TikTok Maker Launches Kesong App in China in Bid to Compete With Market Leader 6i3y25 Technology News

Kesong, launched by TikTok owner Bytedance, allows s to share photos, videos and write-ups of fashion tips and shopping experiences. 6jf3j

By Reuters | Updated: 14 July 2022 15:46 IST

TikTok Maker Launches Kesong App in China in Bid to Compete With Market Leader

Hardware and software maker ByteDance was valued at around $300 billion in recent trades 2c1n6o

Highlights

It tried its hand at a "planting grass" app in 2018
Lemon8 is exploring the possibility of expanding into Australia
The app is overseen by Alex Zhu

ment

TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance is looking for its next big hit by wading deeper into the lifestyle sector of social media with Kesong, a shopping and lifestyle recommendations app similar to market leader Xiaohongshu. Kesong, launched last week, allows s to share photos, videos and write-ups of fashion tips and shopping experiences. It emulates Xiaohongshu, often likened to Meta Platforms' Instagram and which is widely considered the embodiment of "planting grass" - the notion that reviews can entice readers or followers to buy a product or service.

Fashion and luxury brands often turn to Xiaohongshu's influencers who can reach millions of affluent s in China. Overseas, Xiaohongshu is known as Red in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Hardware and software maker TikTok, China's most successful app abroad.

TikTok Could Face FTC Probe Over US Data Access

It tried its hand at a "planting grass" app in 2018 with the short-lived Xincao. It tried again in 2020 with Sharee, aimed at overseas markets. Later renamed Lemon8, the app has over a million s in Japan and has expanded into Thailand.

Lemon8 is exploring the possibility of expanding into Australia, two people at the company told Reuters.

The app is overseen by Alex Zhu, senior vice president of product and strategy at ByteDance and formerly TikTok head, the two people said, declining to be identified as they were not authorised to speak with media.

Russian Lawmakers Approve Harsher Fines for Tech Firms Without Offices

"ByteDance is very determined to crack the 'high-brow' market (with Kesong and Lemon8) to achieve a higher ARPU," one of the people said, referring to average revenue per .

ByteDance did not respond to a request for comment.

Noise co-founder Amit Khatri s Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, for a special episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.