Going Cross-Border and Live Streaming in China with Jack Porteous, Client Services Director at Samarkand Global
![Going Cross-Border and Live Streaming in China with Jack Porteous, Client Services Director at Samarkand Global](https://cdn.asp.events/CLIENT_CloserSt_D86EA381_5056_B739_5482D50A1A831DDD/sites/ecommerce-expo-2024/media/libraries/news/Content-Hub-images/Jack-Porteous-ECE-interview-image-(1).png/fit-in/700x9999/filters:no_upscale())
After a rather spontaneous decision to study Chinese at University, Jack Porteous developed an expert understanding of the culture that led him to work for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), The Department of International Trade, the China-Britain Business Council, and now Samarkand Global. Throughout his career, he advised numerous brands on how to bring their products to the Chinese eCommerce market.
We had the opportunity to talk to him about eCommerce differences between China and the UK, how live streaming is revolutionising sales in China, and how international brands can take their first steps to go cross-border.
To start with, tell us about you and your career so far.
I started my understanding of China at University, where I studied Mandarin Chinese. Along the way, I became an exchange student for a year in Chongqing and worked in China for a couple of years after I graduated. When I came back to the UK, I moved into supporting businesses to understand more about the Chinese market and how to access it at UKTI. I helped fashion and consumer brands to internationalise, and then I moved over to the China-Britain Business Council as Head of Retail and eCommerce for 3 1/2 years. I got to do fun things like taking groups of businesses out to China to understand the market and meet potential partners, and I ran lots of events.
From there, I moved to where I am now at Samarkand Global as the Client Services Director. We act as a distributor for about 20 brands, and I look after the team that manages all of those relationships, but I also do a lot of business development, public speaking, and content creation about the Chinese eCommerce market.
Did you have an interest in China and learning Chinese before studying it at university?
No, it was just completely random. I decided that I wanted to do languages at university. I was 18 and I just thought ‘Let’s do something new’ and ended up picking Chinese and found it fascinating. And after spending a year in China, I knew this interest was not going to fade.
Let’s talk about the cultural differences between the Chinese and British eCommerce markets.
One of the big things about eCommerce in China is the notion of trust. At Samarkand Global, we work primarily cross-border, so most of the goods we manage are shipped from outside of China to the consumer. This means that there are lighter regulations around labeling and registration for example. As a result, it’s been really popular for international beauty and health brands to access the Chinese market.
Historically, cross-border commerce in China sort of started because of a big scandal around contaminated baby milk powder. This led to a rush of Chinese people all over the world buying milk formula and sending it back to Chinese consumers. It started off with family and friends, but then people realised there could be financial benefits and started monetising it.
“People’s trust is less placed in brands, and more placed in who is selling. You have to find the people whose trust you can work with.”
People’s trust is less placed in brands, and more placed in who is selling. Obviously, bigger and more established brands don’t suffer from this as much but for a smaller international brand, you have to find the people whose trust you can work with. So, whether it’s an influencer or a live streamer, you want to make sure the people you’re working with have a reputation for selling authentic and high-quality products.
Recommendations and the role of the middlemen go back thousands of years in China. Getting a recommendation from somebody whom people trust is even more valuable in China than it is in the UK.
What advice do you have for businesses that are considering going cross-border in China?
China has changed a lot in the last 10 years and changes more every year than we do every 10 years. And so, understanding whether there's a market in China for your product is really important. It’s not somewhere that is crying out for any international product just for the sake of it. The whole world is selling to China now. It’s not enough to just paste a Union Jacks flag on a product and think that because Chinese people love the British it’ll be enough to sell. I’d say the first thing to consider is whether there is a market for you in China. And more boring piece of advice but think of registering your trademark there too.
One thing to bear in mind overall is that China moves at a different speed than the West, and you can’t apply the same business thinking to China. For example, making a five-year plan won’t be as effective because the market is not predictable in the same way.
A lot of businesses struggle with finding the right representatives for their products, whether it’s influencers or else. How do you go about finding trustworthy people?
We work with different types of influencers. Some of them are not typical social media influencers, but they run an online store instead. It’s similar to having a boutique on the high street and having a vendor give you recommendations, except it’s online. We also love to work with celebrities. They are much more commercial in China, and it’s not unusual for them to do eCommerce. We look for people who have cultivated an image around the lifestyle they live and the type of products they use. Recently we worked with an actress in her 60s who did her first live stream on ‘Xiaohongshu’ - also known as Little Red Book and China’s most trusted social shopping platform – and over her first two live streams, she sold over £68 million of products.
Overall, we do a lot of research into what people have posted about in the past, what their sales records are, and what level of relationship they've got with their audience.
