【BUSINESS】Viya, the Women Who Sold $3.3Billion on Livestreaming in 2020

If there is one person you should know about live streaming sales in China, that person is Viya, a millionaire at 35 and rules a $60 billion (and keep growing drastically) world of live online shopping.
假如你必须了解一个中国的直播带货网红,那么这个人一定是薇娅,一位年仅35岁的年轻女士引领着中国超过6亿美元(且持续飞速增长的)直播销售市场。

 
Bloomberg News did an feature about her and call Viya the “World’s live stream queen can sell everything”. With her 32 million fans in her Taobao Live Stream Show Room, Viya sold RMB 20 billion in 2020, rank top among all online board cast salesmen. Now her fans are more than 50 million according to Taobao.
彭博商业新闻曾经做过一期薇娅的专访,并称她为“什么都能卖的世界直播女王”。当时她的淘宝直播间有3200万粉丝,2020年一年的销售额约200亿人民币。根据淘宝数据,如今她的淘宝直播间有将近5千万粉丝。
 
Other than her world reputed sales skills, she was also recognized and successful with political influence. Her recent honors are “Sanba Red Flag Bearer Against COVID ”抗击新冠肺炎三八红旗手,”National Poverty Alleviation Award”全国脱贫攻坚奖,”China Pioneer Sea Rice Ambassador”中华拓荒人海水稻推广大使. To enhance her influence on national level and gain political recognition, or to simply show sympathy to the less developed area in her homeland, Viya lead more than 200 benefit sales and used her connection and sales skills to complete over RMB 560 million sales revenue for mostly agricultural products from rural areas. More than propaganda media publicity, it was actual profit earned by the poor.

 
除了在其享有盛誉的销售领域,薇娅也获得了极高的政治荣誉和影响力。先后被授予“抗击新冠肺炎三八红旗手”,“全国脱贫攻坚奖”,“中海拓荒人海水稻推广大使”。为了增加全国的影响力和政治认可度,或者仅是为了回报社会因为她的家乡也是欠发达地区,薇娅在2020年一年主持了超过200场公益直播,利用她的人脉关系以及销售技能,完成了超过5.6亿人民币的销售额,基本都是欠发达地区的农产品。不仅仅只是增加了她自身的媒体曝光度,而是实实在在的为欠发达地区的农民带来了销售利润。

 
Live streaming is not a new idea, and celebrity or influencers concept is somehow imported from western culture. However the volume of the sales and the influence they bring are stronger than old-fashioned celebrity endorsement. In fact, as the trend spreading so overwhelmed, there are now countless celebrities in various areas, idols, sports stars, artists and more doing live stream sales themselves in China . Of course, no one can top Viya so far.
直播带货并不是新生概念,明星和网红的概念也多是从西方文化中引进的。但是在这些网红直播带货的影响力如今远超过传统的明星代言。事实上,由于这一波浪潮席卷,无数各个领域的明星,包括偶像,体育明星,艺术家等等,都开始了自己的直播带货。当然,目前没有任何一个能超过薇娅。

 
Exactly how Huang Wei, a small town girl from the not so developed area of China became the sales queen that no one can neglected in China at such young age?
究竟黄薇,这个中国欠发达地区的小镇走出来的小姑娘是如何在这样年轻的时候就成为如今无人能忽视的销售女皇呢?
 
In her new book Viya: Life is For Change, as in many other interviews and reports, Viya started as a clueless shop assistant in a women’s garment shop in Beijing. Other than average young pretty girl who sell women outfit, Viya learned the skill of sales. Soon she opened her own shop with the start up fund from her boyfriend, now husband, the most important business partner in her life so far. Shortly after her shop opened for only three months, they made RMB 100,000 profit. Their sales strategy is unique: no price bargaining, always sell in sets with the latest trend and always show the outfit on the sales assistants who wore the garments as live model. Most of the time, the best sellers were always the outfits wore by Viya, the live model who try to be a singer star for a while. Then the story went from one small retail shop to several wholesale shops in different cities, to making garments themself to sell online, to online streaming sales of outfits, to online streaming sales of everything that makes a profit.
在她的最近自传《薇娅:人生是用来改变的》中,包括在很多关于她的专访中都有描述。十几岁的时候,她成为北漂一族,在一家服装店里当导购。与其他许多年轻漂亮的导购小姑娘不同的是,她很快掌握了服装销售的技巧。很快,在男友(现丈夫)的资助下,两人合作开了一家属于自己的女装店。头三个月就净赚了10万元第一桶金。他们的销售策略与其他店家都不同,他们不讲价,总是搭配好最潮流的服饰穿在导购身上整套销售。大多数时候,卖的最好的爆款总是薇娅,这个怀有明星梦的女孩身上那一套。随后,这个故事就顺理成章,从小零售店铺发展到多个城市的多家服装批发店铺,再到自己设计找工厂生产,网上销售,再到直播销售女装,以及任何值得买卖的商品。


