Jo Malone finds growth in China’s live-stream boom

China – Fragrance house Jo Malone has tapped into China’s e-idol economy with a group live-stream featuring male idol group Joy X on the short-form video-sharing app Douyin.

The two-and-a-half-hour broadcast drew nearly 600,000 viewers and generated an estimated £104,100–260,100 ($140,000–350,000,€120,000–300,000) in gross merchandise value, almost 10 times the brand’s typical livestream revenue (source: Qingyan). Joe Malone’s solo livestreams typically attract around 50,000 viewers.

E-idols are a genre of idol groups building a fan base through performing on online platforms and live-streaming e-commerce, rather than traditional in-person performances. 

The format, known as ‘团播 tuan bo’ (group live-streaming), is typically dominated by domestic brands in China. But the 80% female audience, aged predominantly between 18 and 23, is primed for the global cosmetics industry (source: Jing Daily).

McKinsey & Co predicts live shopping will make up 20% of all shopping by 2026, as explored in our Future of Live Shopping report.