Ever see something on your social media feed, dismiss it, and then all of the sudden you notice that it’s EVERYWHERE?
I saw something interesting pop up in my Bluesky feed a week or two ago. It was a post from a woman who said that all these Chinese Manufacturers are going after the luxury brands on TikTok and I’m here for it.
I paused for a moment and watched the video. Didn’t think much of it, and continued to scroll.
A few days later I saw another post and the following week, my account manager, who lives in Hungary (this is important and you will soon realize why – stay with me) asked if I had seen all of these posts on TikTok about the Chinese manufacturers. I mentioned my experience and she said “You have to go see it. THIS is the power of social media. They are EVERYWHERE.”
A few days later I logged back into my TikTok app. It had been a LOOOOONG time since I had spent any time on the app. It’s VERY addicting for me, so I took a break. That means that my algorithm was basically a blank slate.
A Note on the TikTok Algorithm
I am about to breakdown exactly how my algorithm changed pretty dramatically in less than an hour on the app. The algortithm works similar to those on Facebook, Instagram, or any other type of feed that tries to guess what type of content you want to see.
The TikTok algorithm is the best, by far.
When you are scrolling and you stop on a post for 3-5 seconds the algorithm takes note. Then if you like it, or share it after 5-10 secs it will remember that action as well. Take some time to interact with the post and you will see more of that type of content. Even if you DON’T like the posts, you could start to see more of that type of content if you stay on the post for 50% – 100% of the video.
Back to TikTok
Once I got back into TikTok I saw some of the same people I used to follow, but definitely some new content that I would never have followed. My feed was at the point where it would be very easy to reset.
I wanted to just see if I would run into one of these posts from a Chinese manufacturer. What came up first was an American explaining what was going on and how to find ALL of the posts to get whatever you need from the different manufacturers at a fraction of the cost. Check out the TikTok account for @Tori to see his video. It is a solid explainer on what is happening.
What is happening?
President Trump has been adding tariffs to all kinds of goods since he came into office – but he enacted tariffs on all countries on April 2nd. On that day he added very large tariffs to all goods from China. China then came back and said we will see your tariffs and match them. Trump, not to be outdone, added more tariffs. China reciprocated. At some point Trump went up to 145% tariffs on China and China just stopped with the back and forth.
All of this means that everything made in China is about to become REALLY expensive for those of us living in the good ol US of A.
It’s a HOT MESS is the nicest way for me to refer to this FUBAR situation.
How did the Chinese Manufacturers Respond?
With a whole lot of TRUTH BOMBS.
Immediately a bunch of Chinese manufacturers started spilling the tea on what products were made in Chinese factories. They started explaining that those luxury bags that you think are made in Italy or France, are only partially made there. They are actually mostly made in China and then shipped to Italy (or their “home” country”) to have a logo put on it and maybe a few small details to complete it.
And then they made their move.
Once people were educated on what they were buying – they gave you the option to by the products (same ones you get in the US) for a FRACTION of the cost.
The Loop Hole
Wait…there are tariffs, right?
Right.
But a long time ago there was a law put in place that said if you bought less than $800 worth of goods from another country, then it wasn’t subject to tariffs. This was because it was seen as such a pain for the manufacturer and the end consumer. There was just not enough purchases below this threshold to justify the paperwork and annoyance of the small purchases.
Until Now.
Shein and Temu have changed the game and now that there are small purchases being made directly from the manufacturers to avoid the tarriffs…it may be a short lived play.
On May 2nd, President Trump is planning on closing the loophole and cause the tarriffs to go into effect on small purchases as well. This may change…Trump isn’t known for making a plan and sticking to it…but until it is changed, the Chinese manufacturers are on the offense.
Check out The News Girl (pictured below) for a really good break down on this law, what could happen and other breaking news.
What Can You Buy?
The videos offer a wide range of product offerings. From name brand shoes (Nike and Adidas), to laundry pods, luxury bags, Lululemon clothing and furniture that you would normally buy at Pottery Barn and/or Restoration Hardware – it’s all available directly from the manufacturer.
If you have never purchased anything directly from the factory before, then they all offer customer service options and say that they are willing to walk you through the process to purchase what you need from them.
The Twist At the End – My Algorithm
There was something unexpected while I was going down this rabbit hole.
First, it was the speed at how quickly the posts started to pop up. Within 20 mins and me watching the entire video from @Tory, the videos started to come every two posts, then a live, then maybe every other post. It very quickly started to dominate my feed.
As I started to notice the transition, at the end a couple of videos showed up that were welcoming me to “WorldTok” or “GlobalTok”.
What???
The creators from other countries were actually creating new content for a US audience to welcome them to a broader spectrum of posts from around the world.
And I believe that this is directly due to the Chinese Manufacturers movement.
In the US we are now watching more content from China, therefore the algorithm believes that we want to watch more videos from around the world…and it’s ushering a ton of Americans into a feed that they never knew existed.
It’s an exciting world to explore, but quite a twist I wasn’t expecting!
It is also important to note that these videos are being seen in Europe and many countries. Remember my account manager in Hungary? It is 100% penetrating the market in Europe and beyond. This is key when we look at the power of social media. The fact that it is not only all over the US but all over the world is something that deserves our focus.
Takeaways
- The Chinese manufactures are going on the offensive and doing everything they can to save their businesses. That is admirable.
However, it may hurt the end retailers in the US. If we can buy it from China direct, it makes you question whether those high prices are really worth paying.
- 2) Social Media is and has always been an agent for change.
From our countrywide protests fueled by 50501, Indivisible, Hands Off and so many others, to the Chinese manufacturers changing the way we shop – mass information can lead to massive action.
- 3) We are far from alone.
Social media gives us access to the entire world. Often we are stuck in our own bubble, thinking that the way we are doing something is the only way to do it. Just think how amazing the world can be when we learn from each other.
This is not a secret to anyone who has traveled internationally or has talked to someone from another country. But if you haven’t had the opportunity, I highly recommend searching for WorldTok.
The world is much larger than what is before us.
I would love to see if you have seen these posts and if you have seen them on a platform other than TikTok. Shoot me a note on Bluesky or comment on this blog. We would love to chat with you!
Cheers my friends.
[Note on TikTok Creators: I did my best to tag the ones I could find. I took screenshots to keep their usernames on the screen if links were not found. Please find them and follow. All images are their work, follow and like to see more of their work.]