The line between in-store and digital commerce has blurred, and shoppers are looking for inspiration and advice in new places. YouTube is looking to ride this trend with a series of innovations. Tara Walpert Levy, VP, Agency and Brand Solutions at Google, shared her views on what YouTube is upto in a detailed blogpost
“According to a study we ran in partnership with Publicis and TalkShoppe, 89% of viewers agree that YouTube creators give recommendations they can trust. As a result, people who shop on YouTube make faster, more confident purchase decisions — a win-win for both shoppers and brands.
Earlier this year, we started testing an integrated shopping experience that allows viewers to tap into the credibility and knowledge of trusted creators to make informed purchases on YouTube. We initially experimented with shoppable on-demand videos, and now we’re testing shoppable livestreams, too.
We recently partnered with several top YouTube creators to test our new live shopping features, including Simply Nailogical, who launched her new nail polish collection to 2.8 million fans on her Simply Not Logical channel, and Hyram, who dropped his new ‘Selfless’ skincare line to 4.5 million fans.
We’ve also tested shoppable live streams with leading retailers on their channels. Raven Elyse went live to sell her favorite home workout gear and morning routine essentials from Walmart, Sephora beauty directors hosted a live Q&A about makeup foundations, and Target performed a live style haul celebrating fall style.
Building on the success of these pilots, the YouTube Holiday Stream and Shop will kick off on November 15 with a week of shoppable live streams. Fans tuning in will be able to score new products, unlock limited-time offers, and get their product questions answered through live Q&A and polls with creators and other viewers. To start the week, the Merrell Twins will share their holiday wish list featuring products from Walmart, Samsung, and Verizon.
Last year, streaming households outnumbered cable TV households in the United States for the first time. And according to Comscore, 40% of all ad-supported streaming watch time is happening on YouTube.1 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. And as of this month, U.S. advertisers are able to fully measure their YouTube CTV video investments across YouTube and YouTube TV for an accurate view of true incremental reach and frequency in Comscore Campaign Ratings (CCR). Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) CTV measurement is available for YouTube TV and will also be available soon for YouTube CTV in the U.S.
