China’s Live Streaming Industry Is Booming

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Just as China sets the world pace in e-commerce, it’s doing the same for live streaming.More than 100 million viewers watch a live online video event every month, according to digital brand researcher L2.As an e-commerce tool, the typical live streaming format involves a celebrity demonstrating a product and answering questions from a digital audience.It takes place in real-time and usually on a smartphone,which accounts for some 95% of e-commerce activity in China.Live streaming has indeed become a powerful tool,with Deloitte1德勤，全球四大會(huì)計(jì)師事務(wù)所之一，另外三家分別是普華永道（PwC）、畢馬威（KPMG）和安永（EY）。estimating that China’s live streaming revenue will hit $4.4 billion this year, up 32% from 2017.

[2]China is replete with2be replete with 全是，到處都是。live streaming webcasts, much of it non-commercial, such as young people discussing their lives, offering diet tips or demon-strating dance moves—similar to the role YouTube might play in the U.S.But live streaming has also become one of the most cost-effective tools for e-commerce in China, similar to what QVC3美國(guó)最大的電視購(gòu)物公司，采用24小時(shí)直播的營(yíng)銷(xiāo)模式。QVC系Quality（質(zhì)量）、Value（價(jià)值）和Convenience（便利）三個(gè)單詞的首字母縮寫(xiě)。produces, but with even greater variety and impact.Although there are multiple platforms and service providers, Alibaba’s Tmall marketplace has the largest market share, according to L2.Sina Weibo operates a short video streaming app called Miaopai, while the biggest independent service provider is Yizhibo.

[3]Why are consumers and brands both embracing this medium?

[4]First, there’s a functional advantage to live streaming.It allows experts to show the product being used, to talk through techniques and permutations4permutation排列。,to demonstrate various techniques, and to point out the results.The audience can ask questions in anonymity, but the experience is interactive and immersive.

[5]There’s also a feeling of authenticity that comes from live streaming.Reviews and reactions of fellow consumers already weigh heavily on Chinese buyers’ purchasing decisions, and live streaming allows them to witness those reactions in real time.O.K., it is all a bit rehearsed, and celebrities are not exactly everyday people, but nothing beats live TV for surprises and emotional impact.Live streaming bridges the gap between advertising and a reality TV show.

[6]Consumers feel vicariously that they are actually handling the product themselves.They’re no longer picking a product off a shelf, they are now part of the process, shaping the outcome from the convenience of the living room sofa.The fact that it is real-time means the purchase can take place in real-time as well.The use of someone with public stature validates the results.The best live streaming allows room for spontaneity5spontaneity自發(fā)性；自然。, be it side chatter, a joke, or even a small mistake.After all, this is how friends talk with one another.

[7]What is absent in live streaming is the hard-sell shouting about the product that might occur in other settings.As consumers grow in sophistication and taste, they would rather participate in a chat.Live streaming invites the brand into the home in much the same way you would invite a friend.

[8]Consumers often times feel a sense of empowerment.The brand must be responsive to viewers in real time because consumers have the power to hold them accountable6hold somebody accountable 使某人負(fù)起責(zé)任。through questions and probes.Live streaming is closer to a job interview than to a product demo, with the audience conducting the interview.If it is a reality TV show,the consumer is the judge.

[9]Most importantly, live streaming allows brands to be introduced to consumers through a richer experience.Demonstrations allow for a dialogue that can cover more complex subject matter.It’s no wonder automakers have been using live streaming to launch new models.Perhaps the biggest group to adopt the practice is the beauty industry.A study by consumer research group L2 showed that two-thirds of beauty brands in China held live streaming events on Tmall, and many other platforms are being used as well.Indeed this same study showed that 14% of brands used at least four different platforms.

[10]Live streaming can also be particularly potent for niche and new-tomarket brands who do not have the ability to generate a buzz7generate a buzz 制造人氣，產(chǎn)生轟動(dòng)效應(yīng)。.Live streaming provides assurance the product is used,accepted and loved.

[11]In that same vein8in that/the same vein 以類(lèi)似風(fēng)格（說(shuō)話、寫(xiě)作）。, live streaming can generate word of mouth9word of mouth 口口相傳，口碑營(yíng)銷(xiāo)。.If you can explain it, you have internalized the brand’s value proposition.Every product demo is like a wine tasting.Once the sommelier explains the wine to you, you can play that back in your head and repeat it to others.Now you have become the expert.■

中國(guó)在電子商務(wù)領(lǐng)域引領(lǐng)世界潮流，在視頻直播行業(yè)也是如此。據(jù)數(shù)字品牌調(diào)查機(jī)構(gòu)L2反映，有超過(guò)1億人每個(gè)月都要看一場(chǎng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)視頻直播。作為電商營(yíng)銷(xiāo)工具，典型的網(wǎng)絡(luò)直播是由某位名人展示某個(gè)產(chǎn)品并回答線上提問(wèn)。直播一般通過(guò)智能手機(jī)實(shí)時(shí)進(jìn)行，而智能手機(jī)承包了中國(guó)約95%的電商活動(dòng)。視頻直播儼然已成為一件利器，德勤預(yù)計(jì)中國(guó)今年的直播收入將達(dá)到44億美元，較2017年增長(zhǎng)32%。

