P&G partners with top Taobao livestream KOL

BEIJING, April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FMCG giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has launched several social and new media campaigns in China, including the social media campaign "Be the Person You Decide to Be" that was launched by SK-II and Leah Dou, the Olay Fearless of Age video series in tandem with product placements and mentions in leading apps and on popular platforms.

P&G recently announced the celebration of the 10th anniversary of its Tmall flagship store. In addition to the many promotions, a top Taobao live stream KOL and a mysterious guest were invited to host a special live broadcast from the P&G owned studio. On April 18, it was finally revealed that the live stream KOL was Viya, one of Taobao's most popular celebrities. The mystery guest turned out to be Rene Co, Vice President of P&G Greater China Communications, who had signed on Viya as P&G Global Hot Products Promoter. Viya immediately selected a number of useful P&G products and has since been undertaking charity work for the benefit of people in need, in collaboration with the P&G staff, creating quite a lot of buzz around the products as well as a good product recommendation for her fans -"Viya's Women".

Speaking at the ceremony announcing Viya's new role, Rene said: "The collaboration with Viya is another innovative effort by P&G in implementing the 'guide to purchasing' model in the social e-commerce space. We hope to fully tap user-generated content resources of high-quality e-commerce platforms, establish strong alliances, consistently recommend P&G's products to shoppers and jointly lead into a new era of retail cooperation."

P&G, an over 180-year-old company, has been in China for 31 years. P&G products are present in over 93 percent of China's households, and the brand has established an emotional connection with every family, affecting every aspect of their lives. As Rene said, consumers are the boss, and the company has been actively thinking of where consumers are at these days and what they care about while taking the initiative to make changes in their lives. From sales to emotional resonance, from digital to content marketing, P&G embraces new technologies, innovates using big data and new channels, and plays in popular platforms such as social media, online videos, live streaming and short videos, to gain more attention of their target consumers. This is one of P&G's secrets to remaining relevant in today's fast-changing market.

As one of the superstars of Taobao's live streaming platform, Viya has partnered with P&G several times in the past. She understands her audience - China's shoppers - as well as P&G's products, and she is well deserving of the opportunity to be P&G's product recommender. Viya now has 5 million loyal fans on Taobao. In 2018, she sold 2.7 billion-yuan (approx. USD 403 million) worth of goods via live streaming and set an astonishing record of bringing in 150 million yuan (approx. USD 23 million) in sales during a single five-hour event.

As the first consumer packaged goods company to join T-mall, P&G has led the e-commerce industry with annual sales that have grown 1,000 times over the course of the past decade. The collaboration with Taobao's top live streaming host not only provides guidance for shoppers about what goods to buy, but also proves the effectiveness of social media marketing as P&G turns to new e-commerce models. Following 10 years of rapid growth driven by innovation, P&G looks forward to maintaining leadership and being at the forefront of new trends across the industry.

SOURCE P&G