TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and Netflix’s latest reality show goes just a bit further than Survivor by tossing competitors directly into a zombie apocalypse.

EYES ON THE PRIZE

TikTok is aiming for $20 billion in retail sales by the end of the year

TikTok has big plans for its burgeoning retail empire. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the video platform aims to increase its retail sales by 300% in just one year.

The target: $20 billion by the end of 2023.

TikTok secured a total of $5 billion in sales last year—meaning its belated New Year’s resolution is a big ask. So, how does the Bytedance-owned company plan to make its retail dreams into reality?

TikTok is taking a page from Amazon’s playbook. Per WSJ, the app’s Shopping Center will function like the retail giant’s “Sold by Amazon” program. In other words: TikTok plans to source third-party products and then handle the sales and shipping logistics itself. (So far, that process appears to be tied to TikTok’s previously announced U.S. retail division.)

The products sold through TikTok’s new hub will most likely look like the clothing and goods buyers can find on dubious digital outlets like Shein and Temu. The differentiating factor will be the Shopping Center’s user interface, which WSJ says will “integrates different channels where users can view and buy goods into one single page.”

TikTok will also continue to run the overall TikTok Shop (which sells creator-designed and brand-affiliated products). According to a spokesperson for the app, however, TikTok’s top retail priority is to empower local businesses to build their presence on the platform and within its marketplace.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Here Are 3 Ways Joining Threads Can Boost Your Growth—From the World’s Top Creator Agency

As the world’s #1 influencer talent agency, Viral Nation Talent is always on the pulse of the creator economy—and its expert-led Creator Studio has been keeping a close eye on Threads. The app’s explosive success offers a clear opportunity for both emerging and established creators.

Here’s why joining Threads can ​take your content to new heights:

1. Your Instagram followers are already there 👋 
Most creators with an established Instagram presence will experience a growth surge due to Instagram's integration with Threads.

2. Your content will reach users outside your existing audience 📣
Content on Threads is currently being served to non-followers—meaning your posts have a good chance of reaching new viewers.

3. Photos and videos can be repurposed from other platforms 📲
Threads may be a text-based app, but photos and videos are already going viral. That high performance offers a great opportunity to benefit from your existing content (without putting in more work!).

Looking for more ways to optimize your content and grow your brand?

​Viral Nation’s Creator Studio​ offers one-on-one content optimization and platform strategization from seasoned experts. From deep-diving into your analytics to guiding your cross-platform growth, the Creator Studio knows exactly how to turn your content into a brand empire.

​Visit the website to learn more →​

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• According to multiple creators, TikTok has begun removing videos that promote drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro as weight loss solutions. (Tubefilter)
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• Snapchat’s number of active daily active users has reportedly increased by 14% year-over-year. (TechCrunch)
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• Alphabet has announced the promotion of Google CFO Ruth Porat to president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google. (The Verge)
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• Threads’ latest update includes the addition of a chronological feed. (Engadget)

DATA • U.S. TOP 50 📈

This cosmetology pro is serving up some of the most viral looks on YouTube Shorts

Emmy Combs can bust out a full face of makeup in no time. The professional cosmetologist has made a name for herself on YouTube Shorts by setting show-stopping beauty transitions to popular sounds—but Combs’ most dramatic looks go way beyond a full face of makeup.

To sum up Combs’ process in her own words: “I draw on my head when I’m bored.”

That description is a bit of an understatement. Videos like this one have drawn in tens of millions of views by showing off Combs’ incredible artwork, which frequently extends from below her chin to the top of her head. The Maryland native has alopecia universalis, which means she hasn’t had hair on her body (including her head) since she was a small child.

That condition has provided Combs with the perfect canvas to exhibit her extraordinary makeup skills, which often tie in popular characters, TV shows, and celebrities. This “Bald Barbie” look, for example, scored more than 1 million views overnight—and that’s still ten times fewer views than Combs’ top Short of all time.

• In fact, the cosmetologist’s most popular video has now racked up a whopping 129 million views in less than one month.

• Her total weekly views are even more impressive: the makeup artist snagged 146.1 million views over the course of our last seven-day count, pushing her channel to 30th place in our U.S. Top 50 chart.

• Those views represent about 20% of Combs’ entire lifetime view count—a number that now stands at over 750 million.

WATCH THIS 📺

After almost a decade online, Lackadaisy is getting its very own animated series

Tracy Butler’s Eisner-nominated webcomic is becoming an animated show. If you’re not familiar with Lackadaisy, this is your sign to binge-read the tale of a rough-and-tumble St. Louis speakeasy populated by a host of animal hooligans.

Since launching in 2005, the Lackadaisy webcomic has been translated into both a print “art-and-lore volume” and a viral YouTube short film. Now—after just one day on BackerKit—an animated Lackadaisy series from Iron Circus Comics has already earned enough support to fund an entire season of episodes. You can check out the teaser for that upcoming show here.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.