Pierre Faucer, CEO of Intrepid Philippines
Earlier this year, live commerce made a substantial impact on the global market, with some countries even seeing it account for as much as 40 per cent of gross merchandise value (GMV).
In the Philippines, the e-commerce landscape has seen a notable transformation with the launch of TikTok Shop in April 2023. Now the second-largest platform by GMV, it has prompted competitors such as Shopee and Lazada to intensify their focus on video content and live streaming.
The rapid growth and profitability of live commerce have driven brands to seek innovative ways to maintain a competitive edge. In this atmosphere, Artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a transformative tool, particularly in enhancing content creation.
Yet, this only scratches the surface of AI’s potential to tackle broader challenges faced by brands eager to capitalise on this growing trend, according to Intrepid Philippines CEO Pierre Faucer.
“Moving forward, I foresee a growing convergence between traditional e-commerce and live commerce, as live commerce content continues to scale across platforms and increasingly integrates into the broader online shopping experience,” he says in an email interview with e27.
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In this interview, we explore strategies to utilise AI to enhance live commerce for businesses in Southeast Asia (SEA).
The following is an edited excerpt of the conversation.
AI is seen as a transformative tool in content creation for live commerce. Can you share how brands are currently using AI to enhance this?
AI is revolutionising e-commerce by significantly boosting efficiency for designers, videographers, and merchandisers and deeply changing how content is generated.
It streamlines creative tasks, allowing brands to scale content production at unprecedented speeds while maintaining high quality. AI also enhances content customisation and personalisation, helping brands deliver tailored experiences to individual customers.
As generative AI technologies evolve, dynamic content like videos and personalised live streams will replace static visuals, further engaging customers and driving sales. This transformation positions AI as a key enabler of more impactful and interactive e-commerce strategies.
Content creation is just one aspect of AI’s potential in live commerce. What other areas do you think AI can address to solve broader brand challenges?
AI in live commerce can address several broader challenges beyond content creation.
For customer engagement, AI can personalise real-time interactions, such as recommending products during live streams based on viewer behaviour and preferences.
In logistics, AI can optimise inventory management, ensuring product availability aligns with live stream promotions, and streamline delivery operations. Additionally, AI-driven analytics can provide brands with deeper insights into audience behaviour, campaign performance, and product demand, helping them make data-driven decisions to improve the effectiveness of their live commerce strategies.
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Given the profitability of live commerce, what key strategies would you recommend for brands looking to maximise their returns while adopting AI-driven technologies?
Live commerce is often perceived as an expensive endeavour where scale is crucial. Brands can leverage AI-driven technologies to affordably scale personalised content effectively and enhance customer engagement and conversion.
AI can assist in automating video editing, managing live stream quality, and even generating real-time subtitles in local languages such as Tagalog and Cebuano. For instance, brands could use AI-powered tools to automatically edit and enhance live stream footage, ensuring high production value without expensive equipment or extensive post-production work.
AI-driven tools can create highly personalized content tailored to Filipino consumers’ preferences and behaviours. For example, AI can analyze data from local social media trends and consumer purchasing behaviour to offer customised product recommendations and promotions during live streams. Platforms like Shopee and Lazada have successfully adopted similar strategies.
We can implement AI-driven chatbots to engage with viewers in real-time during live commerce events. These chatbots can answer questions, provide additional product information, and offer personalised discounts based on user interactions. A notable example is how Globe Telecom uses chatbots on its live commerce platforms to handle customer inquiries and provide instant support.
We can also utilise AI to forecast demand and manage inventory more efficiently. By analysing data from live events and historical sales, brands can better predict which products will be popular and adjust their inventory accordingly.
Incorporating AI-driven interactive features such as virtual try-ons, gamification elements, and augmented reality (AR) experiences is also recommended. These tools can enhance the shopping experience and make live commerce events more engaging. For example, beauty brands can use AR to allow viewers to virtually try on makeup products during a live stream, increasing the likelihood of purchase.
How does Intrepid Philippines plan to position itself in the evolving landscape of live commerce and AI adoption, and what specific goals do you have in terms of helping brands capitalise on these opportunities in 2024 and beyond?
We aim to position ourselves as a comprehensive end-to-end e-commerce service provider across SEA’s six major markets. Our strategy enables brands to partner with a single provider for all their e-commerce and live commerce needs, including strategy development, content production, performance marketing, customer service, warehousing, and fulfilment.
This integrated model provides several key advantages: Holistic market overview, seamless coordination, enhanced efficiency, and leveraging AI
Our goal for 2024 and beyond is to empower brands to thrive in the dynamic e-commerce environment by providing them with a strategic, coordinated, and technologically advanced service offering. By doing so, we aim to drive significant growth and success for our clients in the evolving landscape of live commerce and AI.
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Image Credit: Intrepid
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