Taobao's target is to boost the livelihood of 1,000 farmer livestreamers from 100 counties in China by helping them each generate over RMB10,000 in monthly income. The idea is to drive online sales of local agricultural products via livestreams conducted by the newly minted rural KOLs – the farmers, themselves. To promote this new initiative, Taobao plans collaboration with county- level governments to highlight local points of interest and expand the popularity and recognition of various villages participating in the livestreaming.
"Our rural livestream program aims to empower local livestreamers to boost business for poverty- stricken areas, while enabling farmers to manage their own livestream e-commerce channels. It's Taobao's devotion to poverty relief by leveraging e-commerce and livestreaming via creative digital technologies." said Chen Lei, director of e-commerce content at Taobao.
Last year, Taobao hosted more than 150,000 agriculture-themed livestreams, which drew over 400 million viewers. Taobao innovated the "Live on the Farm" model, featured with agriculture livestreamers, KOLs, and even local government officials from counties to join livestream sessions and promote their local goods. In January 2019, Taobao's "Live on the Farm" seven- day online salescampaign generated over RMB9.35 million in sales, right ahead of Chinese New Year, a prime gifting period in China.
Many agriculture livestreamers tasted their first success on the platform last year, including Chen Jiubei, who has helped farmers in her hometown in Hunan province sell up to 2 million kilograms of previously unsaleable oranges in just 13 days last winter.
Taobao also coordinated with county-level governments to provide a suite of livestreaming marketing services, including seeking out and training livestreamers, as well as identifying local selling points. With more than 60,000 distinct livestreams on agricultural products every month, Taobao is committed to driving RMB 3 billion in sales for the sector in 2019.
This month, Taobao will roll out livestreams that introduce the source of a range of agricultural products, helping viewers discover the local landscape and customs where their products come from. In addition, Taobao also plans to partner with CCTV, Hunan Television and Zhejiang Television to develop livestreaming shows that invite popstars and celebrities to participate in poverty-relief activities, aiming to generate more public awareness for underprivileged areas.