{"id":22322,"date":"2021-04-14T16:13:48","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T16:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/from_novel_concept_to_natural_shopping_habit_how_shoppable_video_is_gaining_ground_in_e_commerce"},"modified":"2024-05-27T13:34:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-27T20:34:58","slug":"from_novel_concept_to_natural_shopping_habit_how_shoppable_video_is_gaining_ground_in_e_commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloudinary.com\/blog\/from_novel_concept_to_natural_shopping_habit_how_shoppable_video_is_gaining_ground_in_e_commerce","title":{"rendered":"From Novel Concept to Natural Shopping Habit: How Shoppable Video is Gaining Ground in E-Commerce"},"content":{"rendered":"

As pandemic restrictions necessitated, many shopping trips in 2020 took place outside the traditional brick-and-mortar store, or at least void of the physical aisle-browsing experience. Same-day curbside pickup became a safe and convenient alternative, and e-commerce<\/a> transactions skyrocketed as consumers shopped online. In fact, Digital Commerce 360 estimates that, compared to 2019, e-commerce transactions grew by more than 40%<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n

The \u201cstoreless\u201d shopping environment promises to be a continuing trend even after we put COVID-19 in the rear view, prompting brands and retailers alike to up their game digitally. More intuitive websites, more engaging and eye-catching content, more informative product pages\u2014all those approaches are now at the forefront of organizations\u2019 minds as they strategize for success in e-commerce.<\/p>\n

Product videos<\/a> are one compelling way to capture the attention and consideration of shoppers. A study from Wyzowl found that 84% of consumers<\/a> have been convinced to buy a product because of a video<\/a>, which explains why many brands nowadays are adding that visual medium to their sites. Simple video footage of a shoe being walked in or a watch being worn, for example, can add significant context to a purchase decision.<\/p>\n

However, what if your videos went a step further, not just creating a scenario in which shoppers can see themselves but actually enabling in-the-moment purchases? Shoppable videos<\/a> make that possible.<\/p>\n

What Started In a Music Video Is Now an Intuitive Way In Which Shoppers Engage<\/h2>\n

To find the origin of shoppable videos<\/a>, I turned to Google and was transported back to May 2012, nearly nine years ago. A Fast Company article from then described the \u201cworld\u2019s first interactive shoppable music video\u201d<\/a> from luxury retail brand SSENSE\u2014the novelty of a video being \u2018tagged\u2019 with products, similar to tagging in a social-media post, and the unique ability to purchase items seen on the screen. SSENSE\u2019s CEO Rami Atallah said<\/a>, \u201cPeople often wonder what performers are wearing, where they can purchase an item. We have bridged that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

As consumers, we enjoy following the latest trends and seeing what celebrities are wearing so we can \u201cshop the look.\u201d That proverbial bridge has been extended even further since SSENSE\u2019s video experiment, and now we can purchase everyday products through shoppable videos, too.<\/p>\n

Shoppable videos are everywhere\u2014across e-commerce websites and social-media channels\u2014making it second nature to shop directly inside the content. At one time, Instagram and TikTok didn\u2019t have ways for buying directly on the platform, but that\u2019s no longer the case. You can now complete full transactions within the app through a video. According to Adweek, more than 90 million Instagram accounts<\/a> \u201ctap\u201d to reveal tags on shopping posts every month.<\/p>\n

In essence, videos have transformed from vehicles of passive viewership to those of active participation. Shoppable videos, in particular, enable shoppers to interact with the content itself and add items to a shopping cart or visit a product page. Those experiences meet shoppers where they are, shortening the purchase journey. No longer do they have to open a new tab, type a URL, or string together descriptive words in the search field in hopes of happening upon the product that just caught their eye. For brands or retailers, shoppable videos create more meaningful interactions and increase conversions while unlocking valuable user data as shoppers engage with the videos.<\/p>\n

Adoption of Shoppable Video Might Have Been Slow at First, But Excitement Is Building<\/h2>\n

Three years after the debut of SSENSE\u2019s shoppable music video, a 2015 blog post from Econsultancy<\/a>, a U.K.-based digital-strategy firm, pointed to the fact that \u201cwe have yet to see widespread adoption\u201d of shoppable video. That was because marketers \u201chave trouble quantifying the return on investment,\u201d and the production by a creative agency or production studio is \u201cchallenging to produce at scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong>

Econsultancy\u2019s recommendations back then were to find a technology partner to \u201chelp your organization own creation, management, and delivery of shoppable-video content.\u201d We couldn\u2019t agree more! Cloudinary\u2019s video solution<\/a> offers a shoppable-video feature.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fast forward four years, in 2019 Digiday dubbed shoppable video<\/a> a \u201csolution in search of a problem,\u201d referencing agency feedback that adoption of the ad format was slow because of standardization and pricing ambiguities.<\/p>\n

However, as 2020 drew to a close, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released its annual report on the consumer ecosystem<\/a>, stating that the \u201cpercentage of marketers who use shoppable-video ads is set to grow to 40% this year, from 33% in 2019 and 25% in 2018, as advertisers seek to boost direct sales.\u201d Separately, a January study commissioned by Bazaarvoice with Savanta found that, according to 24% of consumers over the age of 18, shoppable images and video dominated as the most influential ad or content type on social media<\/a>. Surprisingly, shoppable images and videos scored much higher than \u201ctry-on haul\u201d videos from influencers they follow (5.6%) and posts from brands (13.4%).<\/p>\n

If you start digging for examples of shoppable video, it won\u2019t take long to find a treasure trove of content from which to draw inspiration. Here are a few of my favorites:<\/p>\n