Alibaba launches training programme to help B40

by ASILA JALIL/ pic by TMR FILE

ALIBABA Group Holding Ltd has launched a training programme for local key opinion leaders (KOLs) to help more Malaysians, mainly from the B40 (bottom 40%) income group, to find e-commerce success through live-streaming.

The “LiveNOW KOL Livestreaming Training Programme” is a collaboration between Alibaba and MODEN Academy, along with the support from the Selangor, Penang and Sarawak state governments and organisations.

The two-day in-person programme aims to incubate more than 200 KOLs across Malaysia and will run in Selangor, Penang and Sarawak from Sept 3-Oct 4, 2020.

TMall World Malaysia country manager Jess Lew said government agencies are supporting the programme by providing training venues and assisting the group in reaching out to the B40 communities.

“The government agencies also play a role in evaluating the submissions and progress of participants from their respective states,” Lew added.

As one of the pioneers of the live-streaming trend in China, Alibaba has cultivated a strong network of KOLs over the past few years, Lew said.

“The live-streaming market in China is huge and we are also seeing the trend starting to pick up in Malaysia where locals are looking for authentic KOLs, the everyday people, to promote some brands and services.

“There are a lot of things we can learn from China in terms of live-streaming and we hope this can get Malaysians to go through difficult times, especially during the pandemic, by gaining more opportunities in the e-commerce space by gaining exposure through live-streaming,” she said during the virtual launch of the programme yesterday.

Lew cited an example of a successful e-commerce live-streaming session where local footwear brand, Fipper, managed to sell 4,000 pairs of slippers in five minutes through a live stream session by one of the top live-streaming stars in China, Cherrie, during the 618 Global Sales Festival Campaign.

Besides providing access to tools and platforms, Alibaba also presents opportunities for KOLs to work with brands.

The programme also provides live streamers with an opportunity to conduct live stream shows through various channels such as Taobao Malaysia and Lazada Malaysia.

Shortlisted participants from the two-day programme will get a chance to join the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, where they can help brands by putting their live-streaming skills to the test.

MODEN Academy founder Jerry Hang said the course also allows participants to learn more about the various aspects of live-streaming, including designing key visuals, copywriting and live-streaming skills.

Participants will be judged from a three-minute video that showcases their passion in any area they are interested in that has pushed them to join the programme.

“E-commerce live-streaming is emerging as one of the most in-demand skills of the future, and we hope this programme will help them build up their personal branding and positioning through their digital journey in these difficult times,” Hang said.