BAT 2.0: ByteDance | Alibaba | Tencent
Brand & Content Management Guide – Part I
The BAT series is a four-part guide to the key products and services from three leading Chinese tech giants ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent, which we are referring to as BAT 2.0.
The BAT 2.0 series is a follow-up guide to our BAT 2019 Guide. For 2020, we are including ByteDance at the expense of Baidu, for reasons explained in Part II. The guides cover key ecommerce activities, opportunities for brand building and marketing, content distribution, brand protection strategy, content protection and management, digital trends and opportunities in China for brand owners, SMEs and content creatives.
China has almost as many internet users as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. The sheer scale of opportunity has led to unparalleled vibrancy in ecommerce and technology. Mobile devices are the heart of the new digital business models, electronic payment services are the lifeblood and the big three tech companies – ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent – are the brains behind the innovations. BAT 2.0 dominate the digital landscape; including in social media, shopping, gaming, streaming and e-payments, therefore understanding the ecosystem of these tech giants is vital to commercialising and protecting intellectual property in China.
All three tech giants have expanded their digital footprint growing into sprawling ecosystems covering an array of products and services. Benefiting from the Chinese government banning most of the popular western tech companies from competing effectively, Alibaba and Tencent built domestic digital empires; creating the east-west splinternet. ByteDance is the first to have bridged this divide with TikTok – the Gen Z killer app. Whilst the concept of the ‘Great Firewall’ is well-known, navigating inside the firewall requires comprehensive knowledge of the culture driving the main platforms and apps. This guide will cover the main offerings from BAT 2.0. With ByteDance’s international success; Alibaba’s global dream and the expansive investment portfolio of Tencent, these giants are not western clones, but leaders of innovation.
