The live commerce leader’s Gen Z Labs initiative promises to help brands gain fluency in the language of next-generation consumers through advanced video commerce capabilities
Firework, the leading livestreaming commerce and digital transformation platform, announced today the launch of its new Gen Z Labs initiative — a program dedicated to equipping brands with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively engage next-generation consumers. To kick off the initiative, Firework has announced a marquee video commerce experience called Christmas in July, designed to help guide and inspire marketers in their efforts to connect with Gen Z shoppers this holiday season. The experience features leading Gen Z brands such as Olaplex, That’s it, and Grande Cosmetics.
“Gen Z Labs is a new way to help brands understand how Gen Z thinks, what they respond to, and how they connect — all through video, their language of choice,” said Vincent Yang, CEO and co-founder of Firework. “We are thrilled to highlight some of our customers who are forging new paths to engagement with Gen Z and fostering communities built around their brands on their own web properties.”
The “Christmas in July” experience, hosted at firework.com/gen-z-labs, is an interactive resource hub for marketers looking to more effectively engage Gen Z consumers. “Christmas in July” features experiential demos of Firework’s short-form, shoppable video capabilities, and inspirations from some of Firework’s most Gen Z savvy partner brands. Participating brands include Olaplex, Grande Cosmetics, That’s It., Mindd Bra, and Fluff Mattresses — and several offer exclusive 20% discounts at checkout.
Early adopters of the Firework model of next-gen video experiences have enjoyed considerable positive business impact, including increased conversion rates, reduced bounce rates, improved engagement, and increased average time on-site.
“Since implementing Firework, our site engagement has increased, our bounce rate has decreased and people who engage in the tool are 2 times more likely to make a purchase,” said Alicia Grande, CEO and founder of Grande Cosmetics. “We love the impact that Firework has made on our website.”
“Shoppable video on the social side has been a priority for That’s it. since 2021,” said Elizabeth Pigg, Chief Marketing Officer for That’s it. “While we’ve seen significant success since that launch, constant IOS and algorithm changes have made it so that attribution and data are no longer as reliable as they once were — so we jumped at the opportunity to leverage Firework to bring social shopping to our own channels. Introducing Firework has helped keep our customers engaged; in just two months, we’ve seen customers spend over 15 hours watching our videos and a noticeable increase in our direct-to-consumer sales.”
The announcement comes at a time in which supply-chain issues, inflation, and the continuing global pandemic are disrupting traditional consumer spending cycles. According to research from the National Retail Federation, the percentage of American consumers that began their holiday shopping by early November rose by a stark 21% from 2010 to 2020. These trends appear to be persisting post-lockdown as well. According to recent research from Salesforce, 42% more shoppers worldwide and 37% more in the U.S. plan to start buying gifts earlier this year, with inflationary expectations being the primary motivator behind early purchases.
“The impact our brand partners are seeing with short-form, shoppable videos on their own websites is an inspiration to other marketers who are looking to forge those all-important connections with Gen Z when they are in the mindset to shop,” said Meg Siegel, VP of Brand Marketing at Firework. “These brands are setting a new standard for the digital customer experience.”
With its Gen Z Labs initiative, Firework looks to bolster its position as an authority on next-generation consumer trends and technologies by drawing from and building upon the playbooks of its in-house innovators — hailing from companies like Snapchat, TikTok, Alibaba, and Amazon.com. The company continues to build momentum after announcing in May the success of its $150 million Series B investment round, led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
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