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TikTok’s fate may be uncertain in the U.S. but many advertisers are simply shrugging and spending anyway, according to a Digiday+ Research survey of brand, retailer and agency professionals.
Nearly halfway through its second 75-day countdown to being banned, the platform is still seen as a dependable partner — proof that, in advertising, consistency can sometimes outweigh certainty.
More than half (58%) of the 144 survey respondents agreed that they’ll continue spending while TikTok remains in limbo, while just over a quarter (26%) said they are undecided about spending on the platform during this period of uncertainty.
“The support we’ve received from TikTok has always been absolutely incredible,” said Alana Putterman, group vp of social media investment at Basis Technologies. “Unlike other social properties [platforms], we’ve had stable and consistent rep support. Other properties [platforms] have changed our agency reps multiple times a year.”
The point was echoed by Tinuiti’s senior social innovation director Jack Johnston, who pointed out: “As long as our clients are continuing to see strong performance, we will continue to lean in.”
Still, not everyone is sold. For some marketers, there’s a point where the risks of advertising on TikTok outweigh the potential gains. The concern surfaced during the platform’s brief blackout and has only deepened as the question of a ban drags on. TikTok must sell its U.S. business or face being shut out of the market entirely — a high-stakes standoff with no clear resolution in sight.
One respondent to Digiday’s survey concurred. “We haven’t invested in the platform yet — all this back and forth makes it difficult to convince company leaders this is where the consumers are,” they said.
Nearly a third (30%) of respondents to the survey stated that they would be redirecting spend as a result of the ongoing uncertainty of TikTok in the U.S.
Where that money ends up has become one of the more intriguing subplots of the broader shake-up, with YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat all jockeying for a commanding position. So far, Instagram appears to be leading the pack.
More than four in 10 (44%) of survey respondents said they’d shift their TikTok ad dollars over to Instagram Reels.
“If the second 75-ban gets closer to the due date, the level of spend may decrease unless Instagram rolls out features to strengthen its algorithm to push Reels content to larger audiences,” said a second respondent.
Another respondent said: “We’ve been advised that TikTok work can continue via influencer content creation and brand-owned channel curation, including paid media, but are not touching TikTok Shop. Our game plan is to split spend equally across Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts should TikTok go away.”
Added to that, over a quarter (26%) of respondents said they’d be redirecting spend to YouTube Shorts. These top two benefactors according to Digiday’s survey are in line with what eMarketer forecasted back in January: that Meta and YouTube stand to gain 50% of reallocated TikTok ad dollars, per eMarketer’s TikTok Ban 2025 report.
While only a small minority (3%) of respondents to Digiday’s survey said they’d replace TikTok with Snapchat, the 11% of survey respondents who said they’d put their ad dollars elsewhere (i.e. selected the “other” response) indicated their budgets would be saved instead or put toward CTV, Reddit or alternative video advertising on programmatic.
Irrespective of where the money goes, marketers are convinced this limbo isn’t going away anytime soon.
More than half (60%) of Digiday survey respondents said they believe TikTok will simply be given another 75-day extension come June 19, when the platform reaches its second 75-day ban deadline.
A quarter (25%) said they believe it’ll be brought before the clock runs out, and 15% believe some company will buy it, while 9% of respondents believe that Amazon will acquire the Chinese-owned app.
“Amazon is their biggest client, so it makes sense for them to buy it,” suggested a fourth respondent.
Even less (7%) said they believe Oracle will be the lucky purchaser, despite the company hosting its U.S. user data as part of TikTok’s Project Texas efforts since June 2022.
TikTok did not immediately respond to Digiday’s request for comment.
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