In Tech Strategy Podcast 161, Prof Jeff discusses the international success of TikTok and Shein, contrasting it with the less global impact of WeChat and Kuaishou. He identifies three key factors: having a 10x product and user experience, offering a service that’s standardizable across borders, and the ability to build on or develop competitive advantages rapidly.
In this comprehensive discussion, the focus is laid on why American citizens should protect TikTok. Contrary to popular belief, TikTok is not the major threat to freedom and privacy; the US Censorship Regime is. At present, TikTok plays a crucial role in breaking the censorship monopoly and restoring free speech in Silicon Valley.
A few years ago, I went to the WeChat Open Talk meeting in Guangzhou and founder Allen Zhang (see photo) gave a talk that really stuck with me. He talked about about the powerful role of information flows in society and life. And how the digitization of these information flows has created a situation where […]
Generative AI is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to disrupt many industries, including the content creation industry. Generative AI can be used to create new content, such as videos, images, and text, that is indistinguishable from human-created content. This means that generative AI could potentially replace human creators on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and OnlyFans.
Jeffrey Towson, a China tech expert, believes that TikTok is difficult to copy because it is more than just an app. It is a culture and a community that has been built over time. Imitators may be able to copy the app’s features, but they will struggle to replicate its success without the same culture and community.
I’ve talked a lot about why KOLs and influencers are so important in a connected world. Live streaming and short video are currently the big focus of influencers, but this is a much larger phenomenon. So why is Baidu is selling iQiyi, China’s #2 video streaming platform? Consumers Are Networks It begins with this simple […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how Bytedance’s “attention factory” business model is a threat to Facebook. He argues that Bytedance’s ability to collect and analyze user data, combined with its focus on short-form content, gives it a significant competitive advantage. Towson believes that Facebook needs to adapt its business model to compete with Bytedance.
I like Bytedance. I think they make great apps. Super engaging. With fantastic user interfaces. They are one of the most innovative mobile app companies on the planet. But they suck at internationalization. Their attempt to become China’s first international digital company has been a slow moving train wreck. Lots of us have been predicting […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how TikTok can learn from Huawei about the role of the state in China. He argues that TikTok needs to build relationships with key government officials and understand the regulatory environment in order to be successful in China. Towson also believes that TikTok can benefit from Huawei’s experience in dealing with foreign governments.
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses how companies like WeChat and TikTok are changing the way businesses compete for consumers’ attention in the digital age. He argues that the share of the consumer mind is becoming a more important competitive advantage than ever before. Towson provides examples of how WeChat and TikTok are using digital tools to capture the consumer mind, and he discusses the implications for businesses of all sizes.