TikTok returns to CES—joining other in-person digital marketers

The return of in-person events for next month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas will also see the return of major players in the digital advertising space. TikTok is the latest marketer to sign on for exhibition, joining a list that already includes Meta, Amazon, Google and Snap, according to an announcement made today by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which owns and produces CES. An additional 200 companies and 10,000 attendees have registered in the last 10 days, indicating a surge of excitement for the annual tech conference that was virtual-only this year due to the pandemic. While necessary, the virtual parameters of CES 2021 missed out on much of the live buzz that fuels the tech world. Of course, the return of CES in person comes amid an uptick in COVID cases and the emergence of the new Omicron variant. Next year’s convention will be held from Jan.5 through Jan. 8 in Las Vegas and include hybrid events featuring over 1,900 exhibitors. See Ad Age’s 2021 Social Commerce Guide here. For marketers, CES 2022 will feature new categories, such as NFTs, highlighting the innovation made in the industry over the past year. Other notable topics, such as the use of augemented reality in retail and the potential of esports as a brand investment, will be featured as part of the conference, which has historically been an important occasion for advertisers to learn about new ways to connect with their audiences. TikTok’s appearance follows a busy year for the short-form video platform in which it has grown its position as a formidable player in digital advertising. The platform continues to be a destination for brands looking to partner with creators, and has been bolstering areas like social commerce to meet the demand of online shopping. TikTok has also experimented with NFTs as a method of compensating creators, which could place it amidst the conversation around digital tokens happening at CES. Competing social media companies like Meta and Snap will also be exhibiting their ad offerings, a testament to brands’ increasing reliance on such platforms in order to reach digitally-minded consumers. Tech giants Amazon and Google will likewise be live in Las Vegas, having continued their dominance in yielding ad revenue through 2021. The metaverse is also likely to receive plenty of attention at next year’s conference. Meta (previously Facebook), which will return to CES as a rebranded company, has a lot of work to do with regards to convincing brands to follow it into the future. Microsoft, a company with its own ambitious vision for the metaverse, is another scheduled exhibitor.

TikTok returns to CES—joining other in-person digital marketers

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