Marketers are on the prowl for the next big social media platform. They’re eyeing names like BeReal, Lemon8, and Zigazoo, but so far, no platform has gained users the way TikTok did. “Understanding why certain apps surge and why some ultimately fizzle is vital to keep up with changing social user trends and behaviors,” said our analyst Jasmine Enberg. We took a closer look at what marketers are watching.

Social media newcomer Lemon8 racked up about 64,000 US downloads per day, on average, in recent weeks, according to Apptopia. The platform, which comes from TikTok owner ByteDance, capitalizes on the shopability of photos and short videos with its Pinterest-meets-Instagram format.

Metaverse hype may have died down, but tech companies are still investing in VR. And a crop of new devices will continue to expand audiences—albeit slowly.

Lemon8 makes a splash in US as lawmakers mull TikTok ban: New app quickly gains followers, but Chinese ownership could raise concern.

50% of Americans support a government ban on TikTok, with higher support among Republicans and older Americans. Continued scrutiny could be TikTok’s downfall.

Short-form video is the hot topic of 2023 Newfronts: TikTok, Meta, and YouTube are all presenting as the dominant short-form app faces existential threats.

Nearly three-quarters of US TikTok users will also use Instagram this year, making it the most popular alternative to the social video app, per our forecast. That’s good news for Instagram Reels, which is positioning itself as a viable successor in the event of a US TikTok ban.

The threat of a TikTok ban is enough to make waves: ByteDance, Meta, and Chinese competitor Kuaishou are all taking steps to anticipate a ban.

Apple leads businesses leaning on China: The brewing tech cold war notwithstanding, companies like Apple need to rely on established supply chains. Continued foreign partnerships are essential to China’s recovery.

An ultimatum by the Biden administration gives ByteDance no recourse but to sell TikTok—which China’s government doesn’t seem likely to allow—or risk being banned.

A TikTok ban would put influencer payment policies to the test: YouTube and Instagram are eyed as alternative platforms as the TikTok debate heats up.

TikTok offers a teen time limit as US ban talks boil over: Talk of serious action is heating up, and TikTok is waving olive branches to prevent the worst.

On today's episode, we discuss why some folks think digital ads are getting worse, whether things are looking up for Uber, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance challenging Meta on VR, why Warner Bros. Discovery will continue Discovery+, the Grammys rebounding from the pandemic's effect on viewership, the surprising most littered plastic item in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti and analysts Suzy Davidkhanian and Max Willens.

Among the major global platforms, Facebook and Instagram will remain firmly at the top in both total revenues and user base, and TikTok will once again be the fastest-growing platform in both areas

The social media landscape is shifting. Economic challenges, new competition, and governmental scrutiny are pushing the major global platforms in different directions.

Nearly 50% of social network users in Thailand will be TikTok users, giving the country the highest TikTok penetration in the world, according to our forecast. The US will rank second, with 45.3% of its social users on TikTok. We expect penetration in the US will be as high as 49.1% by the end of 2026.

TikTok’s recommendation oversight could usher in a new era for social media: The embattled app promised regulators access to its algorithm, which could mean similar changes for competitors.

Amid global economic gloom, Asia-Pacific remains a region of digital opportunities in 2023, highlighted by the increasing momentum of the metaverse in China, surging retail sales in India, and burgeoning livestream commerce in Indonesia.

Tech’s economic pain isn’t letting up: Economic recovery eludes the tech industry as the Fed targets the overall strong job market’s role in driving inflation. Expect more corporate downsizing.

A jarring deceleration in ad spending growth has shaken the advertising industry in many parts of the world. However, this softness is not universal, and it is likely to be short-lived.