Brands: maneuvering between streamers and influencers – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

While brands are rightfully intrigued by the power of streamers in e-commerce, they cannot replace traditional influencers, says branding expert Ashley Dudarenok in Campaign Asia. “While there was a time when brands favoured streamers over traditional influencers, as they thought streamers can sell, these days they know better,” says Ashley Dudarenok,

Campaign Asia:

While livestreaming may have transformed online shopping in China (according to research firm eMarketer, it generated sales of US$480 billion in China last year that are likely to jump 30% this year) experts say that in reality, collaborating with live streamers is a bit hit and miss.

“While there was a time when brands favoured streamers over traditional influencers, as they thought streamers can sell, these days they know better,” says Ashley Dudarenok, founder of ChoZan 超赞 and Alarice. “No matter how big, small, professional the external livestreamer is, they rarely deliver a positive ROI. Anchors are expensive. They work great for awareness, first time purchase, campaigns—after which it’s up to a brand to leverage and stretch the afterglow.”…

“Competition for eyeballs is fierce, it’s increasingly challenging to stand out,” says Dudarenok. “This leads to constant pressure to come up with attention-grabbing stunts or strategies, which rarely aligns with genuine and authentic content creation.” In one such stunt, a young male Chinese live streamer recently died after he was seen drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. The streamer who went by the username of ‘Brother Three Thousand’ was reported to have drank at least seven bottles of baijiu spirits during a live stream, and was found dead 12 hours after his broadcast, Chinese media reported. His death, which was widely discussed on China’s internet, has led to calls for stricter rules for the country’s expanding livestreaming sector.

“Regulation is another concern,” adds Dudarenok. “Without clear guidelines and regulations, it’s often the Wild West with unsafe products and services, patchy after-sales services, and more. As the live commerce landscape evolves and matures, influencers, brands, MCNs, agencies are working together to shape what ‘good looks like’ for the next 10 years.”…

While livestreaming superhosts like Austin Li and Viya remain popular in China, brands are increasingly building up their own live stream channels instead of paying individual live streamers 40% to 50% of the revenue. “Brands prefers KOEs = key opinions employees to run the shows eight hours a day vs external anchors,” says Dudarenok. “Plus virtual hosts can also be a great way to complement the real human anchor at peak times, and fully substitute them during slow hours.”

More in Campaign Asia.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

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Why China’s livestreamers focus on Europe and the US – Shaun Rein

 

Shaun Rein

Live streaming is a solid marketing tool in China, but some of the live streamers focus now on TikTok for Europe and the US. Business analyst Shaun Rein explains to AP why that shift is happening.

AP:

Many Chinese hosts on TikTok view the U.S. as an emerging market that has yet to be saturated with livestreaming hosts

“There’s more opportunity for growth to target America because the competition is so fierce in China,” said Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. “Livestreaming in the U.S. is at a beginning starting point. There’s more opportunity to grab market share.”

Rein also said Chinese merchants can often price items higher in the U.S. compared to in China, where product margins are often razor-thin.

Chinese livestreaming hosts try various tactics to stand out and build a loyal customer base. For some, it’s personalized customer service, while others use quirky catchphrases and concoct flamboyant online personalities to keep their customers entertained.

More at AP.

Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

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How European brands use China’s live-streaming – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok discusses the successes and failures of European brands in the fast-moving live-streaming scene in China. Some have been pretty successful, but certainly, not all, she says at the China EU.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

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Ashley Dudarenok

The clip can be downloaded here

What makes livestreaming different in China – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

More than 50 platforms in China offer live streaming as a highly sophisticated tool, say innovation expert Ashley Dudarenok at her vlog. Compared to their counterparts in the West, live streaming in China offers a wide range of tools the reach out to their viewers.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

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Holograms, livestreaming: trends you cannot miss in China – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Following trends in China is not an option, but a must, says marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok on her latest vlog. Holograms are such a must, and live streaming is squeezed by government regulations and marketing needs, she adds.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

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How COVID-19 accelerated live-streaming and changed online retail sales – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

COVID-19 has changed life for sales professionals, says marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok. The early coronavirus crisis in China has accelerated online retail with live streaming at its core and will do so also as the rest of the world comes out of the corona crisis.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more marketing experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

How live-streaming became big in China - Ashley Dudarenok

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok explains on the BBC how live streaming became a leading marketing tool in China. "It is both entertaining and educational," she tells.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

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At the China Speakers Bureau, we start to organize online seminars. Are you interested in our plans? Do get in touch.

Is livestreaming a sales channel or a brand creator? - Ashley Dudarenok

Ashley Dudarenok

Livestreaming e-commerce took off like crazy in China in 2020, partly because of the coronavirus pandemic. Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok opens the discussion on where this trend is leading to at Technode. "Various livestreaming platforms are maturing, becoming more mainstream and the epidemic has led to the growth of online work, entertainment, and consumption," she writes.

