Chinese stars moonlighting as live-streamers

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Chinese stars moonlighting as live-streamers

Yang Mi holding a dog posing for the camera: Li JIaqi and Yang Mi joined forces to sell products online during coronavirus, blurring the boundaries between conventional celebrities and live streamers. Photo: @TrendingWeibo/Twitter Li JIaqi and Yang Mi joined forces to sell products online during coronavirus, blurring the boundaries between conventional celebrities and live streamers. Photo: @TrendingWeibo/Twitter

The line between Chinese celebrities and live streamers continues to blur these days. Luxury brands are expanding their pool of friend-of-the-brand endorsements with top live streamers – Louis Vuitton, for example, tapped both actress Song Jia and “lipstick king” live streamer Li Jiaqi for its much anticipated 520 Chinese Valentine’s Day campaign.

Celebrities, actors and singers are jumping on the bandwagon to test out their commercial values on e-commerce platforms, with Yang Mi, Li Xiaolu and Michelle Ye Xuan just a few of the screen stars moonlighting on live streaming portals including Taobao, TikTok and Red Book. So why are Chinese celebrities so eager to embrace the battlefield of live streaming e-commerce, and how are they getting on so far?

Too big a pie to ignore

a woman talking on a cell phone: Viya Huang sold a rocket launch service through live streaming © Provided by South China Morning Post Viya Huang sold a rocket launch service through live streaming

According to iiMedia Research, live streaming e-commerce revenue will be worth an estimated 961 billion yuan (US$134 billion) this year. Following Taobao’s launch of e-commerce live streaming in 2016, both e-commerce and social media platforms have quickly jumped on the bandwagon, including TikTok, Pinduoduo and Kuaishou, to name just a few. The elevation of the product categories has quickly evolved from entry price necessities to luxury accessories, watches and even automobiles and properties – and on one rare occasion, a rocket launch service, too. Top live streamer Viya Huang set a jaw-dropping record last month by selling a rocket launch service for 40 million yuan through her live stream on Taobao (which is owned by the Alibaba Group, publisher of the South China Morning Post).

The new normal

A host presents goods for sale online in the Gonoy Clothing Company studio in Guangzhou, China. Photo: EPA-EFE © Provided by South China Morning Post A host presents goods for sale online in the Gonoy Clothing Company studio in Guangzhou, China. Photo: EPA-EFE

With over 897 million people in China accessing the internet via a mobile device (according to Statista’s report), the country counts a strong mobile-first user base. Many users have been even more digitally engaged during quarantine, which has propelled the development of the e-commerce ecosystem. According to iiMedia, China’s live-streaming users will reach 524 million in 2020.

Catching the limelight

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While celebrities were stuck at home during the Covid-19 crisis as show-business productions dried up, live streamers meanwhile enjoyed a exponential growth in exposure. Li Jiaqi the “lipstick king” counts 40 million fans on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), while Viya Huang counts over 25 million fans on her Taobao page. Actress Yang Mi, who’s known for her strong fan base, joined Li during a recent e-commerce live stream, tapping into the sticky community of Li’s live stream viewers. Other celebrities who collaborated with Li include Chinese top-tier actors Liu Shishi, Jing Boran and Liu Tao.

Fan economy conversion

a person standing in front of a store: Chen He debuted his own platform. Photo: Handout © Provided by South China Morning Post Chen He debuted his own platform. Photo: Handout

Some celebrities might have chosen to partner with already successful and reputable live streamers, others try to prove their own fan economy conversion by starting on their own. Actor Chen He debuted his e-commerce live stream on TikTok. During a four-hour session, he sold a variety of products, including snacks and face masks, making 80 million yuan in sales.

a person holding a sign: Actress Michelle Ye Xuan has embraced live streaming. Photo: Handout © Provided by South China Morning Post Actress Michelle Ye Xuan has embraced live streaming. Photo: Handout

Scandal-trapped actress Li Xiaolu, variety show host-turned-actress Li Xiang and TV actress Michelle Ye Xuan are also a few celebrities embracing the live streaming career wholeheartedly. However after two months of live streaming Ye announced she would be focusing more on her entertainment career.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Source: MSN

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