Updated: Oct 11, 2021
The hottest update for all things shoppable video this Autumn
This year, shoppable video content has taken the world by storm, whether through on-demand or live stream shopping functionalities. The buzz is continuing as we approach the final few months of 2021 with some key new developments from some of the biggest names in tech and Ecommerce.
We've put together some of the freshest, most important industry updates that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on video content marketing strategy...
YouTube announces shoppable CTV ads
“To help consumers more easily learn about the products and services they’re interested in, we’re making YouTube ads on connected TVs more shoppable.”
120 million Americans streamed YouTube or YouTube TV from their TV screens in December 2020. As a result, the video-sharing platform is taking the opportunity to become more shoppable by bringing video action campaigns to connected television (CTV).
Viewers watching on CTV will be able to type in the displayed web link to their desktop or mobile device to access brand Ecommerce without leaving the content. Google's conversion lift tool will let advertisers measure the effectiveness of their campaigns in real time with the tool providing information on web visits and purchases.
Coresight's 1010 Live Shopping Festival to Connect Brands and Retailers in Real-time
Coresight Research will host its second annual 10.10 Shopping Festival on October 10th from 10am to 10pm ET in partnership with livestream shopping platforms, CommentSold and Smartzer, and 1:1 live video co-shopping platform, GhostRetail.
Smartzer's interactive video platform will be used globally by brands to introduce them to the rapidly expanding world of live stream shopping in the US.
Retailers such as Macy's, Guess, Vera Langley, Neighborhood Goods and many others are taking part in the event, bringing live shop technologies to the forefront of US video content marketing.
Retail Week Shifts Their Focus to Live Stream Shopping and The Key Impacts it Could Have on The Western World
As more retailers trial livestream shopping in the UK, Retail Week explores what it could do for Western retail and what can be learned from the Chinese phenomenon.
In 2020 livestreaming sales reached an estimated £129bn in China, according to research group iiMedia, now accounting for 20% of its ecommerce sales. Operating 24 hours a day, for three hours at a time, live shopping events sell anything from instant noodles to Gucci handbags and from holiday villas to plastic surgery.
The event will be from the 13-14th October in London, England. Key speakers will include: Adam Harris Global Head of Brand Partnerships ,Twitch, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock Space scientist and broadcaster, Jo Fairley Co-Founder,Green & Black's, Kshitij Kumar Chief Data Officer ,Farfetch, Ken Murphy CEO,Tesco and many more. All will be discussing how to continue innovating and gaining consumer trust and spend in this new landscape.
The Luxury Innovation Awards 2021 is an essential event for anyone interested in the future of luxury (Jean-Christophe Babin, Group CEO, Bulgari).
With this years highly anticipated event scheduled for 21 October 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, Smartzer's interactive video platform is being considered for the Technology, Digitalisation and Marketplace category.
Founded in 2019 by Deependra Pandey, the Luxury Venture Group aims to provide start-ups with pre-seed and seed investments. Activities like the LVG Bootcamp, Conferences and Luxury Innovation Award aim to strengthen and support LVG's ecosystem and its players.
The second ever Luxury innovation Summit will provide the perfect opportunity for start ups to learn, network and build their businesses. The intensive programme will explore a variety of topics and issues that are driving the future development of the luxury industry.
The conference will be attended by CEOS, directors, partners, and owners of luxury brands. Decision-makers, innovators, start-ups, investors, and creative leaders will join to discuss the next generation of the luxury and fashion industry. Key speakers and Jury Members will include:
Simone Cipriani, the founder and manager of Ethical Fashion Initiative, chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and a leading voice in the growing global movement for ethical supply chains. Speaker
Erwan Rambourg, Consumer Analyst, Author of Future Luxe. Speaker
Bénédicte Epinay, Director, Comité Colbert. Jury Member
Morin Oluwole, Director – Global Head of Luxury at Facebook and Instagram, will be a panellist at the Tech Panel
Jean-Claude Biver, the living legend of the Swiss luxury watch industry, is the Opening Keynote Speaker
Jean-Claude Biver, Former President of LVMH Watch Division
The prestigious, international jury will hand pick twelve finalists for 6 award categories:
Art and Culture
Watches, Jewellery, and accessories
Fashion and Design
Lifestyle, Beauty, and Travel
Responsibility and Sustainability
Technology, AI, Space, Data and Marketplace
These finalists will showcase their solutions in a live pitch at the Luxury Innovation Summit 2021.
With live stream shopping escalating in popularity across the globe, Smartzer has been recognised by the awards as a key player in the rise of digital and new media platforms, helping brands to adapt to a new tech-hungry luxury customer. According to a Coresight Research survey, 39.7% of consumers use live stream shopping to look for an exclusive deal, 38.2% to discover new products, 36.6% to learn more about new products, and lastly 30.7% because the buying is exciting. With more of us shopping online, it is no wonder that our expectations for a more engaging, entertaining shopping experience are as high as ever.
Fascinating digital advancements mean that anything is possible for luxury brands in 2021. With the Luxury Innovation Awards, ingenious, emerging tech start-ups are given the crucial opportunity to impress brands and shape a new, more advanced future.
Watch this space! 🤞
When marketing your brand, everyone knows it is important to share the most relevant content.
This year we have seen the rise of shoppable technology within video content marketing. Live stream shopping events have taken the world by storm, allowing brands to step up when bricks and mortar stores were closed.
The highly engaging, clickable videos allow viewers to play a role in the content with direct links to products encouraging customers to take immediate action to purchase. In fact, MAGNA research indicates that people spend almost 50% more time engaging with interactive videos, and shoppable videos boost up purchase intent ninefold.
Inside Retail notes, one company tracked its shoppable video metrics and discovered that 41% of the people who watched its videos dropped something in their virtual shopping online carts.
It is clear that interactive video technology is extremely effective for brands. Here are some of the best practices we've seen emerge in 2021.
Shoppable video sharing on social media
Using social media to boost brand awareness is key to maintain a strong customer following. With so much content posted across social platforms every second, businesses are starting to realise the benefits of using interactive video to stand out from the crowd.
By linking to shoppable video players in stories, posts and as a link in bio, brands can pull in a customer from a sea of content. The interactive elements encourage the viewer to stay longer in the content, informing them quickly about a product and providing them with a direct link to purchase. This pushes the viewer quickly down the shopping funnel.
Here is a stunning example of shoppable and interactive video used on social media:
By using social media to market their shoppable live stream, Clarks managed to draw an audience to their live shop event by swiping up on an Instagram story. By selling products online in real time, brands can replicate the benefits of in-person shopping digitally.
Shoppable video content embedded on Ecommerce
Embedding shoppable content on Ecommerce landing pages can elevate the viewers shopping experience and introduce them to a range of new products. Why not take your site visitor straight to information using a dynamic, engaging and exciting video to turn them from uninformed to informed traffic.
This year, we have seen plenty of brands embark on the shoppable trend with content on Ecommerce. Check out Zimmermann's gorgeous example:
Viewers can explore entire campaigns in 360 degrees, getting a clear overview of how the products would look in real life. The interactive video breathes life into the shopping experience, elevating video to be entirely viewer inclusive and highly memorable.
Shoppable Ad Units
Even advertising has been given the shoppable face lift this year. More and more brands are moving towards entirely interactive video ads, incorporating clickable content into campaigns. Interactive and clickable ad units push viewers to stop and notice brand content instead of just scrolling past. Check out this example from Volkswagen and Inskin:
Shoppable ad units stand out to the viewer. This example is unmissable and draws the viewer in straight away. The viewer could click the video to explore aspects of the car in more detail making for a unique, informative experience.