Brands: maneuvering between streamers and influencers – Ashley Dudarenok

While brands are rightfully intrigued by the power of streamers in e-commerce, they cannot replace traditional influencers, says branding expert Ashley Dudarenok in Campaign Asia. “While there was a time when brands favoured streamers over traditional influencers, as they thought streamers can sell, these days they know better,” says Ashley Dudarenok,

Campaign Asia:

While livestreaming may have transformed online shopping in China (according to research firm eMarketer, it generated sales of US$480 billion in China last year that are likely to jump 30% this year) experts say that in reality, collaborating with live streamers is a bit hit and miss.

“While there was a time when brands favoured streamers over traditional influencers, as they thought streamers can sell, these days they know better,” says Ashley Dudarenok, founder of ChoZan 超赞 and Alarice. “No matter how big, small, professional the external livestreamer is, they rarely deliver a positive ROI. Anchors are expensive. They work great for awareness, first time purchase, campaigns—after which it’s up to a brand to leverage and stretch the afterglow.”…

“Competition for eyeballs is fierce, it’s increasingly challenging to stand out,” says Dudarenok. “This leads to constant pressure to come up with attention-grabbing stunts or strategies, which rarely aligns with genuine and authentic content creation.” In one such stunt, a young male Chinese live streamer recently died after he was seen drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. The streamer who went by the username of ‘Brother Three Thousand’ was reported to have drank at least seven bottles of baijiu spirits during a live stream, and was found dead 12 hours after his broadcast, Chinese media reported. His death, which was widely discussed on China’s internet, has led to calls for stricter rules for the country’s expanding livestreaming sector.

“Regulation is another concern,” adds Dudarenok. “Without clear guidelines and regulations, it’s often the Wild West with unsafe products and services, patchy after-sales services, and more. As the live commerce landscape evolves and matures, influencers, brands, MCNs, agencies are working together to shape what ‘good looks like’ for the next 10 years.”…

While livestreaming superhosts like Austin Li and Viya remain popular in China, brands are increasingly building up their own live stream channels instead of paying individual live streamers 40% to 50% of the revenue. “Brands prefers KOEs = key opinions employees to run the shows eight hours a day vs external anchors,” says Dudarenok. “Plus virtual hosts can also be a great way to complement the real human anchor at peak times, and fully substitute them during slow hours.”