Kino Biotech and Kinofy: Shifting from “I” to “We”

• Main Authors: YONG, Hsin Ning, GENG, Xuesong, LIM, Wee Kiat
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2021
• Subjects: Entrepreneurial business strategy; digital transformation; digital marketing; digital platforms; business models; international business; Asian Studies; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations; Strategic Management Policy
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/373; https://smu.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/admin/CMP/cases/SMU-21-BATCH%20%5bPDF-Pic%5d/SMU-21-0023%20%5bKinofy%5d/SMU-21-0023%20Kinofy%20(A4).pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=9ZEMFb
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Set in early 2021, this case is about Kino Biotech, a Singapore-based company producing health and beauty products, most notably its flagship brand, Kinohimitsu. Its operations and distribution have expanded globally, especially to Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. In April 2018, Kino Biotech launched a spin-off company called Kinofy to leverage its cross-border commerce license and digital business experience of operating in China. Kinofy provides consulting solutions to Singapore and international companies that want to enter China. Kinofy is also pivotal in building a cross-border e-commerce platform where the collective intelligence can be accumulated when more Singapore and international firms enrol. By following the journey of Kino Biotech and Kinofy from their start and through several critical transformations across three decades, this case enables a rich discussion on how firms manage strategic change, internationalisation, and digital transformation. Students will learn 1) how to use the Business Model Canvas for analysis, 2) how firms manage strategic change and transformation, and to be agile while scaling up, 3) how firms pursue a global strategy and enter countries like China, 4) how firms engage in digital business, such as through omnichannels, managing online-to-offline operations, and implementing business transformation, and 5) how firms collaborate with one another to build their ecosystems.