ByteDance Aims to Take on the Lifestyle Sector with New Social App

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is aiming to get its next big online crowd puller by wading deep into the lifestyle sector through a social app. The company last week launched an app called Kesong.

The app is all about shopping and lifestyle recommendations, similar to the Xiaohongshu platform, a market leader in the lifestyle social media sector. The app allows users to share content like photos, videos, and text posts related to fashion tips and shopping experiences.

The Kesong app is overseen by Alex Zhu, senior VP of product and strategy at ByteDance and formerly TikTok’s head, said the sources familiar with the development.