Ashley Dudarenok:

In 2020, livestreaming has shown unprecedented vitality. Various livestreaming platforms are maturing, becoming more mainstream and the epidemic has led to the growth of online work, entertainment, and consumption.

Livestreaming e-commerce is growing every day. There’s a current trend for sales livestreams by top brass at big companies. Luo Yonghao, one of China’s most famous tech entrepreneurs, has entered the fray with sales during his first livestream in April 2020 exceeding RMB 110 million (about $15 million). Dong Mingzhu, president of China’s largest household appliance maker, Gree Electric, sold more than RMB 300 million of products on Kuaishou and more than RMB 700 million products on JD.com doing livestreams. 

Brick and mortar shopping malls, along with other sectors, are being rescued by livestreaming e-commerce and everyone is trying to be the next Li Jiaqi or Viya. During the epidemic, with 5G developing, livestreaming has shown even more possibilities. 5G capabilities have made a big difference, as signals are more stable and pictures are clearer. In addition to retail, livestreaming has really stood out in education, entertainment, and tourism....

iResearch predicts that by the end of 2020, China will have 524 million online livestreaming users. This means 40% of Chinese people and 62% of the country’s internet users will be livestreamers. The total scale of China’s live streaming e-commerce industry reached RMB 433.8 billion in 2019 and is expected to double by the end of 2020. Given that in 2019, livestreaming e-commerce only accounted for 4.1% of the online retail market and it accounted for 1.1% of overall e-commerce, it still has plenty of room for growth. During the epidemic, more and more industries turned to livestreaming e-commerce and it moved beyond the standard products. People were even selling houses. On April 24, Evergrande Group, one of China’s biggest real estate companies, had over 3.8 million viewers for its livestream and it racked up 7.12 million likes. During the broadcast, 38 discounted apartments sold out in one second.

Much more at Technode.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more branding experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

At the China Speakers Bureau, we have started to offer speakers or sets of speakers for online seminars. Do check out our plans here.  

Retail in a post-corona market - Ashley Dudarenok

Ashley Dudarenok

Retail in China has changed after the corona crisis and marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok explains how brands have to adjust themselves to reach those much-wanted consumers in China, she tells in Valtech.

Valtech:

Ashley Dudarenok: So you see definitely a lot of shifts, and it’s going to be very interesting. What I definitely see is that Mainland Chinese is definitely recovering first, because it just originated in China first, and also very severe measures were taken to contain the virus after the initial first weeks where the time was wasted outside. So it is definitely going to be a very interesting adjustment period, and we’re all looking forward to that.
Julia Raymond: We certainly are. Streaming is a trend that perhaps in your agency, you’ve seen take off in China. Is that something you think brands and retailers will specifically continue doing, even after the pandemic has ended?
Ashley Dudarenok: Absolutely. In China, live streaming is not something new. So, in China, this is a reality of life. In the West, we live stream for fun primarily, but there’s very little e-commerce live streaming. In China, because the whole blogger world is operating very differently, they actually started live streaming for fun. So basically, when you watch somebody, you give them gifts, and that’s how the blogger makes money.
Ashley Dudarenok: But in China, they went to step forward and they said, “Okay, live streaming as e-commerce channel is a phenomenal opportunity, because I can show you my farm, and I can sell you oranges.” So, it’s live streaming turned into a bizarre copy of early ’90s TV advertising and people love it. It’s entertaining and people feel that it’s also a place to talk to others. And the social isolation has not completely shifted or changed the way people purchase right now, but it has accelerated this move towards live streaming. So, it’s definitely there to stay. In China though, a lot of people do live streaming, but everybody but the brands is making money.
Ashley Dudarenok: The platform is making money, the agencies are making money, the bloggers are making money, but the brands obviously, are on the suffering side, because it’s not for them. They are going to sell a lot, but the cost to operate a live stream is very expensive. So, you need to make sure that after selling, you are able to get a repeat purchase, or you’re able to somehow retain your customers. So that’s what I think in the West when we talk about this live streaming in China, people do not understand. E-commerce live streaming comes at a price, it comes at a cost, but it’s a great opportunity to acquire customers, but essentially, it’s not going to make or have a positive ROI, initially.
Julia Raymond: It sounds like it’s a bit of a long play then.
Ashley Dudarenok: Yeah, absolutely. Like everything else, China is a very complex market. Consumers are very spoiled by having so many products and services that target them. They’ve got a lot of money, they are very excited, but they also know the good stuff. And you need to be reasonable in terms of price, you need to be good quality, and you need to be adapted to that market in order to cater to them.

More in Valtech.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more branding experts on China after the corona crisis? Do check out this list.