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Shoppable TV shows are getting a boost thanks to Amazon Live’s agreement with GroupM and its clients to develop original, shoppable content for the Amazon Live FAST (free ad-supported TV) channel (launched in April). Viewers can find the FAST channel on Amazon streaming services, Prime Video and Amazon Freevee. The companies made the announcement at the Cannes Lions Festival.
Danone is the first brand creating content, selling Silk’s new dairy-free, plant-based coffee creamers this fall in videos where creators taste and review the product, while viewers can shop it from their mobile devices using Amazon’s Shop the Show tech.
Besides co-developing, brands are also partnering with Amazon Live creators. Unilever‘s Nexxus hair products will be integrated into an upcoming show, called In Bed With Paige DeSorbo, with Bravo Summer House star and Giggly Squad podcaster Paige DeSorbo, launching June 18.
“These shows … offer brands across all industries a powerful way to connect with audiences and drive results,” said Julie Haleluk, global head of growth for Amazon Shopping Videos, in a statement.
Livestream commerce is a booming market in parts of Asia, especially China, but U.S. brands haven’t been able to replicate that success. Zara, for one, is trying after seeing encouraging sales from its livestreaming shows in China. But over one-half (52%) of U.S. adults are either uninterested in or unaware of livestream shopping, per The eMarketer Ecommerce Survey.
Why we care: Consumer change is slow, but, time and again, Amazon has proven itself as market-moving. Amazon could be the rising tide lifting shoppable TV into something much more usable, having the obvious benefits of being a closed-loop ecosystem with access to reams of shopper data.
Plus, 75% of U.S. adults use mobile devices while watching TV, per Samba TV’s U.S. State of Viewership Report, 2023.
Previous cases: Earlier this month, Amazon Live produced a travel-focused shoppable stream for Virgin Voyages where viewers could virtually immerse themselves in the cruise experience and shop vacation packages.