What: Lessons learnt from the USD 66 billion livestreaming market in China

Why it is important: Livestreaming is not anymore a Chinese or an Asian specificity: all markets start to test it, among which several IADS members.

Alix Partners identifies as a key explaining factor of the high share of e-commerce in the retail sector in China (21% in 2019 to be compared to 11% in the US) shoppable livestreams.  This industry is estimated to be worth USD 66 billion, with a 30% increase in terms of audience between March 2019 and June 2020.

Livestreams represent a mix of entertainment and retail, with influencers or employees showcasing products that can be shopped live from the watching screen itself. 3 key success factors are identified:

• Such shows must promote interactivity between the audience and the seller,
• They can be used for launching new products, provided they always involve some creativity in the way goods are showcased and sold,
• Make sure customer data is collected into simple, central dashboards that allow to make decisions on the spot and post-event, rather than look for non-actionable good-looking metrics.

Alix Partner learning lessons from digital in China