TikTok has released its global “What’s Next” trends report for marketing creatives, outlining three major trends that brands should pay attention to in 2025. Cassie Taylor, TikTok’s global creative solutions and trends lead, and several marketing partners provided insights. TikTok encourages marketers to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) in 2025.
The company’s Symphony suite offers generative-AI tools that enable creatives to generate ad scripts, identify trend summaries, and translate videos. Despite some anxiety about AI, TikTok claims it can provide a “creative edge.”
“Even a few years ago when we started to see different apps come out with AI, there was uncertainty. But now it’s been around long enough for people to understand its value,” Taylor remarked.
Bridget Jewell, executive creative director at Dentsu Creative, mentioned the agency uses TikTok’s Symphony suite to generate video ideas and identify trending sounds. TikTok advocates for brands to work with a broader range of influencers to connect with niche communities. According to the report, the focus should shift from the loudest voices to more creators who can drive impact at scale.
Jamie Gersch, chief marketing officer of the fashion brand Rothy’s, emphasized the value of collaborating with influencers who are naturally engaging with their products on social media. The report advises brands to rethink how they address traditional life milestones like homeownership, which can induce anxiety among TikTok users. Instead, brands should focus on goals that TikTok users care about, such as mental health and leisure activities.
“People are getting married later, moving abroad as milestones, and having different career goals,” Taylor said.
2025 TikTok marketing trends
This deep dive into global trends did not address the potential ban of the TikTok app from US app stores, which could shift the focus to other platforms like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
Taylor declined to comment on this possible scenario. In 2024, brands broke new ground on TikTok—embracing the platform’s diverse community, pushing creative limits, riding cultural waves, and showing up with authentic voices. The result was a game-changing standard for community engagement that’s redefining brand connection and influence.
In 2025, the TikTok community will unite to create unique, transformative, and year-defining content, reshaping how the industry thinks about ‘marketing’ and the future of business growth—a movement we’re calling ‘Brand Fusion.’
“The old playbook of brands telling consumers what they need is over. This new era calls for brands to join forces with creators and communities, working hand-in-hand to build content that resonates, drives impact, and ultimately redefines cultural relevance,” said Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing for TikTok. “The creative storytelling opportunities on TikTok are endless, and this year brands and creators will come together to continue to shape culture, spark fresh ideas, and accelerate business growth by tapping directly into what matters to the TikTok community.”
As content demand rises, brands are shifting from short-lived marketing assets to multifaceted storytelling strategies.
With the decline of traditional seasons and on-demand shopping trends, brands can experiment with various messages and formats without audience fatigue. Formats such as short-form videos allow brands to quickly hop into trends and tell new stories by shaking up the format. Tools like interactive comment sections further enhance this strategy, allowing brands to gain insights directly from their audience.
The comment section is also becoming a new engine for commerce—by reading through comments, brands can learn about their community’s needs firsthand and then credit them by launching the product everyone is asking for. The trend report is supported by data from the Global TikTok Marketing Science team, gathered across multiple third-party commissioned research studies utilizing mixed methods, including quantitative online surveys and advanced analytics. This report zeroes in on the most impactful and sustainable trends, which reflect evolving content patterns that highlight emerging behaviors and interests.
