Publications
Publications
- April 2021 (Revised March 2024)
- HBS Case Collection
Social Media War 2021: Snap vs. Facebook vs. TikTok
By: David B. Yoffie and Daniel Fisher
Abstract
This case explores the competitive war between Snap, Facebook, and TikTok in 2021. The strategic focus is on Snapchat: how should it respond to the emergence of TikTok, and how should it compete with the dominant competitor in its space—Facebook. The case examines the history of Snap, its emerging threat from TikTok, and its on-going struggles to become profitable in the shadow of intense competition from Facebook, and especially Instagram. Looking at strategy from the perspective of Snap CEO, Evan Spiegel, the case asks whether Snap should seek new demographics to grow the user base, explore alternative business models such as WeChat, differentiate itself with augmented reality, or focus on privacy to distinguish itself from the competition. The context of these strategic choices is how do you win in a world with strong network effects and much larger competitors.
Keywords
Strategy Development; Competitor Analysis; Strategy; Network Effects; Competitive Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Social Media
Citation
Yoffie, David B., and Daniel Fisher. "Social Media War 2021: Snap vs. Facebook vs. TikTok." Harvard Business School Case 721-443, April 2021. (Revised March 2024.)