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Product cover image for Kuaishou: Developing a Livestreaming E-Commerce Business

Kuaishou: Developing a Livestreaming E-Commerce Business

Wei Li, Junfeng Tian, Jianping Liang, Jing Chen, Hubert Pun

Product #:W26400_P
Supplier:Ivey
Discipline:General Management, Marketing
Setting:China, 2018
Details:Case (PDF) • 11 pages • 2021-12-06

Subjects:

EntrepreneurshipSales and marketingMarketingManagement

Industries:

Media, entertainment, and professional sports

Geography:

AsiaChina
Your Price:$9.71

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As a leading short-video social and livestreaming app in China, Kuaishou Technology’s Kuaishou application (app) was facing various challenges, including fierce competition from ByteDance Ltd.’s Douyin. In June 2018, to sustain its long-term growth, Kuaishou needed to evaluate the possibility of entering the livestreaming e-commerce market, as livestreaming was becoming one of the hottest ways to sell to Chinese consumers. The co-founder and chief executive officer of Kuaishou Technology needed to decide whether Kuaishou should launch a livestreaming e-commerce business. If so, should Kuaishou cooperate with an existing e-commerce platform or build its own e-commerce ecosystem? What potential challenges might Kuaishou face in its livestreaming e-commerce business expansion?

Learning Objectives

This case is suitable for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in operations management, marketing, e-commerce, and strategy management, particularly in a section that discusses e-commerce. It will also be helpful for classes on brand management and supply chain management. The case asks whether a short-video company should enter the livestreaming e-commerce market to manage challenges and sustain long-term growth. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:
  • Understand the development status of the Chinese short-video industry, and explain the factors driving a leading short-video app to launch a livestreaming e-commerce business;
  • Identify the opportunities and challenges faced by a short-video company in retaining existing users and expanding its business by entering the livestreaming e-commerce market;
  • Consider and discuss how a short-video company should implement an e-commerce strategy.
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Case Study: Kuaishou: Developing a Livestreaming E-Commerce Business | Ivey Publishing