and advertisers, these trade policy changes make adaptability more important than ever.
The full impact will depend on how quickly companies adjust. Businesses that diversify ad strategies and explore new partnerships will be best positioned to roll with the punches.
Perfecting TikTok's 2025 Marketing Calendar
Image Source: TikTok For Business
Ready to level up your TikTok strategy? The platform just released its 2025 marketing calendar, packed with opportunities to expand your brand’s presence.
Let's break it all down.
Why TikTok Timing Matters
Getting your timing right on TikTok is super important. You must always be ready to ride the waves of new trends.
The platform's new calendar helps you tap into high engagement periods, align with cultural moments, plan content when your audience is most active, and join trending conversations at the right time.
Making the Calendar Work for You
Here's how to turn TikTok's calendar into your marketing advantage:
Choose Your Region: TikTok offers 15 different regional calendars—pick the one that matches your target audience
Quarter-by-Quarter Planning: Each quarter comes with specific trends and events to build content around
Data-Driven Decisions: Use TikTok's provided usage stats to identify your best opportunities
Quick Implementation Tips
To quickly implement these ideas, start by turning key dates into engaging content that resonates with your audience. Then, create themed hashtag challenges around major events to spark participation and conversation.
Be sure to share behind-the-scenes content that gives a glimpse into holiday preparations, making your brand feel more personal and relatable.
Remember to use seasonal transitions and reveals to keep your content fresh and visually appealing. Finally, build anticipation with countdown content, creating excitement leading up to important dates.
Practical Action Steps
Download your regional calendar
Mark key dates in your content planning tool
Brainstorm content ideas for major events
Create content banks for busy periods
Set up reminder systems for trending moments
Remember, successful TikTok marketing is all about choosing the moments that matter most to your audience and showing up prepared.
Frank Body: Turning Coffee Grounds into a Beauty Empire
Image Source: Amazon
Frank Body transformed leftover coffee grounds into a multi-million dollar skincare sensation through strategic brand personality and organic social growth.
Their success shows how creative branding and authentic community building can fuel explosive expansion, even on a shoestring budget.
The Power of Brand Personality
Starting with just $5,000, the founders created "Frank" - a cheeky, flirtatious character that became the brand's voice across all touchpoints.
“We had a very deliberate user-generated content strategy from day one."
Frank Body’s bold personality set it apart, connecting with customers as a lively, relatable voice instead of just another faceless brand.
Organic Instagram Growth Strategy
Their Instagram-first approach focused on three key elements:
Customer-Generated Content: Every product package included a note encouraging customers to share their experience with #frankeffect, resulting in over 50,000 authentic user posts.
Zero-Budget Marketing: By launching before Instagram let users pay to advertise, they grew organically through engagement and word-of-mouth, reaching 700,000 followers without paid promotion.
Strategic Influencer Partnerships: Rather than chasing follower counts, they prioritized authentic brand fit.
"We would rather build a relationship with someone who fits the brand's characteristics than find one with the most followers."
Community-Driven Loyalty
Frank Body's Hotel Pink loyalty program turned customers into brand advocates.
The program featured tiered rewards with exclusive perks, encouraging repeat purchases and brand loyalty. Customers could earn points by sharing on social media and leaving reviews, building community engagement.
Referral incentives rewarded customers for bringing in new buyers, further expanding the brand’s reach. Additionally, regular engagement through personalized email marketing kept members involved and excited about the program.
Their approach proves that strong branding and authentic community building can drive massive growth without big marketing budgets.
Give your brand a compelling personality and let your customers become your best marketers.
⚡️ Quick Hits
YouTube's Super Bowl Engagement reveals that 54% of users prefer creator breakdowns over watching events live.
Meta Reports VR Growth with a 12% increase in platform payments.
Senate Advances Social Media Ban for users under 13 years old.
Pentagon Lifts Social Media Pause, directing organizations to discuss mission goals and support recruiting efforts.
VR Developers Voice Concerns over Meta's focus on Horizon Worlds’ social experiences versus broader VR development.
What we’re working on right now
Have you listened to our Podcast yet? Pioneering Perspectives: A Dia Creative Podcast 🎙️
Ready to break new ground in marketing? In this podcast, we crack the code of marketing within regulated industries. Join real industry leaders as they navigate the unique challenges and share their groundbreaking strategies for success in the marketing field. Our goal is to inspire and equip you to conquer the frontiers of marketing in a complex landscape.