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YouTube today announced updates to the YouTube Shopping affiliate program to further fuel the thriving video commerce in the Philippines, including Lazada onboarding onto the program, as well as new and upcoming features to make Shopping experience more seamless on YouTube.
Southeast Asia has been shaping the future of shopping with a deeply engaged video-first audience, a profitable digital economy and a vibrant creator community. According to a Kantar Survey, majority (85%) of surveyed respondents in Southeast Asia said they use YouTube Shorts in their shopping journey, demonstrating viewers’ trust in creator recommendations and their desire for authentic product reviews. Also, it is one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets, with video commerce having surged to 20% of the region’s e-commerce gross merchandise value in 2024.
These, combined with the thriving creator ecosystem in the Philippines has fueled the growth of YouTube Shopping over the past year. Since its launch in Southeast Asia last year, the YouTube Shopping affiliate program has been empowering creators across the region to diversify their revenue and fans to shop product recommendations directly from their favorite creators, without ever leaving the video they are watching. There has been a 5X increase in global YouTube Shopping Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), as well as over 70% increase in shopping related watchtime in the Philippines year-over-year.
YouTube Shopping has also proven to be effective in helping viewers find their new favorite product, with 81% of survey respondents who used Google/YouTube in their shopping journey likely to buy the same brand again and 90% saying they are satisfied with their purchase. In addition, with YouTube Shopping, brands can also tap into highly engaged audiences through powerful creator-led partnerships.
To further scale this growing Shopping ecosystem, YouTube is welcoming Lazada to the YouTube Shopping affiliate program for the Philippines. Lazada, one of the leading eCommerce platforms, has been connecting consumers with sellers and brands in the region. With the partnership, creators will have access to a wide range of products to tag on their videos, while viewers will be able to get recommendations for more diverse products while watching content from their favorite creators. This will also open up more opportunities for brands to drive traffic and sales on Lazada by partnering with creators.
”We’re excited to empower our Lazada Affiliates with new earning opportunities through YouTube Shopping,” said Carlos Barrera, Chief Executive Officer, Lazada Philippines. “By connecting the country’s premier online destination for authentic brands with one of the most engaged video communities, we’re seamlessly bringing together content and commerce. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to helping brands and creators thrive, and to driving the next phase of digital commerce across the Philippines.”
YouTube continues to invest in features to make the shopping experience more seamless. Based on valuable feedback from the creator community, YouTube introduced Stickers on Shorts, which add an engaging visual pop-up to tagged products for instant shopping, Timestamps, which show shopping tags exactly at the moment products are showcased, and the new YouTube Shopping Chrome Extension which allows creators to easily save products to tag in their videos later. In addition, YouTube recently updated the product tagging guidelines for creators, sharing tips and best practices for creators and providing clarity on frequently asked topics.
YouTube is also leaning on AI to enhance the shopping experience for creators. YouTube recently introduced Auto Timestamps, which leverages an AI-powered system to automatically display the product tag at the exact moment they’re mentioned in a video, capturing viewer interest when it’s highest and saving creators’ time. YouTube will also begin testing the ability to automatically identify and tag all eligible products mentioned in videos later this year.
“Creators are the heart of YouTube, and we are deeply committed to helping them thrive in the Philippines digital economy. We’ve seen incredible momentum with YouTube Shopping in the region over the past year and are further scaling the program by welcoming Lazada to our affiliate program and introducing new features to YouTube Shopping. We are committed to making the YouTube Shopping experience more rewarding and seamless for our creators and viewers, and are looking forward to seeing creators use these new features to connect with their fans in more meaningful ways and engaging with brands in commercially successful ways,” said Prep Palacio, Country Manager, Google Philippines.
YouTube remains committed to growing the creator economy and building towards a future where shopping on YouTube is intuitive, engaging, and rewarding for everyone.
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