Tick Tock…Tick Tock…. The clock is ticking for TikTok!

There’s so much happening - I’ll jump right in!?

Spotlight Story?

You know what sucks? The other day, I was at a coffee shop ready to have coffee and muffins, but then I canceled the muffin and decided just to have coffee. However, when it came time to pay, I was charged for the coffee AND the Muffin!?

I was told by the cashier, that all customers in the cafe were required to pay for the ‘muffin chefs training’ whether we ordered the muffin or not. Isn’t that wild!?! So anyone who walks into that bakery will be charged for the muffin maker's training - even though they don’t order any bakery product. Go figure!?????♂?

Well, this didn’t quite happen to me - but it’s what is going to happen to tech platforms like Meta, Bytedance, Google, etc as the Australian government is planning new rules that would charge big tech firms millions of dollars if they did not pay Australian media companies for news hosted on their platforms.

On the other hand, platforms like Meta, have been proactively discouraging the promotion of news and political content globally on the platform. In fact, Meta claims that news consumption on the platform is a mere 3% and decreasing. But if the new proposal comes into play, then they will have to cough out millions of dollars to support local journalism, whether or not they have news on the platform or not.

This feels like arm-twisting at a whole new level and could set a dangerous precedence across countries. This is quite literally ‘operating fees’ for being in a market and is an unwarranted, unfair overlay on top of the corporate taxation

Research Reports

In recent times there has been a growing concern about the increasing and addictive use of social media on teens globally. Australia recently banned the use of social media for kids under 16, and Canada and Indonesia seem to be following suit soon. Many European Union nations such as Britain, Norway, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands have also renewed their interest in considering a ban on social media for under-16 kids.?

Some key findings from a recent report by the Pew Research Center survey of U.S. Teens aged between 13 to 17 reveals?

• YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snap top the list for being the most used social platforms. YouTube is used by 90% of the children

• Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform. About six in ten visit TikTok daily, and about half of them visit Instagram or Snapchat every day.?

• Teen Girl's usage of TikTok is much more than Teen Boys while it's the inverse when it comes to YouTube.

Trending Topics

• Snap has been making news for all the right reasons lately. Its latest development has introduced a unified monetization program for creators, allowing them to receive equal payment for content produced in Stories and its Spotlight sections

• Another significant Reorg at Meta has led to @John Hegeman being named as the CRO. A position that had not been backfilled since the exit of David Fischer in 2021. Additionally, Justin Osofsky will expand his leadership role to become head of partnerships and business development for the company. (Side note - having been a part of Olofsky’s partnership org, during my time at Meta, I am definitely cheering him on from the sidelines. Justin is one of the sharpest and most well-regarded leaders @ Meta)

• In the world in which we live, the Creator Economy has very quickly become very cluttered. While newer platforms keep popping up most of them follow similar’ish monetization models with their gating criteria such as follower counts, watch hours, upload volume frequency etc. However, here comes Microsoft with a very unique value proposition. If you are a seasoned creator or even an on-again-off-again creator and are looking to monetize your content across MSN surfaces with no additional effort required from your end - reach out to me and I’ll help you get in those extra $$
• As we get to the end of 2024, here’s a quick view of the most unexpected movers and shakers that rose to social media fame
• And, on TikTok, the suspense keeps heating up! However, given the impending ban, TikTok has been prioritizing and making itself indispensable to Americans and its efforts have been paying off. TikTok Shop netted over $100mn in single-day sales on Black Friday

Around the Globe

• Speaking of TikTok Shop, its e-commerce shop feature is going live in Spain, with Germany, Italy, France, and Ireland next on the charts
• The latest version OpenAI Sora video generator,? Sora Turbo would not be available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom yet, possibly due to regulations
• Dubai is doubling down on making the UAE the most favored destination for creators. The Dubai Press Club (DPC), launched the first phase of the Dubai Content Creators Programme, a new initiative aimed at equipping emerging talent and content creators.?
• Next month Dubai is hosting the One Billion Follower Summit, with our very own Creator Economy sherpa, Jim Louderback as our trusted navigator through the wild world of creators
• TikTok and GroupM New Zealand recently partnered to explore the future of influencer marketing in New Zealand.

AI X Creator Economy

OpenAI recently launched the latest version of its Sora video generator, Sora Turbo, which will give people the ability to create 20-second video content. It is more photorealistic that ever before. Also heightens the risk of more sophisticated deepfakes

My Corner

I know this is a long newsletter, I'll blame it on the long 5.5-hour flight to Singapore that I find myself typing this newsletter from!? Due to some unexpected last-minute developments, I’ll be in Singapore till 12/27, hit me up if you’re around and would like to catch up over a beer or coffee!?

Yesterday, I met with Jamie Gutfreund to sync on our upcoming panel at the One Billion Follower Summit. Jamie, a former CMO, is an OG in the Brand/Creator marketing space and she regularly writes for Forbes, if you haven’t followed Jamie on Linkedin yet, go do it now! ….I’ll wait! :) I look forward to exchanging thoughts on the Creator Economy with Jamie next month.?

Dad Joke of the Week

’tis the holiday season upon us. So here goes ;)?

Knock, knock! Who’s there? Noah. Noah who? Noah good Christmas joke?

I hope you like this free newsletter? I’m still learning and this newsletter is still evolving. Would love your candid feedback. Anything you’d like to see more of, less of or least of! ??

I have held leadership roles in big tech sales & partnerships across Asia Pacific-Japan, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East. I’m a seasoned entrepreneur (EdTech) and a military veteran. I am a business author on the evolving Content and Creator Economy and a LinkedIn Top Voice on Team Management and Creator Economy.

Join our community for a midweek insight into the pulse of the global Creator Economy, delivered straight to your inbox. Email me at [email protected] or swing by www.MetaCogX.me (under construction).

Stay curious, keep exploring!