WeChat, TikTok and Capturing the Consumer Mind in a Digital Age (Tech Strategy – Podcast 36)

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.

The Next Big Trends in Chinese E-Commerce (Jeff’s Asia Tech Class – Daily Lesson / Update)

There was an interesting report about China ecommerce trends released by Coresight Research, which specializes in retail meets tech consulting. It’s run by Deborah Weinswig, who I’ve crossed paths with a few times in the last couple of years. I find their research to be very data-driven and generally close to my own thinking. So […]

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Why Asia and Meituan Are Better At Food Delivery, Tencent’s Awesome Financials (Daily Lesson – Jeff’s Asia Tech Class)

Two topics for Today’s Update / Lesson. Tencent Quarterly Results Are Awesome, Yet Again It’s almost boring how these digital giants keep putting up fantastic numbers. Numbers that any other business would dream of. Most businesses are long, hard slogs where you struggle and struggle. Margins are usually small. And growth is difficult and expensive. […]

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How WeChat, TikTok and Chinese Consumers Are Disrupting and Personalizing Luxury

In my online Asia Tech Class, I talk a lot about digital superpowers, which are digital tools that upend established business. And one of these superpowers a dramatically improved user experience, such that the traditional offering is now unacceptable to users. And this sort of dramatically improved user experience is what is happening in luxury […]

3 Ways the Coronavirus is Supercharging Innovation in Digital China

When the SARS virus swept through China / Asia in 2002-2003, it resulted in millions of workers isolating themselves in their homes. And this phenomenon turned out to be pivotal for several, now dominant digital companies. For then small company Alibaba, it created a surge of activity in e-commerce. And for then physical-only retailer JD, […]

WeChat Work and Why Enterprise Tools Will Be Very Different in Mobile-First China

I attended the WeChat Open Class in Guangzhou and WeChat Work 3.0 was one of the big topics this year. There is a growing suite of digital tools for enterprise management, communication and collaboration. And they raise some fascinating strategy questions. It’s clear that enterprise tools in mobile-first China are going to evolve differently. These […]

My Visit to WeChat and Why They Are Smarter Than Apple and Facebook (Tech Strategy – Podcast 13)

Jeffrey Towson visited the WeChat Open Class in Guangzhou and was impressed by the company’s platform business model, its focus on social and transactional features, and its ability to adapt to the needs of Chinese consumers. He believes that WeChat is smarter than Apple and Facebook because it has a better understanding of the Chinese market and is able to offer a more comprehensive suite of services.

Facebook Copying WeChat Could Result in Stunning Growth (pt 2 of 2)

In Part 1, I argued that Mark Zuckerberg’s memo on “privacy-focused messaging and social networking” is actually an aggressive and potentially stunning growth path for the company. I called it the ultimate gangster move. Their move to consolidate their messaging services creates a big global tool. And it looks a lot like the foundation of […]

Facebook Copying WeChat is the Ultimate Gangster Move (pt 1 of 2)

Mark Zuckerberg’s memo on “privacy-focused messaging and social networking” has some really big implications. It is focused on private messaging and the WeChat-type operating system. To me, it looks like the first move in a strategy to turn Facebook into a much larger and more powerful company. That such a big power play is dressed […]