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I’ve come to dread being asked if I’d seen the latest dance, challenge, or whatever thing is trending on TikTok. While failing to keep up with a streaming series or a newly released movie might seem excusable given the time commitment, it’s harder to shirk watching something that’s less than a minute long.
With the growing omnipresence of TikTok, it’s no surprise that influencers have gone from making suggestions on what to buy to straight up selling on the platform.
Yup, now my friends will be asking if I’ve bought the hottest item on TikTok too.
In this week’s Big Story, my colleague Huong analyzes how TikTok Shop continues steamrolling into Southeast Asia and how its “shoppertainment” – the use of entertainment to engage customers to shop – strategy is flipping the ecommerce game.
But while Gen Z consumers are all over the platform, how are established brands taking TikTok’s shift from being an advertising channel to a sales platform?
In this week’s Hot Take, I look at how Shopee withdrew from its Latin American markets except Brazil. Amid a much tougher economic environment for Shopee’s parent Sea Group, is remaining in Brazil worth the fight?
– Qishin
THE BIG STORY
TikTok Shop has set SEA on fire within months
Image credit: Timmy Loen
Selling on TikTok Shop has become a big business for some in this region. How long will the party last?
THE HOT TAKE
Why Shopee is walking a tightrope in Brazil
FYI
NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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