 
During her business development, it was not without failures or obstacles. In fact, there were some low points when she was forced to sell several real estate to cover the debt from business. However, like any successful businessmen, she keep learning and changing, as the title of her book.
在薇娅的商业发家史中,并非没有挫折。实际上有好几次,他们夫妻两卖掉了不少房产只为了还债。但是和所有成功的商人一样,她一直在学习和改变,就如同她的书名一样。   
 
Viya grabbed the first comer advantage by taking a lions share in this up coming live streaming sales. She made her livestreaming show a mix of variety show, infomercial and group chat. She said that she considered herself as trustworthy help to her fans of making good purchase decisions, and to be specific, not afraid to sell anything that her fans might need.
薇娅抓住了直播带货的先机,占领了市场了大部分份额。她把自己的直播间打造成了混合着杂项表演,商业资讯和群聊的地方。她说自己是一个值得信赖的帮助粉丝做好的购买决定的人,所以能够毫不犹豫的为粉丝推荐任何值得购买的物品。
 
Now there are so many livestreaming show rooms on Taobao and many other platforms. It is only reasonable that the one with bigger amount of viewer and fans, charge higher about commission and other fees. Yet, even with the budget, if the product is not good enough for the eye of the selector team, even money won’t buy you in the show.
现如今有数不清的直播间在淘宝以及其他带货平台。这也是理所应当的,那些有众多粉丝及观众的带货博主收更高的手续费。然而,值得关注的是,并非有钱就能找人带货,优秀的博主必然有挑剔的选品眼光
 
It is undeniable that the Chinese who view lifestreaming shows as pass time while spending with the idea of saving money, as the discount and free sample usually are more attractive compare to other sales channels.
无法否认的是,中国的消费者把看视频直播带货当做一种消遣活动,并且抱着省钱的观点,因为和其他销售平台相比,直播间的折扣往往更大,且赠送的样品也更多。
 
In order to get such good discount, the profit of the seller is minimized, but the audience’s attention is worth it. Whether it is for a one time sold out, or for long term branding strategy, Viya is on top of this sales game show and her bargaining power is beyond almost any brand you can find in the market. In the end, there are countless merchandises lining up trying to buy in her show room for a recommendation.
为了获得如此好的折扣,卖家的利润会被压缩到极致,而消费者的关注度是值得他们这样做的。不论是为了一次卖完还是长久的品牌策略,薇娅目前是这种销售游戏中掌握绝对话语权的玩家,她的议价能力很难在市场上找到与之制衡的品牌。毕竟你不买单,有大把品牌方排着队送钱找她带货。
 
For new comers to China, cooperating with big name livestreamers or influencers can be a big step. As in our other article, one Tik Tok influencer sold out one container of shoe polish cream in one day. However, when there are big success stories, there are major failure stories at the same time. Especially for foreign brands who are facing culture barriers and asymmetric information all the time. There are certain issues even the best translator cannot cover.
对于初入中国市场的品牌和商品而言,与明星带货博主合作可能成为很重要的一步。正如我们之前的推文中叙述的,一个抖音博主带货,让一款进口鞋油一天之内卖掉一整个集装箱的货。但是,当非凡的成功故事振奋人心的时候,也有许多失败的故事在日常发生。尤其对于海外品牌进入中国,总是要面对文化冲突和不对称的信息。毕竟有许多问题,再聪明的翻译器都无法准确解读。

 
For starters, a successful influencer Like Viya has a sophisticated system of Product Selection. Either you have political power to discuss about benefit sales like to help the poor with government endorsement, or you have to wait in line and deal with the Product Selection team, going through budget checking, quantity and quality check, and sample test. It is reported from one thousands of products, there will be only one hundred of them or less actually presented to Viya, who finally decides whether to present in the show. Therefore, to get into the game is way more complicated than get the money and product ready, you need a PRESENTATION. WKI will discuss about the product selection philosophy later, follow us.
首先,一个如薇娅这样成功的主播都拥有一套成熟的选品体系。或者你具有政府背书,政治手段来谈公益直播,否则,就只能排队走选品流程,诸如预算,质检和备货量检查,样品测试等。据报道一般每1000件经过选品流程的商品最终只能有100件甚至更少会呈现给薇娅本人最终定夺是否在直播中展示卖货。所以说,想进入游戏是绝非备好钱和货就足够的,你需要一套完整的呈现。WKI后期会在博客中继续更新关于直播带货的选品哲学,关注我们。


 
Viya’s life story so far as an extremely successful businesswomen tells us one thing about China market, when you detect an business opportunity to grow bigger, learn to grasp it even there is a price to pay. Because the first comers define the game somehow.
薇娅的人生故事至今是个及其成功的商业女性的案例,她告诉我们关于中国市场的一种要点,那就是当面临商机可以做大做强的时候,一定要学习并抓住机会,即便会需要付一点学费。因为先来后到,先来者多半能定义游戏规则。
 
Reference: Bloomberg News, Sanlian Life Weekly
English&Chinese: Anna

Shanghai Wukong Integration (WKI) Center

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