What Trump's TikTok 'Threat' Means for Brand Growth in the U.S.

President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday to Fox News' "Sunday Morning" that he has finally found a buyer for TikTok.

In an exclusive interview with Maria Bartiromo about his six months in office, Trump said a “group of very wealthy people” is preparing to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations.

He won't say who the buyer is, but teased that they will be revealed in "about two weeks."

This update follows a 2024 law forcing ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest the app or face a nationwide ban.

The deadline has now been set to September 17, after having been extended three times by Trump.

ByteDance already lost its Supreme Court appeal, and as the clock ticks, marketers are left confronting something much bigger than a platform shift.

From my perspective, this impending ownership change is a warning about what it now takes to grow a brand in the U.S., where the rules can change mid-campaign.

TikTok has functioned as a core growth engine for many brands.

With over 170 million U.S. users and up to $33 billion in projected ad revenue this year, it's become essential infrastructure for reaching Gen Z and younger millennials.

But if the U.S. version gets cut off from ByteDance's AI and backend systems, the TikTok that returns may not deliver what brands have come to depend on.

TikTok May Survive, But Its Growth Model Might Not

In my view, this is the point where many advertisers are misjudging the real risk.

Everyone’s watching the legal outcome, but too few are asking whether the platform will still perform as "the fastest growing social media shopping platform" after U.S. owner takes over.

Even if it’s not banned, a TikTok stripped of its core infrastructure risks becoming a shell of itself.

Here’s what brands should prepare for:

• Engagement will likely suffer if the For You Page loses its predictive AI.
• Ad efficiency could drop fast if ByteDance's tech stack is removed.
• Product rollouts and updates will slow, weakening TikTok's innovation edge.
• Viral momentum could fade without global content cross-pollination.
• Creator relationships may fragment as influencers move to safer ground.

This isn't theoretical. The second ByteDance is out, we’re dealing with a very different engine.

And this means every growth plan tied to TikTok needs a backup now.

Advertisers Stand to Lose Reach and Pay the Price

We already saw what a 14-hour shutdown did to the market.

Teams scrambled to shift budgets and creative as Meta platforms' cost per thousand impressions (CPMs) spiked 10%, according to a May 2025 study by Columbia Business School.

TikTok’s ad prices have been climbing, with an average CPM of $6.16 as of June 2025, a guptamedia report stated.

However, while the platform's ad rates have been rising year-over-year (YoY), it remains relatively low compared to Meta's average CPM of $8.17 and Snapchat's $8.37 for the same month.

Any ownership upheaval brings volatility that could either erode TikTok’s cost advantage or send shockwaves through the social advertising market.

This isn’t about panic, it’s about being realistic.

Brands that built acquisition funnels around TikTok’s low CPMs and cultural heat are suddenly exposed.

The Pew Research Center found that about one in three U.S. adults reported using the ByteDance-owned platform, with usage rising to nearly 60% among adults under the age of 30.

Here’s what businesses should expect if TikTok starts to erode or fragment post-sale:

• Reach won’t migrate evenly. You'll pay more to reach the same users elsewhere.
• Creators are already diversifying. Some are openly advising their audiences to follow them elsewhere.
• Attribution will likely break during a transition. Pixel performance, targeting, and reporting could all take a hit.

If you're leading growth, you can't afford to gamble on stability.

I’ve seen this story play out with Vine, with Facebook’s iOS 14 privacy fallout, and with Instagram’s algorithm shifts.

The pattern is always the same. Those who wait to react lose traction and don't recover quickly.

Uncertainty is growing, but opportunity is still on the table. These agencies help brands adapt their TikTok strategies fast:

Brands That Diversify Now Will Protect Growth Later

There’s still time to adapt. But it’s quickly running out, especially with Trump's latest revelation about having found a buyer.

This isn’t just a story about protecting Q4 performance, it’s about building a more resilient growth structure that doesn’t hinge on one platform’s policies or politics.

Here’s what advertisers should do:

• Shift budgets to Shorts, Reels, Pinterest, and Reddit. Watch performance trends, not just costs.
• Turn TikTok traffic into owned contacts. Use it to collect emails, SMS opt-ins, or app installs while you still can.
• Repurpose top-performing TikTok content. Adapt it for other platforms instead of starting from scratch.
• Push your agency to model impact scenarios. Ask what happens to CPMs, reach, and conversions if TikTok's value drops.
• Update creator contracts now. Make sure they include usage rights for multi-platform distribution and sudden platform changes.

The smartest brands I know aren’t just backing up content, they’re scenario planning.

They’re ready to execute campaigns on other platforms with no delay. If you’re not there yet, you’re vulnerable.

Now, for foreign businesses eyeing U.S. growth, the TikTok case is a warning: in today’s market, geopolitical perception can trump (pun intended) market success.

Here are some things foreign brands need to keep in mind:

• Data sovereignty is now non-negotiable. U.S. regulators expect critical data on American users to be housed, processed, and governed inside U.S. borders.
• Chinese ownership triggers bipartisan concern. ByteDance’s roots in Beijing are central to the push for divestment, and TikTok’s case won’t be the last if tensions persist.
• Even preemptive compliance may not be enough. ByteDance proposed U.S.-based oversight, Oracle-led data storage, and localized governance. None of it prevented regulatory action.
• National security framing makes any challenge harder to reverse. Once a brand is labeled a risk, legal defenses become more symbolic than effective.

What this TikTok case shows us is that even a beloved, high-performing platform can become a liability overnight.

If you’re a growth leader, your job is no longer just managing performance; it’s managing exposure.

Whether TikTok stays or goes, the old rules are possibly gone for good.

If you want to keep growing in this market, you need more than ad dollars.

You need a structure that can survive the next platform pivot, because it’s not a matter of if, it’s when.

As the U.S.–TikTok narrative evolves, brands face critical decisions on where (and how) to invest in social media. Understanding shifting regulations now is essential for agile, future-proof marketing strategies.

To help you pivot ahead of policy changes:

Our team ranks agencies worldwide to help you find a qualified partner. Visit our Agency Directory for the top digital marketing agencies, as well as:

1. Top Social Media Marketing Agencies
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The right partners can help you stay visible, adaptive, and compliant—no matter how the platform landscape shifts.