Zheng Xiang Xiang promotes each product for only three seconds, although in seven days, she makes S$18.7 million (Singaporean $18.7 million).
In the first ten months of this year, Douyin, the sibling company of TikTok, reportedly sold approximately RMB 2 trillion ($274.2 billion) worth of goods online, marking a 60% increase from the previous year. According to the local outlet LatePost, short videos and live streaming accounted for almost 65% of these sales.
The emerging influence of the short video platform has attracted a flurry of branded merchants to sell on Douyin, with a figure conducted by investment bank CICC showing not only Chinese brands like Proya but also international giants L’Oréal and Lancome experienced higher year-on-year increases in GMV on Douyin compared to Alibaba’s Tmall marketplace during this year’s Singles Day bonanza.
Many high-end brands have used social media to build loyalty and drive word of mouth in China. The most effective platforms to reach new and diverse customers were Weibo (Twitter of China), Xiaohongshu (Chinese equivalent of Instagram), and Douyin (TikTok’s sister). Content marketing, referral links on videos, and affiliate marketing with live streamers were the common social marketing strategies.
The live streamer, who perpetually wears a similar black halter dress as the one donned by Chinese actress Gina Jin in 2023 film No More Bets, is known for her deadpan and sped up way of introducing products.
And by that we mean, she only spends three seconds on each item.
Her routine is her assistant passes her a box, she shows the product, states the price and pushes it away. No upselling, no further descriptions, just that. While Xiang Xiang is a fresh face to many, she has actually been in the live stream business since 2017. However, her popularity skyrocketed in the past month.
In the past three days, her follower count has reached over a million, making her the “Dark Horse” of the Douyin e-commerce industry in October. Xiang Xiang’s live streams are also recognised by the piles of Hermès boxes in the backdrop. All the items she sells are placed in the signature orange boxes as well.
