Understanding Live Shopping In 2022

Remember the days of dialing a 1-800 number to order that product you just saw on TV? In 2022, live shopping has become the internet-first evolution of shoppable content and is brought to life in different ways as growing livestream & social platforms allow users to interact with live hosts and buy products directly from their phones. 

This hot industry has captured the attention of brands & marketers as we have seen massive YoY growth over several years internationally, and many predict that 2022 will be the turning point in the U.S. market for an exponential rise. At M+S, we see live shopping as the future of shoppable content and big retail launches. We’re excited to help our clients build out their programs with our team of experts so we can create first-evers in this innovative space together! 

Here’s our top three recommendations for success in live shopping – what livestream audiences are looking for, how to select talent, and what to learn from retailers who are leading. So let’s make some sense of all this…

Live is Meant to Be Live 

One of the greatest benefits of live shopping is the live feedback loop between the host and the chat. This constant engagement comes to life though consumers can actively ask the hosts questions about products and get real-time reactions. While pre-recorded shows may be more brand safe, they don’t allow for the key component that makes live shopping shows successful. 

Takeaway for brands:

Think about content framing and show ideas that are rooting in live engagement and how your brand can uniquely provide value to live-only audiences. 

Finding Your Livestreamers 

Luckily, we already know what has been the key to live shopping’s accelerated growth in other categories of livestreaming: talent. U.S. consumers tune into live streams for the ritualistic, authentic connection with a host about a topic they find interesting. Being a live stream host is like being a radio host – it’s a specific type of talent with a curated skillset. 

For example, China’s Lipstick Brother (Li Jiaqi). He was streaming hours every day for three years before his big break, in which he made jaws drop when he drove $1.9 billion in sales over a 12-hour solo live stream last October.

Takeaway for brands:

The host(s) of a stream is the most crucial element for your success – this is the time to invest in building relationships with growing streamers and lean onto those with existing engaged audiences.

Follow The Retailers 

In the past few years, we’ve seen major US retailers be the biggest investors in building live shopping programs and technology.

Walmart has made headlines by investing big in trying out live shopping content across platforms, notably partnering with TikTok Live for their first-ever “Shop-along.” Brands are getting in on this as well  – we helped e.l.f. Cosmetics partner with Walmart on TikTok Live for a live shopping event around an exclusive makeup collection, giving away 5 PR boxes to live viewers.

As live shopping grows, major US sales tentpoles like Prime Day, Cyber Monday, and Holidays will become critical moments for retailers to show how they can go live and bring in new audience interest. The products, deals, and exclusive “live only” offerings from retailers can make or break a successful stream. 

Takeaways for Brands:

Stay on the pulse of what major retailers are rolling out and get in on “live only” opportunities for your brand by partnering with retailers like Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Ulta. 

All in all, live shopping is the future of shopping through content online. As we can see, major shifts are happening with the platforms, talent, and retailers, which is pivotal for driving large audiences. 

Movers+Shakers stays on the pulse and that's why we've been actively building our Live Shopping expertise. We strive to discover and fulfill innovative opportunities for our clients.

How will your brand tap into live shopping? We’d love to brainstorm with you!