Shoppable content could have finished off the Neanderthals

By Edward Norton, Content Manager

Some 30,000 years ago, we modern humans may have driven Neanderthals to extinction thanks to our ability to engage in free trade. This is a theory posed by some Anthropologists that consider the range of factors that could explain their extinction.

Free trade and division of labour would have allowed Homo sapiens to assign tasks based on skill, rather than necessity. It’s thanks to these little ideas that my doctor isn’t also my bus driver, or vice versa.

Whether it was free trade that finished off a species after 260,000 years of existence is a mystery, but the lesson is much the same. We humans thrive in an environment of trade, which goes some way to explaining why shopping is such an integral part of society today.

Neanderthals might have struggled with the next evolution of this trade too, shoppable video.

What is shoppable video? ??

Think of your shopping experience online, except rather than being limited to a page of products with static images and the occasional video, it’s all available within a video.?

Shoppable videos are marketing videos which feature interactive elements that allow viewers to click on and purchase products within the video. Like teleshopping, but for the TikTok age.

Why should I care? ??

Online videos had a reach of 92% among internet users worldwide in Q3 of 2023. It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to see the opportunity that Reach offers.

Don’t think of shoppable video as a replacement for the online shopping experience, but as another method to reach potential customers. 60% of shoppers say online video has given them inspiration for their next purchase – but what if that purchase was available immediately within the video?

Where are shoppable videos used? ??

These videos are very effective ads, as they offer the path of least resistance for potential customers. Interactive video ads offer a more engaging experience for viewers.

However, shoppable videos can also be deployed as an updated teleshopping experience, as we’ve previously deployed for Australia and New Zealand’s most popular TV shopping network, TVSN.

How do I benefit? ??

There are quite a few benefits that shoppable video provides to businesses, including, but not limited to:???

• Enhanced customer experience – They create an engaging and frictionless shopping experience.
• Improved conversion rate – Due to the frictionless purchase process, this decreases the risk of an abandoned basket.
• Inspiration and influence – 60% of shoppers say online video has given them inspiration for their next purchase, so combining video with the ability to purchase creates opportunity.

Creating shoppable video content?

Creating shoppable content can be incredibly simple, but it depends on the platform(s) you’re targeting.

Amazon Prime Video is one of the most prominent platforms, but your content will need to be of a similar quality to what’s available there.

YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing platform and boasts a range of user-generated content which varies in quality. This means your shoppable content could reflect the user-generated style of content on the platform and still generate engagement and purchases.

TikTok offers a TikTok shop which is dedicated to this style of shoppable video content. Again, the platform is based upon short-form user-generated content, so your content could be created in a similar style.

Owned and operated platforms offer the most flexibility and options for shoppable content. You can have full control of the experience and place this content at key points within the user journey.

Check out our guide to find out how to create shoppable videos in six simple steps. If you’ll excuse me, I have a medical emergency that requires the attention of my bus driver.

UNBOXED

We launched our SCTE-35 Marker Inserter

Simplestream recently announced the launch of a new tool to enhance automated Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) workflows. The SCTE-35 Marker Inserter sources the metadata information from the playout schedule provided, and allows the automated identification of the breaks, to insert markers at the point of encoding of the live stream.

Our CPO & Co-Founder, Lewis Arthur, said: "Mid-roll ad breaks are very important when it comes to the monetisation of live streams, typically representing over 8% of digital live stream pod time. This compares to approximately 20% for pre-roll ads. Using this technology, customers who don’t have SCTE-35 markers can still access mid-roll monetisation.”

Check the full press release here.

SNIPPETS

?? Las Vegas, baby! Simplestream will be attending NAB Show 2024 next month, and our team would be delighted to meet you at the Las Vegas Convention Center on 13-17 April. Ready to take your project to the next level? Book a meeting now.

?? We attended the IBC Accelerator Kickstart Day earlier this month, and we went back home with some interesting takeaways. From AI and its ties with content creation, to edge computing for live events management, innovation in the tech space seems to be in ceaseless motion. Learn more.?