The Evolution of Amazon Live
On February 16th, 2021, Mitsubishi released their newest SUV. While there wasn’t the excitement of an in-person auto show reveal due to the pandemic, there was the next best thing: Amazon Live. Viewers around the US tuned in to watch the big launch on Amazon’s interactive live stream shopping platform, marking the premier as one of the highest profile events yet for Amazon Live.
Amazon’s partnership with Mitsubishi represents their shift from just a marketplace to a platform where customers can interact with new products in many ways. Launching in early 2019, Amazon Live lets brands tap into Amazon’s unfathomably large base of customers by livestreaming products. Viewers can shop products on display and participate in a live chat with brand owners and experts, helping customers make informed purchase decisions as if they were shopping in-store.
For a while now, live stream shopping has been projected to become the future of ecommerce in the US. After a year of neglect following its launch, the pandemic finally pushed brands to invest in Amazon Live. Influencers increasingly began to sell on the platform, and Amazon occasionally staged big events, like when Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba appeared live on Prime Day. Mitsubishi is one of the first major brands to use Amazon Live for a big product release, and more brands will likely follow suit.
Amazon Live is becoming a hub of live events and big product launches. This trend is set to continue even after the pandemic ends, especially since video provides multi-sensory engagement and return on investment.