TikTok maker ByteDance takes aim at lifestyle leader Xiaohongshu with new app

BEIJING : TikTok’s Chinese operator ByteDance is hunting for its following big strike by wading further into the way of life sector of social media with Kesong, a shopping and life style recommendations app comparable to marketplace leader Xiaohongshu.

Kesong, launched previous 7 days, makes it possible for users to share pictures, video clips and write-ups of trend suggestions and procuring encounters.

It emulates Xiaohongshu, typically likened to Meta Platforms Inc’s Instagram and which is extensively thought of the embodiment of “planting grass” – the notion that critiques can entice visitors or followers to buy a solution or company.

Manner and luxurious makes frequently turn to Xiaohongshu’s influencers who can attain tens of millions of affluent buyers in China. Overseas, Xiaohongshu is regarded as Red in nations around the world such as Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Components and program maker ByteDance was valued at all around $300 billion in new trades and has grow to be known as anything of an app manufacturing facility. It has manufactured a string of hits from news aggregator Toutiao to brief video clip application Douyin and its overseas equal TikTok, China’s most prosperous application abroad.

It attempted its hand at a “planting grass” app in 2018 with the small-lived Xincao. It tried out all over again in 2020 with Sharee, aimed at overseas marketplaces. Later renamed Lemon8, the app has in excess of a million downloads in Japan and has expanded into Thailand.

Lemon8 is checking out the risk of increasing into Australia, two people today at the enterprise told Reuters.

The application is overseen by Alex Zhu, senior vice president of products and approach at ByteDance and formerly TikTok head, the two people said, declining to be recognized as they ended up not authorised to speak with media.

“ByteDance is incredibly determined to crack the ‘high-brow’ sector (with Kesong and Lemon8) to reach a increased ARPU,” a person of the persons explained, referring to regular profits for every consumer.

ByteDance did not reply to a request for comment.