Two Content Innovations that Black Friday Marketers could learn from Singles’ Day

2016 saw Singles’ Day or Double Eleven, the world’s biggest online shopping event, set a new record of $20 billion in sales in one day. This year also saw brands continuing to innovate in the gap between brand inspiration and commercial transaction, resulting in faster and bigger financial results. The day launched with an interactive, televised gala featuring a headline performance from Katy Perry, and in the opening five minutes of this year’s event, Alibaba posted sales of $1billion.

So, what can Marketers learn about the evolution of Content Marketing from Singles Day in 2016?

Cyber Celebrity + Live broadcasting delivers phenomenal content and commercial results

In the past year China has witnessed the rise of the cyber celebrity economy with more than one million cyber celebrities registered on the Alibaba platform to sell brand products via live broadcasts.

This year set the creative benchmark for this powerful combination, with the event including an eight-hour live-streamed “see now buy now” fashion show from Shanghai, where consumers could order anything they see on the catwalk in real time.

The perceived authenticity of the cyber celebrity, coupled with the excitement of live broadcast, provides a powerful opportunity for content marketers, especially for flash sales such as Singles’ Day. A popular cyber celebrity in China can have in excess of five million followers and can sell $2.8 million in two hours alone.

Alibaba’s ambitions to become more than an ecommerce platform has left it ripe for brand content. Its’ pursuit to own the entire entertainment chain — from development, production and distribution provides a significant opportunity for the brands who take part in Double Eleven.

Alibaba’s access to what would otherwise be ‘walled garden’ data analytics (such as the TV audience data generated by the Single’s Day TV gala show), provides brands with the granular ability to track who views content and whether those views generate sales. From both a CRM and a media planning perspective, access and insights in to this chain is instrumental in garnering ROI for brands.

VR + AR can integrate the offline to online experience, at scale

In 2016 Alibaba launched an augmented reality game as part of its wider online to offline strategy to simplify sales between its platforms and the bricks and mortar stores. In the game, players chase the Tmall mascot, a black cat, in participating shops and restaurants to win prizes.

It has also unveiled a VR shopping experience that enables Chinese shoppers to visit virtual Macy’s, Costco or Target stores through a VR headset. The experience enables the user to walk around the store, pick up items and purchase by looking at floating price tags.

As this year’s event demonstrated, content marketing has never been so closely tied to sales as it is today. The approach by retailers was indicative of the way that Digital, Brand, and Content have come together to provide powerful brand experiences, setting the benchmark for the year ahead.

Linda Lan, VP of Brand Commerce Consultancy, Isobar China Group