17LIVE to launch innovative live commerce service to facilitate cross-border sales in Asia

Japan’s premier live streaming application company, 17LIVE Japan Inc., is set to unveil a groundbreaking cross-border live commerce service, “HandsUP Crossborder,” on 19 August 2024. Targeted primarily at the East Asian market, including Taiwan, this initiative will enable businesses to partner with influential sales experts and key opinion leaders (KOLs) throughout East and Southeast Asia.

Facilitating connections between businesses and top influencers

The newly announced “HandsUP Crossborder” is crafted to assist clients keen on promoting Japanese products to Taiwanese consumers by matching them with over 1,300 KOLs across East and Southeast Asia, who have exclusive contracts with the company. Clients will upload their product details onto the platform, and interested KOLs will apply to promote them. 17LIVE Japan Inc. will then select the most appropriate KOLs based on their sales data and compatibility with the client’s products and targets.

Addressing numerous challenges that previously hindered cross-border sales, such as logistical costs, compliance with local laws, and marketing difficulties, “HandsUP Crossborder” offers a streamlined solution. The service includes handling of packaging, storage, and delivery, allowing businesses to enter foreign markets more easily and with reduced overhead.

Proven success and future ambitions

The KOLs affiliated with 17LIVE Japan Inc. have demonstrated substantial sales achievements, with average sales of 1,800,000 Yen and the top 100 KOLs averaging 30 million Yen in monthly sales. Collectively, they have amassed over 50 billion Yen in annual sales from live commerce. With a follower base exceeding 16 million and an 80% campaign acceptance rate, these influencers provide a solid foundation for businesses looking to broaden their international footprint.

Since 2019, 17LIVE has been facilitating live commerce for over 400 companies, accumulating a wealth of expertise in the domain. Their initial foray into cross-border live commerce in late October 2023 saw significant success, with an apparel company outperforming the total daily sales of all its 90 stores nationwide.

Visionary commentary from 17LIVE’s leadership

Hiromi Murai, Head of Live Commerce Business at 17LIVE Inc., shared insights on the launch: “The global e-commerce market continues to expand year on year, and e-commerce activity has become regular in Taiwan, leading to remarkable growth in the Taiwanese e-commerce market and the existence of a vast social commerce market. Under this backdrop, we are launching ‘HandsUP Crossborder’ to support clients who wish to expand their sales channels overseas. By matching clients with suitable KOLs and delivering high-engagement broadcasts that understand the products deeply, we are confident that we can offer new sales channels at low cost and low risk to clients who have previously abandoned cross-border strategies due to costs and resource constraints. Ultimately, we aim to solve growth and marketing challenges in the e-commerce industry through live commerce. In the future, we plan to expand not only to Taiwan but also to other countries and regions, focusing on Southeast Asia, including Singapore. Please look forward to the new service ‘HandsUP Crossborder.'”

“HandsUP Crossborder” from 17LIVE represents a strategic initiative to enhance and simplify cross-border e-commerce through effective influencer partnerships and comprehensive logistical support.