YouTube Begins Its Push Into Live Shopping

YouTube is making big moves in the live shopping game, detailing an integrated shopping experience it has been intensively testing, with creators representing a big part of the mix. The Google-owned video platform cited a study it conducted with Publicis and TalkShoppe, saying that 89% of YouTube viewers who responded believe creators on the platform provide recommendations they can trust. YouTube said in a blog post Tuesday, “The line between in-store and digital commerce has blurred, and shoppers are looking for inspiration and advice in new places. YouTube creators are at the forefront of this shift, sharing helpful, honest and entertaining shopping content that cuts through the noise … As a result, people who shop on YouTube make faster, more confident purchase decisions—a win-win for both shoppers and brands.” The platform began testing an integrated shopping experience earlier this year that enables viewers to tap into the credibility and knowledge of those trusted creators, starting out with shoppable on-demand videos and now branching into live shopping. Participants in this ongoing testing on the creator side included: Simply Nailogical, who released her new nail polish collection to 2.8 million fans on her Simply Not Logical channel.Hyram, who dropped his new "Selfless” skincare line to 4.5 million fans. As for livestreams with major retailers on their YouTube channels: Beauty directors from Sephora hosted a live question-and-answer session about makeup foundations.Target performed a live style haul about overcoming fashion fears.Raven Elyse went live to sell her favorite home workout gear and morning routine essentials from Walmart. Walmart chief marketing officer William White said in a statement, “We think about YouTube as a connector to our customers—reaching people through inspiration, entertainment and creativity. At Walmart, we continue to innovate on behalf of the customer, and we are excited about our work together. Through our partnership with YouTube, we will continue to evolve how we link inspiration and commerce.” The next step in shoppable livestreams kicks off Nov. 15 with the YouTube Holiday Stream and Shop, seven days of shoppable livestreams, starting with the Merrell Twins sharing their holiday wish list featuring products from Samsung, Verizon and Walmart. YouTube also shared some updates on connected TV, saying that as of this month, advertisers in the U.S. can fully measure their YouTube CTV investments across YouTube and YouTube TV, giving them an accurate view of true incremental reach and frequency in Comscore Campaign Ratings. Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings CTV measurement is currently available for YouTube TV and will soon be extended to YouTube CTV in the U.S. YouTube wrote in its blog post, “Last year, streaming households outnumbered cable TV households in the U.S. for the first time. And right now, 40% of all ad-supported streaming watch time is happening on YouTube, according to Comscore. With 60% of YouTube CTV viewers watching with others, people are connecting more deeply with each other by sharing YouTube content they love on the big screen. This means brands can easily extend the overall reach and impact of their campaigns.”