TikTok’s US reset is changing how brands think about commerce on the platform

TikTok’s transition to US ownership has made the platform a more stable bet for brands selling products directly through it, according to ecommerce specialist Liran Hirschkorn.

Hirschkorn, founder and chief executive of marketing agency Incrementum Digital, said the deal has unlocked pent-up demand from brands that were hesitant to invest in TikTok Shop amid uncertainty over the platform’s future in the US.

Last week, TikTok placed its US operations under a newly established consortium backed primarily by American and allied investors, following years of national security concerns.

“[We previously] had clients who were actively considering TikTok Shop but were waiting on the sidelines,” Hirschkorn told The Daily Influence. “Now there’s more confidence that TikTok is here to stay, which makes it easier to justify building infrastructure, testing creators and investing in content.”

While it remains too early to assess whether the ownership change will materially affect TikTok’s algorithm, Hirschkorn said it has already changed how brands position the platform internally, increasingly viewing it as a credible alternative to Amazon.

Incrementum Digital works with consumer brands selling across platforms including Amazon and TikTok Shop, advising on marketplace strategy and creator-led commerce. TikTok Shop, which launched globally in 2023, is already delivering results for brands looking to reach Gen Z audiences.

A different commercial logic

Hirschkorn argues that TikTok Shop and Amazon solve fundamentally different problems.

“Amazon is demand capture,” he said. “People go there knowing they want something. TikTok is demand creation. You’re interrupting someone’s day with content, not responding to a search.”

That distinction shapes how products perform. Functional, low-excitement household goods that sell reliably on Amazon can struggle on TikTok Shop, where products need a narrative hook to stop the scroll.

“What works on TikTok has to be shown, explained or lived with,” Hirschkorn said. “If there’s a story, an emotional connection, or a visible transformation, TikTok can outperform expectations.”

Creators sit at the centre of that process. Unlike Amazon, where success depends on listings and search, TikTok Shop relies on creators to show how products fit into everyday life, often through creative videos such as morning routines or before-and-after clips.

Hirschkorn said brands often underestimate how different TikTok Shop is from traditional paid social, noting that success depends on how natural creator-led content feels. Brands need to brief creators on what sets a product apart, while giving them enough freedom to connect with their audiences – a balance many still struggle to strike.

That creator-first dynamic is also pushing brands to rethink how they structure relationships. Hirschkorn expects equity-based partnerships between brands and creators to become more common.

“When a creator has equity, the product becomes part of their life, not just a campaign,” he said.

He added that long-term exposure helps build trust with audiences in a way one-off campaigns rarely do. Hirschkorn pointed to creator-co-founded brands as evidence of the model’s potential, while cautioning that influence alone is not enough.

“Creators can drive the first purchase,” he said. “But only a good product earns the second.”

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