[2]中國(guó)有大量的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)視頻直播節(jié)目，其中很多與商業(yè)無(wú)關(guān)，例如年輕人討論生活問(wèn)題，提供飲食建議或者展示舞蹈才藝——和YouTube在美國(guó)扮演的角色相似。但在中國(guó)，直播還成了一條性價(jià)比頗高的電商營(yíng)銷(xiāo)渠道，有點(diǎn)像美國(guó)的QVC，但內(nèi)容更豐富，影響也更大。據(jù)L2消息，雖然直播平臺(tái)和服務(wù)提供商林立，但阿里巴巴旗下的“天貓商城”擁有最大的市場(chǎng)份額。新浪微博運(yùn)營(yíng)著短視頻應(yīng)用“秒拍”，而“一直播”則是最大的直播服務(wù)獨(dú)立提供商。

[3]為什么消費(fèi)者和品牌都接納了這一媒介呢？

[4]首先，視頻直播有其實(shí)用優(yōu)勢(shì)。專(zhuān)家可在直播中展示產(chǎn)品，詳細(xì)介紹功能和使用方法，演示各種功能，總結(jié)產(chǎn)品的效用。觀眾可匿名提問(wèn)，整個(gè)體驗(yàn)充滿互動(dòng)和浸入感。

[5]視頻直播還給人以真實(shí)感。中國(guó)消費(fèi)者的購(gòu)物決定在很大程度上會(huì)受其他買(mǎi)家的評(píng)論和反饋影響，而視頻直播使他們能實(shí)時(shí)地看到這些反饋。當(dāng)然了，直播也是有臺(tái)本的，名人亦不同于尋常百姓，但因?yàn)槌鋈艘饬虾透挥谇楦袥_擊，直播節(jié)目具有無(wú)法匹敵的優(yōu)勢(shì)。視頻直播拉近了廣告和電視真人秀的距離。

[6]通過(guò)觀看直播，消費(fèi)者有了自己親身使用商品的代入感。他們不再是從貨架上挑選商品，而是參與其中，坐在客廳沙發(fā)上舒舒服服地施加著影響力。視頻直播的實(shí)時(shí)性意味著購(gòu)買(mǎi)也可以實(shí)時(shí)進(jìn)行。公眾人物使用該商品使結(jié)果更有說(shuō)服力。好的視頻直播還會(huì)給臨場(chǎng)自發(fā)行為留出余地，比如閑聊、說(shuō)笑，甚至小失誤。畢竟，朋友之間講話就是這樣子的。

[7]其他營(yíng)銷(xiāo)環(huán)境中可能出現(xiàn)強(qiáng)行推銷(xiāo)產(chǎn)品的情況，但這在視頻直播里是不存在的。隨著消費(fèi)者愈加成熟及自身品位提升，他們更愿意參與到一場(chǎng)聊天中來(lái)。視頻直播引入品牌的方式，和你邀請(qǐng)朋友做客很相似。

[8]消費(fèi)者時(shí)常會(huì)覺(jué)得自己被賦予了權(quán)力。品牌必須對(duì)直播觀眾做出實(shí)時(shí)回應(yīng)，因?yàn)橄M(fèi)者有權(quán)通過(guò)提問(wèn)和詳查來(lái)追責(zé)。視頻直播與其說(shuō)是一次產(chǎn)品展示，倒不如說(shuō)更像是一場(chǎng)由觀眾擔(dān)當(dāng)考官的求職面試。如果要比作電視真人秀，那么觀眾就是評(píng)委。

[9]最重要的是，視頻直播給消費(fèi)者推薦品牌時(shí)提供了豐富的體驗(yàn)。展示過(guò)程可以進(jìn)行對(duì)話，從而談及更復(fù)雜的話題。汽車(chē)制造商使用視頻直播發(fā)布新車(chē)型已經(jīng)不足為奇，但采用視頻直播的最大群體是美妝行業(yè)。L2的研究報(bào)告反映，中國(guó)有三分之二的美妝品牌在天貓上舉辦過(guò)視頻直播，另外還有很多平臺(tái)也涉及美妝直播。該報(bào)告還披露，事實(shí)上有14%的品牌使用過(guò)至少4家不同的直播平臺(tái)。

[10]對(duì)于無(wú)力制造人氣的小眾和新晉品牌，視頻直播更是一件利器。視頻直播可以保證產(chǎn)品被使用、接納和喜愛(ài)。

[11]同理，視頻直播可以實(shí)現(xiàn)口碑營(yíng)銷(xiāo)。畢竟，如果你能推介一款產(chǎn)品，肯定是已經(jīng)接納了一個(gè)品牌的價(jià)值主張。每一次產(chǎn)品展示就像一場(chǎng)葡萄酒品鑒會(huì)，品酒專(zhuān)家向你介紹了這酒，你可以在自己腦海里過(guò)一遍，然后向他人推介。現(xiàn)在你也成專(zhuān)家了?！?/p>

（譯者曾獲第三屆“《英語(yǔ)世界》杯”翻譯大賽優(yōu)秀獎(jiǎng)）