The INMA study tour in Los Angeles this October has a focus on both video and commerce. These come together in a growing trend known as social commerce, which has arrived in the U.S. in a big way. 

And it is dear to my heart as it’s the reason I moved to Los Angeles in 2015. My husband launched a company called Busker, an app that merged live streaming and commerce (more here). It turns out it was ahead of its time and didn’t survive. But now in 2024, video commerce has turned into social commerce and both Amazon and TikTok are making big bets.  

Millennials and Gen Z want a different way to shop — one that involves their friends while still being digital. Flip Commerce’s goal is to bring community back to shopping. Making shopping fun, and with your friends, is redefining what it means to be a creator. Something everyone can relate to: People buy from people they trust. Which means you can be a mini-influencer to your friends and network earning commission from sales.

The companies doing this make buying exceptionally easy. Amazon is, of course, the master of this with their one-click buy, but others have caught on. Have you bought anything on Instagram or Facebook? It’s just as easy as Amazon now. And with all their targeting knowledge, they are getting good at putting the right things in front of the right people. 

To illustrate this trend let’s look at four companies doing this.

TikTok has recently introduced commerce and is building out both platform and team in a big way. Creators can sell products and receive a revenue share of sales. TikTok also helps brands identify suitable creators for their products. 

Amazon has a similar video service. This now sits next to the home button in the bottom navigation. In the top right there is a + button, encouraging people to create their own shoppable post. 

Meta makes shopping easy from Facebook and Instagram. With so much information about individuals and their preferences, they are able to target very efficiently. 

Flip Commerce is a relative newcomer. But this isn’t a small company that should be underestimated. They launched last year and have raised US$144m to date. This summer will see some product developments and a large marketing push. 

We should also note that this could also be a whole new way for us to advertise using brand advocates to promote our media brands and buy a specific offer or even a subscription. Have you done this already? If so I’d love to hear how you got on. E-mail me at jodie.hopperton@INMA.org.

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