Competitive and Cooperative Game: Content Creators’ Strategies on Short-Form Video Platforms and Business Implications

Short-form video platforms host a complex ecosystem where content creators engage in “coopetition”—a strategic blend of simultaneous competition and collaboration. The present research explores how such interdependencies influence strategic decisions for creators, platforms, and brands. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study reveals a central paradox: coopetition drives content innovation, audience expansion, and user engagement, yet simultaneously introduces profound challenges such as intellectual property vulnerabilities, market saturation effects, and intensified investment risks, often manifesting as a ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ that compels participants into a cycle of sustained investment despite diminishing returns. To address these challenges, the study proposes a strategic framework comprising robust intellectual property protection mechanisms, equitable algorithmic distribution systems, structured brand partnership models, and comprehensive risk assessment protocols. By integrating theoretical insights with practical solutions, this research contributes significantly to both academic discourse and practical strategy formulation for navigating the emerging digital content creation economy. The study’s main theoretical contribution lies in synthesizing a novel framework that captures the dualistic nature of coopetition in digital creative markets.