The potential TikTok ban in the US has left brands and creators exploring alternatives, with Rednote (Xiaohongshu) emerging as a popular choice among Gen Z.Â
Published On: January 17, 2025
Rednote recently climbed to #1 on the US App Store, offering TikTok-like features, including video-based feeds. In 2024, posts mentioning “fashion” generated $22.5M in Media Value on the platform, with 99.9% coming from organic content. This surge highlights its potential for influencer marketing.
Rednote is already capitalising on its new-found popularity in the US by adopting TikTok-style video formats and introducing bilingual subtitles to engage wider audiences. However, its China-centric design, like subcategories available only in Chinese, limits international accessibility.
Despite its growing popularity, Rednote, like TikTok, may face scrutiny as a Chinese-owned app, posing long-term risks in the US market.
This transition could redefine influencer marketing strategies:
Rednote is a platform worth watching as these developments unfold. What do you think? Could it replace TikTok?Â
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Cannes Lions has always been where the industry takes stock, not just of the work, but of where the money is going and why. This year, creator marketing will be front and centre. Not because it’s new, but because the ground underneath it is shifting in ways that are forcing brands to fundamentally rethink how they plan, measure and value creator partnerships.Â
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The top 100 media and entertainment brands across video streaming, audio streaming, and content creation generated $63.4B in total Earned Media Value in 2025, up +7.0% YoY. Growth is uneven across sub-sectors, video streaming surged while audio streaming declined sharply, platform dynamics are shifting fast, and a handful of breakout brands are rewriting what influence looks like in entertainment.
TikTok grew +70.2% YoY and is rapidly closing the gap on YouTube as the dominant entertainment influence platform. YouTube remains #1 at $32.6B but declined -11.3%, while Instagram grew +4.4% to $13.3B. Facebook nearly doubled to $7.3B (+98.9%), making media and entertainment one of the few categories where four platforms are genuinely competing for share.
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