Live shopping is taking the Asian market by storm, but it’s not just brands that can maximize this new trend – broadcasters and media publishers can get in on it too.

During this November’s ‘Single’s Day’ shopping event, consumers in Asia spent over $100 billion equivalent on goods. According to data published by Alibaba, buyers in China spent 498.2 billion yuan ($74 billion) on purchases. Many attribute the success of this year’s festival with the widespread adoption of live shopping.

In 2020, live shopping has emerged as a key channel for retail sales across Asia, particularly in the South East. When done right, it’s an interactive and immersive shopping experience.

As the popularity of live shopping continues to grow, media publishers and broadcasters must acknowledge the potential it has to bolster video subscriptions.

Live shopping: Not just for brands

The consistent success of live shopping streams lies in the interactive nature of showcasing products. This format can be cut and paste into a showcase of content and talent for a media publisher.

Whether it’s to drive sales of subscriptions or pay-per-view (PPV) events for broadcasters or streaming services, there are certain aspects of live shopping streams that lend themselves to promoting media services.

The most prominent of these is celebrity endorsements. In the retail space, last November reality star Kim Kardashian took to Tmall in China to appear on a live selling stream with one of China’s top influencers. Kardashian sold 15,000 bottles of perfume in minutes.

The pull of watching Kim Kardashian was enough to draw viewers in, and her influencer status was enough to drive purchases of the perfume.

The same can be done for content. For example, HBO Max show The Flight Attendant was among the most watched shows by Asian audiences at the beginning of December.

HBO Max could use the popularity of this show to drive subscriptions to the streaming service using live shopping. Imagine Kaley Cuoco, star of The Flight Attendant, answering fans questions on a live stream with clear calls-to-action to subscribe and one to two-click purchasing for the service.

Interactive live streams: The infotainment factor

A clear distinction of successful live shopping streams is the entertainment factor. These broadcasts are not straight adverts, the main purpose is to entertain.

For media publishers, showcasing content such as live sport, TV series or new films will be enough to attract the attention of audiences across Asia.

A content showcase with celebrity figures or sports personalities interacting with fans is a sure-fire way to grab the attention of consumers.

Publishers can also use the interaction of live shopping broadcasts to track trends of what consumers want to watch, which could feed into the content strategy. Certain media rights, series or genres may be more popular with those not currently subscribed to the service, and this gives a publisher the opportunity to uncover those insights from the horse’s mouth.

Video marketing: The next level

Live shopping streams are an effective way to receive feedback and give consumers the information they want. Social live broadcasts drive high engagement levels with comments on the broadcast post.

Publishers could give release dates, pricing and other information consumers want in real time. This could be the difference in converting a customer.

These broadcasts are another string to the advertising bow for broadcasters and media publishers. The TV spot or digital banner ad may be good for reach, but not engagement.

Consumers in Asia will respond when they feel they will be heard. The success of live shopping streams demonstrates this. The infrastructure and behaviours are in place for live shopping to become an established shopping channel for all types of products.

Those who begin early will reap the benefits, and have the luxury of time to shape exactly how live shopping with work for media services.

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