First, there were the good, old brick-and-mortar stores, where the main focus was on providing a superb in-store experience for the buyer, shaping an entire consumer culture.
Then came online shopping.
This was a significant shift toward a more convenient approach, with brands realizing the need to leverage technology to create a seamless shopping experience for their consumers.
Today, the digital landscape is seeing the emergence of the concept of shoppertainment, so let’s see what this bombastic new industry trend is all about!
The emergence of shoppertainment in beauty
Put simply, shoppertainment can be best described as a retail strategy that combines two things: shopping and entertainment. The main purpose? To create a seamless, engaging, and all-encompassing environment for the consumer.
This is done with the help of various forms of entertainment elements, such as highly engaging videos that do an excellent job promoting a product while keeping the buyer entertained (which, as we all know, is no small feat).
Shoppertainment in beauty is all about the user.
It’s no secret that in this day and age, consumers are more inclined to seek fun and interactive ways to do their shopping, where emotional decision-making is a pivotal point.
In the evolving landscape of retail, this concept can easily bridge the gap between online retail and physical stores, by offering immersive experiences that are so much more than just making a purchase.
By keeping them entertained, brands will find it easy to attract new buyers and guide them toward making a purchase. And by continuing to develop new, innovative technologies, the possibilities to combine entertainment into their marketing strategies are infinite!
Since shoppertainment is tipped to be the future of e-commerce (with the market value estimated to reach a mind-boggling $1 trillion by 2025), it might be time to go the extra mile and lean into this here-to-stay trend.
With that in mind, let’s dive into some of the best ways you can incorporate shoppertainment into your e-commerce strategy.
Examples of shoppertainment in beauty tech
Beauty AR/Virtual make-up try-on
One of the best things about shoppertainment?
The fact that it incorporates AR (augmented reality) and virtual try-on technologies. Which makes it possible for buyers to virtually test beauty products of their choosing before they’re ready to buy.
This, in turn, takes online shopping to a whole new level. By enabling consumers to physically try on beauty products, you’re helping them make informed decisions they’re highly unlikely to regret.
Take Arbelle’s beauty AR, for example.
Powered by none other than FaceTrack (cutting-edge face-tracking technology), it can detect over 150 facial points with the help of its extremely fast and precise tracker, ensuring faultless AR makeup fits in real time.
Some would go so far as to say that it creates a mirror-like experience for every user. You can see it in the video below:
That is precisely the type of personalized, high-tech entertainment element that makes all the difference for the buyer. Not only does Arbelle provide a realistic make-up experience, but it can also help customers find the perfect foundation. What’s more, it can help your brand leverage invaluable insights into your customer demographics.
Sounds like a win-win scenario to us.
Live streaming with virtual try-ons
These days, beauty live-streaming has become something of a staple for brands worldwide.
It is reported that as much as 23% of global viewing time is spent watching precisely live content. This only goes to show how far the live-streaming industry has come.
The live stream content can easily be integrated directly onto a brand’s website. This allows users to engage in AI-powered virtual make-up try-ons in real time.
What’s so great about it is that consumers can easily interact with each other, ask questions, and get instant feedback on certain products that they’re considering buying.
When it comes to shoppertainment in beauty, it can’t be denied that live streaming is an incredibly powerful tool, if utilized well.
It provides a dynamic and participatory experience for users by keeping them engaged, offering personalized recommendations during those live sessions.
This unique approach can help your brand get more exposure, engage with your consumers in the most direct way, and over time – help you reach an even wider audience.
Interactive sessions with influencers
When it comes to beauty e-commerce, it’s almost impossible not to mention the power of influencers all over the world.
Brands are recognizing the power of virtual meet-ups with these modern-day celebrities, as they help meaningfully engage with their target audience while leveraging their power to reach new consumers.
This can be achieved by hosting live, interactive sessions with influencers and makeup artists who will openly share their beauty tips, expertly guide customers through product selections, and be open to answering various questions.
These sessions, in turn, create a sense of community, bring a much-welcome feeling of authenticity, and help the audience forge an even stronger bond with your brand.
What are some of the biggest benefits of shoppertainment for beauty brands?
As you may have realized by now, shoppertainment in beauty is all about connecting with the audience in ways that help brands stand out in the crowd.
Given that there are thousands of brands overflowing the market right now, you’re going to have a hard time cutting through the noise by sticking to your guns.
Shoppertainment is what will help your company generate buzz and get the audiences to engage with your products and services.
Here are some of the biggest benefits that’ll prove just how vital this tool is in your marketing strategy.
✧ Increase your customer engagement
If there’s one thing shoppertainment is guaranteed to do, it’s captivate your audience and nudge them to actively participate, instead of just passively browsing. And the interactive elements we’ve mentioned above will do the trick!
They will help customers foster a stronger connection with your brand while elevating their shopping experience. This will get you two things: brand loyalty and happy customers.
✧ Start seeing higher conversion rates and sales
The very nature of shoppertainment in beauty is to entertain. And we can’t think of a better way to start seeing higher conversion rates than by doing just that! When you manage to get your audience emotionally invested in your products, they are, without a doubt, more inclined to click the “add to cart” button. It’s the virtual try-ons and live demos that will keep their hesitation to a minimum by letting them see exactly how the product will look on them.
✧ Contribute to brand authenticity
By leaning into the whole shoppertainment concept, brands are in the perfect position to showcase the entire scope of their personality and values.
Beauty live streaming and live interactions with influencers contribute to a sense of authenticity, which leads to trust and loyalty among buyers. Since it’s been reported that emotional decision-making drives a whopping 40% of e-commerce transactions, it only makes sense to join in.
✧ Data-driven personalization
The very interactive nature of shoppertainment is what will help brands collect valuable customer insight and use it to add personalized features and tailor product recommendations to their specific preferences.
For example, Arbelle’s high-tech beauty AR solution can help your brand leverage those insights and create a more targeted approach to exceed every single one of your customers’ needs!
✧ Increase your brand’s online visibility
Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of shoppertainment tactics is how incredibly easy it is to share them on social media platforms, thus increasing your brand awareness. Your customers will be more than happy to share their uniquely entertaining shopping experiences with their followers, which can create much-coveted organic marketing opportunities for your brand.
✧ Adapt to the ever-evolving customer behavior
In order to survive (and thrive) in the constantly evolving consumer landscape, adapting to change is no longer just a choice. It’s a necessity.
As your customers’ preferences keep evolving, your brand should be able to adapt to those changes. Luckily, shoppertainment in beauty aligns perfectly with the enhanced demand for entertainment in the shopping process. And this makes it the best way to cater to the evolving behavior of your customers.
Reinvent your digital commerce with shoppertainment
When it comes to e-commerce, your brand has two choices: capture the demand or generate it. Sure, the latter might be the more challenging option as it requires creativity to generate an action. But that’s exactly how shoppertainment works!
Investing in beauty AI and live streaming e-commerce strategies will set your brand apart from the competition, and take you a step higher from the traditional online shopping experiences.
By harnessing the power of shoppertainment, you can take your brand to new heights and provide your customers with a unique experience that will not only result in higher conversion rates but also get your brand the attention it deserves.
So, if you’re ready to set your brand on the course toward growth and differentiation, be sure to get in touch with us.
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