Very insightful post from Ivy on her Substack “Calling the Shots 话语权时代” about why TikTok is struggling with live commerce in the West. It’s likely a cultural hurdle: We in the West just want people to buy from us. After conversion they can get lost.
In contrast, the dynamic is quite different in China:
„Livestreaming in China goes far beyond just hawking products. The early flash-sale era —think Li Jiaqi and where TikTok commerce in the US is in at the moment—has evolved into something much more community-centered. It’s now about building a brand’s identity and creating emotional connections with consumers.
Streamers are not just pushing products—they’re building relationships. It’s like tuning in to catch up with a friend. These streams create a sense of belonging, where followers feel like they’re part of a community.“
I can already hear the skeptics: “Sure, building relationships works in China. Here in the West? Who cares!”
However, I believe the need for relationships and belonging isn't unique to Asia; it’s human. We have just forgotten about it. The first brands / companies to figure out how to bring that back to the West will probably be wildly successful - especially in our current VUCA times!
But no, figuring that out won't involve sending out an endless stream of perfectly targeted newsletters from your Hubspot using noreply@cool-brand.com to reply to. And yes, it won’t be easy to scale. 🤷♂️
But still: without being genuinely social (and thinking that way), there won't be any real social commerce...
