(ZENIT News / Los Angeles, 04.05.2024).- Sister Monica Clare, a un in northern New Jersey, walks by a sunlit church, sits on a bench, makes the sign of the cross and says: “Thanks to TikTok, I’ve created a Community in which we can feel safe, asking questions about spirituality.” It’s a TV ad with an underlying message that depicts TikTok as a force of good.
The video app spends millions of dollars on such ads, taking advantage of TikTok fans, such as the nun or Navy veteran P. Kenny.
Clare, 58, said in an interview: “The majority of people, especially those older than 60, say TikTok is a heap of superficial rubbish. They don’t use it. They don’t understand the type of content that is there. TikTok definitely has problems with its brand in the United States,” adding that “TikTok has been very intelligent, saying: “we are not like that; we are much more than that.”
The House of Representatives voted in favour of a draft law, and the Senate is studying the law, which would oblige the Chinese owner of ByteDance to sell the App or be banned in the United States. Many legislators think the application puts in danger the confidential data of users, or is used as a propaganda tool of China.
It was verified that ByteDance spent US$8,7 million in lobbying last year to convince lawmakers, revealed OpenSecrets, a non-profit research group. ByteDance encourages its broad base of users to contact their Representatives, although some of its initiatives have backfired.
TikTok invested US$3.1 million in commercial advertising ads during the whole of the month of April, according to AdImpact data, which monitors the media. TikTok also spent US$100,000 in ads for Instagram and Facebook, according to Meta’s Ad Library.
The company acknowledged its expenses. Michael Hughes, TikTok’s spokesman, said: “We believe that citizens should know that the government is trying to mess with the right of freedom of expression of 170 million Americans and put an end to seven million small businesses around the country.”
The company is opposing the draft law publicly and describes it as a ban, affirming that it doesn’t share data with Beijing and won’t do so, or allow any government to influence the logarithms to recommend videos to users.
Last year, TikTok amplified American citizens’ stories, such as that of Clare and Kenny, in its “TikTok Stimulates Good” campaign. A large part of that initiative seems to be directed to the conservative public.
It’s worth noting that TikTok aired a dozen ads during the Republican presidential debates or in programs related to debates last year, promoting the creators of home videos.
Cait Lamberton, Professor of Marketing of the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, explained: “It’s a classic tactic. They take an idea, put it in the mouth of a human and enable you to establish a connection with that human.” Moreover, “TikTok is seeking to position itself as a brand that represents freedom and the democratization of communication and, frankly, a heap of values with which the majority of people feel quite comfortable.”
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