Sign up for the Daily Newsletter, sent exclusively to our premium subscribers. We break down the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community. Get the newsletter in your inbox everyday with a premium subscription.
Hello reader,
When the first TikTok dance went viral years ago, it was probably hard to imagine that the app would one day become a key political issue in the world’s most powerful country.
Yet at Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this week, TikTok CEO Shou Chew took a prominent spot to watch as the newly elected president of the US signed an executive order postponing the app’s ban in the country.
When US lawmakers approved the ban last year, it likely didn’t occur to them that another Chinese social media platform would welcome “TikTok refugees.”
But that’s exactly what Xiaohongshu did last week as Americans scaled the Great Firewall. Today’s featured story looks into what this move could mean for the future of social media – both in the East and the West.
Today we look at:
- Americans finding out what’s on the other side of the Great Firewall
- The electric vehicle industry in the US suffering a blow from Trump
- Other newsy highlights such as Singapore-based indoor air monitor creator uHoo getting fresh funding and India’s Zomato facing a 57% profit decline.
Premium summary
RedNote (Not Taylor’s version)
Image credit: Timmy Loen
As the ban on TikTok in the US approached last week, Americans flocked to Xiaohongshu, another Chinese social media platform.
TikTok has since gone back online, but the impact of the major spontaneous cultural exchange between Chinese and American social media users can’t be underplayed.
- Different strokes: Known as RedNote in English, Xiaohongshu provides a vastly different social media experience than Western platforms. Its ecosystem prioritizes user experience over advertising revenue. On the app, key opinion leaders provide commercial integration instead of pushing sponsored posts that flood Instagram and Facebook.
- Culture clash: Xiaohongshu served as a playground for the so-called TikTok refugees, but it didn’t stay that way for long. The stricter content moderation and the language barrier on the app, among other factors, suggest that this is more of a temporary protest rather than a social media sea change.
- Deep dive: While pivoting to target English-language users on Xiaohongshu would be a short-sighted move for brands, opportunities abound. Western brands have the chance to carry out market research and observe genuine, unprompted interest in general product categories or even in the brands themselves.
Read more: Xiaohongshu shows Americans a whole new social media world
Are gas guzzlers great again?
Quick bytes
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
