HBR On Strategy

Competing with TikTok: When to Imitate, When to Differentiate

Dec 27, 2023

The podcast explores the rise of TikTok and how imitation can lead to better financial performance. It discusses the challenges faced by TikTok, competition between social media platforms, and the influence of political sentiment on the platform. The episode concludes with the host wrapping up the conversation and promoting their podcast.

34:52

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Quick takeaways

Imitation can be a successful competitive strategy among social networks, leading to better financial performance.

TikTok's authenticity, user-friendly tools, and algorithm-driven content recommendations attracted a broad range of users, setting it apart from other social networks.

Deep dives

Imitation as a Competitive Strategy in Social Networks

This podcast episode discusses how imitation can be a successful competitive strategy among leading social networks. While traditional business strategy emphasizes differentiation from competitors, social networks like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have shown that imitation can lead to better financial performance. The episode explores the question of when imitation becomes detrimental and when it is a useful strategy. It examines the case of TikTok and how Instagram and YouTube copied its features to compete in the market for short-form videos. The discussion provides insights for setting strategy in a competitive industry that relies on innovation.

Introduction

3min

Understanding Imitation and Network Effects in the Tech Industry

3min

The Rise and Impact of TikTok

17min

Challenges and Political Sentiment: TikTok's Battle

3min

Competition between Social Media Platforms

7min

Wrapping up the conversation and promoting a podcast

3min

In 2023, TikTok became the fourth largest social network by number of users, behind Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Meanwhile, competition in the market for short-form videos intensified. Instagram introduced Reels and YouTube launched Shorts—innovations that imitated TikTok’s approach.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee discusses imitation as a competitive strategy among the leading social networks. Standard business strategy emphasizes the need to differentiate your product or service from competitors. However, as these social networks have shown, imitation can sometimes lead to better financial performance. The question is: When is imitation useful and when does it become detrimental?

This is the final episode in a special series highlighting the four best strategy episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.

Key episode topics include: strategy, social media, competitive strategy, organizational change.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the original HBR Cold Call episode: As Social Networks Get More Competitive, Which Ones Will Survive? (2023)

· Find more episodes of Cold Call

· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org