This week's PR Roundup looks at the latest developments in the TikTok ban case, GIPHY's on-trend predictions for 2025, and a survey that shows what executives are looking for when it comes to consuming content.
TikTok Goes to the Supreme Court
What happened: On Wed., Dec. 18, the Supreme Court announced it would hear arguments in January 2025 regarding the constitutionality of the federal law that could ban TikTok. The arguments could decide whether the law impedes on First Amendment rights.
According to the current law, ByteDance, the China-based ownership company of TikTok, has until Jan. 19, 2025, to sell the platform or face a ban of the app in the United States.
The Associated Press reported that creators will also participate in the arguments, showcasing their need to use the platform for income.
The government enacted the original law, saying the app posed a threat to national security and exposed the private data of American users.
Communication lessons: Communicators everywhere utilize TikTok and its influencers to reach audiences in regards to brand awareness, message delivery, product positioning and sales. The ongoing legal battle raises potential concern for organizations, agencies and their clients who utilize the app as an important PR tool.
Kelly Hudson, VP, Social Media at KWT Global, says the discussion surrounding TikTok use initially picked up steam when the original bill was introduced last March. Since then, the agency has been prepping for a potential ban by advising clients to diversify their social media efforts.
“As a result, we've largely prioritized Meta and YouTube for both brand efforts and creator partnerships,” Hudson says.
She also notes that since no one knows how this will shake out, the agency is still advising clients to plan brand content for January 2025 and beyond.
“While the ban will undoubtedly impact businesses heavily reliant on TikTok, our clients are better positioned due to their diversified strategies, making them less vulnerable to abrupt changes on any one platform.”
GIPHY Predicts Top 2025 Trends
What happened: Instead of reflecting on the year that was, GIPHY took the opportunity to share its predictions, based on 2024 data, of the search topics that may become trends in 2025.
From the rise of “ijbol,” and the retirement of LOL, to the rise of group chat slang and early aughts nostalgia, 2024’s search trends revealed how Gen Z’s style now rules GIPHY use.
“Bye-bye millennial dominance, a new generation has taken the reins of culture-defining virality,” says GIPHY.
Predictions include:
- Verbosity: Get there ASAP? No, we’ll be arriving “expeditiously.” Users brought their thesauruses to the chat, and 2025 should see more users exercising those SAT words.
- Death to Millennial Slang: 2024 data shows GIPHY searches for “lol” and “vibe” on the downswing, while searches for “ijbol” and “aura” are on the rise.
- Zoo-perstars: Human influencers are so last year. Next year will likely uncover more viral critters across the animal kingdom just like Moo Deng.
- The Y2K Renaissance: From sparkly quotes to hopecore content, we’re all seeking a good dose of nostalgia in 2025.
Communication lessons: Phew, we had to exercise Google a bit just to figure out what some of these trends meant—and that’s a good thing! As communicators it’s important to stay in touch with not just where, but how your audience communicates. However, it’s also important to not chase trends in order to seem relevant. Awareness is everything. GIPHY can help.
"Brands thrive on GIPHY when their content becomes an authentic part of the conversation,” says Tyler Menzel, SVP & Editor-in-Chief at GIPHY. “We want to show brand marketers how users are genuinely expressing themselves when messaging each other. If you’re doing it right, GIPHY is the only medium where ads and messages meet communication in a native way and users don’t just see your content, but share it."
Executive Media Consumption Habits
What happened: Greentarget and Zeughauser Group recently released its 2025 State of Digital Content Marketing Survey which provides an inside look at the content consumption habits of in-house counsel and the C-suite.
The research reveals important data regarding the preferences of executive decision makers and in-house counsel who are the intended consumers of content from professional services firms and law firms—at a time when an overwhelming volume of news and content, mixed with the unpredictability of AI, is making it more difficult to reach those critical audiences.
The survey shows that these decision-makers want content that is more focused on fundamentals, created by trusted editorial sources on topics of relevance and utility.
Key findings include:
- The share of decision-makers who value traditional media jumped significantly: 88% of all respondents see it as valuable—up from 79% in 2022.
- C-suites favor research reports, which ranked as second-most preferred content type.
- Lack of relevance is the No. 1 reason content misses with decision makers.
- AI and cybersecurity/data privacy are topics where business leaders most crave actionable guidance: 90% of decision-makers plan to integrate AI into business functions, yet only 50% of respondents are satisfied with AI insights from their service providers and law firms.
Communication lessons: When it comes to pitching topics for the B2B crowd, it’s important to consider what the C-suite audience can learn or take away from a story. Their time is precious, and according to this survey, they want to make sure consuming media is a worthwhile activity.
“Our research shows that business leaders value trusted editors who sift through the noise and spotlight what matters most, from financial news stalwarts like The Wall Street Journal to key industry publications,” says John Corey, Greentarget’s President and Founding Partner.
Corey also notes that LinkedIn holds executives’ attention, but it can be difficult to stand out on the platform with the current wave of promotional posts and AI-generated content. Quality of content, on any platform, shows to be a priority for leadership.
“In-house counsel and C-suite executives navigating the post-pandemic economy are more focused than ever on content fundamentals,” says Mary K. Young, a partner with Zeughauser Group. “At the same time, decision-makers increasingly rely on digital platforms for obtaining business intelligence—but they’re demanding relevance and utility in the content they consume, especially when it comes to AI, a critical topic in a rapidly digitizing economy.”
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This is our last PR Roundup for 2024, as our team is taking a short break for the holiday season. Thank you all for reading and your encouragement over the past year. Have a happy, peaceful and safe holiday season. See you in 2025!
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.