The Decline of TikTok, the Rise of Rednote, and End of App Loyalty - With Olivia Plotnick
January 18, 2025
Word on the street that Chinese app Xiaohongshu or Rednote, as it is now called, was not expecting nor prepared for the 500K and counting American TikTok Refugees that have downloaded and migrated to the app. Is Rednote a short-lived thing? Will people eventually move back to TikTok, or has the West entered the world of "App Fluidity," where communities move from place to place without little concern for the platform they are on? To discuss this, we are joined by Shanghai-based Wai Social's Founder, Olivia Plotnick.
1. What is Xiaohongshu or Rednote? How is it different from TikTok?
2. What sparked people to migrate there, and why Rednote and not Lemon8?
3. Are we ready for a truly global platform, returning to the LinkedIn days?
4. Have we come to the point where we will see more fluidity of platform users?
5. Are people abandoning Meta platforms because of their complexity or is this the preferred GenZ user experience?
6. What about the role of community and express authenticity?
7. Will YouTube have a resurgence in the U.S.? Who will win out?
8. How can Xiaohongshu become such a community place?
9. What are the most important aspects of this incredible cultural collision?
10. How will the Chinese authority react to this amazing soft power opportunity?
11. What keeps people back when very few people post? What's the role of entertainment? Is there a balance?
12. Is this the right time for Chinese brands to reach out to Western audiences?
13. Is the whole "Rednote movement" a passing fad?
14. Will App Fluidity kill brands?
Word on the street that Chinese app Xiaohongshu or Rednote, as it is now called, was not expecting nor prepared for the 500K and counting American TikTok Refugees that have downloaded and migrated to the app. Is Rednote a short-lived thing? Will people eventually move back to TikTok, or has the West entered the world of "App Fluidity," where communities move from place to place without little concern for the platform they are on? To discuss this, we are joined by Shanghai-based Wai Social's Founder, Olivia Plotnick.
1. What is Xiaohongshu or Rednote? How is it different from TikTok?
2. What sparked people to migrate there, and why Rednote and not Lemon8?
3. Are we ready for a truly global platform, returning to the LinkedIn days?
4. Have we come to the point where we will see more fluidity of platform users?
5. Are people abandoning Meta platforms because of their complexity or is this the preferred GenZ user experience?
6. What about the role of community and express authenticity?
7. Will YouTube have a resurgence in the U.S.? Who will win out?
8. How can Xiaohongshu become such a community place?
9. What are the most important aspects of this incredible cultural collision?
10. How will the Chinese authority react to this amazing soft power opportunity?
11. What keeps people back when very few people post? What's the role of entertainment? Is there a balance?
12. Is this the right time for Chinese brands to reach out to Western audiences?
13. Is the whole "Rednote movement" a passing fad?
14. Will App Fluidity kill brands?
Olivia on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-plotnick/
About Wai Social: https://www.waisocial.com/
Who What Wai on Substack: https://whowhatwai.substack.com/
For everything ShanghaiZhan: http://zhanstation.com/
Got a Question? Access Our Mailbox: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6StjsljIEPkXt3M
ShanghaiZhan Theme Music: by Bryce Whitwam
https://soundcloud.com/bryce-r-whitwam/bad-cough-syrup?si=cfb30a6e0c0e459da78b912bf60825ac
Bryce on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brycewhitwam/
Ali on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alikazmi/
1. What is Xiaohongshu or Rednote? How is it different from TikTok?
2. What sparked people to migrate there, and why Rednote and not Lemon8?
3. Are we ready for a truly global platform, returning to the LinkedIn days?
4. Have we come to the point where we will see more fluidity of platform users?
5. Are people abandoning Meta platforms because of their complexity or is this the preferred GenZ user experience?
6. What about the role of community and express authenticity?
7. Will YouTube have a resurgence in the U.S.? Who will win out?
8. How can Xiaohongshu become such a community place?
9. What are the most important aspects of this incredible cultural collision?
10. How will the Chinese authority react to this amazing soft power opportunity?
11. What keeps people back when very few people post? What's the role of entertainment? Is there a balance?
12. Is this the right time for Chinese brands to reach out to Western audiences?
13. Is the whole "Rednote movement" a passing fad?
14. Will App Fluidity kill brands?
Olivia on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-plotnick/
About Wai Social: https://www.waisocial.com/
Who What Wai on Substack: https://whowhatwai.substack.com/
For everything ShanghaiZhan: http://zhanstation.com/
Got a Question? Access Our Mailbox: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6StjsljIEPkXt3M
ShanghaiZhan Theme Music: by Bryce Whitwam
https://soundcloud.com/bryce-r-whitwam/bad-cough-syrup?si=cfb30a6e0c0e459da78b912bf60825ac
Bryce on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brycewhitwam/
Ali on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alikazmi/