People could mistake live streaming for teleshopping. How would you explain the differences to someone who might not be convinced by live streaming yet?
When I'm talking to brands who don’t have a lot of experience with the Chinese eCommerce market and live streaming, I always compare it to TV shopping at the first stage because it's the closest thing that we've got. The number one difference is the popularity of it. The number of people engaging with live streaming in China is so much higher than anything we could imagine in the UK. When I think of TV shopping, I think of the parcels that my mum gets when she's been on QVC, right? Whereas in China it spans across all generations, including Gen Z. It’s also a lot more interactive, and the hosts build up more of a relationship with the people who are watching them. For example, we work with a live streamer who's based in the UK. She's got about 1.2 million followers on Douyin, which is TikTok in China. On average, there are maybe 1000 to 2000 people watching at any time, but the dwell time is about 5 minutes, and she’s live for 8 hours straight, during which she’ll reply to questions sent by her audience. She can demonstrate the products live rather than having to predict what people are going to want to know about them. And another thing is that the camera is not fixed. This is not like a TV studio, with a table set up and beautiful displays. On live stream, people walk around and bring you with them, they can show you a different location every week, and it makes the whole thing more engaging and real.
Do you think live streaming could become as big in the UK as it is in China?
It's important to keep in mind as well that China is very much a mobile-led digital culture, and that people are not only spending a lot of time on their phones, they do most of their shopping through it, even more so than in the West.
TikTok for example is definitely trying to bring live-stream shopping to the West, but I think one of the main challenges will be to build trust with consumers.
Jack’s conference session at eCommerce Expo 2023
Tell us more about your eCommerce Expo 2023 speaking session
"Leveraging voices of Authority on China’s Booming Social Commerce: Livestreaming Success"
I’m really excited about it. One of our clients, Clare McMullen, the Vice Presidents of international Sales department at TEMPLESPA, will be joining me. Live streaming reached 500 billion U.S. dollars in China in 2022. So quite a bit! Together we’ll share insights into this live-streaming ecosystem and talk about how niche brands from the UK and Europe can access that market through us. We’ll talk about how we’ve managed to create value for Chinese consumers and highlight what worked for the brands we helped. Temple Spa and Samarkand Global have partnered for three years, and they’ve been incredibly open to trying new things and adapting to the fast-paced Chinese market, so there will be a lot of value at the session from all the lessons we learned together and the challenges we faced.
Don’t miss your chance to see Jack Porteous live! Join us at eCommerce Expo 2023!
Quick-fire questions
What is your favourite social media platform?
I don’t like any of them. I think Western social media is a bit boring now, and I’d say the Chinese ones are better, so probably Little Red Book.
What is your favourite medium of advertisement?
Short videos.
What is your favourite British food, and favourite Chinese food?
I eat vegan, so for British I’d say pie and mash, and for Chinese… it’s hard to pick because Chinese food is amazing. But I lived in Chongqing for 3 years, and the specialty there is hot pot, so I think I’ll go for that.
What is your biggest pet peeve as a consumer?
Unclear delivery times. I don’t mind if it will take two weeks, I just want to know when it will be there.
Latest News
-
Gavin Warwick, European Partnership Manager at supply chain software provider SmartFreight explains what’s exciting him about the industries today as well as the trends helping shape the future.
-
Meet Our Exhibitors: Gnatta's CEO Jack Barmby
05 Sep 2024Jack Barmby, CEO of communication tech provider Gnatta, discusses the industry trends he’s most looking forward to seeing at eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing this year as well as the bigges ... -
Beth Chapman, Managing Director at global delivery solution provider Starlinks Global talks to us about what she’s most looking forward to at the show and her advice for newcomers entering the industr ...
-
Georgia Leybourne, CMO at eCommerce inventory and order management software business Linnworks discusses the things she’s most looking forward to at the show and the importance of the event in bringin ...
-
Meet Our Exhibitors: Ecommpay's Moshe Winegarten
05 Sep 2024Moshe Winegarten, Chief Revenue Officer at payment service provider Ecommpay talks about the biggest challenges facing eCommerce retailers ahead of peak season. -
Meet Our Exhibitors: SnapFulfil's Chris White
05 Sep 2024Chris White, EMEA Chief Revenue Officer at warehouse management system SnapFulfil to discuss the key challenges he’s seeing in his sector and why events like eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketin ... -
Meet Our Exhibitors: Ucraft's Founder Gev Balyan
05 Sep 2024Gev Balyan, Founder of eCommerce website builder Ucraft tells us what he’s looking forward to most from eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing this year and why the shows are so important in brin ... -
Pratik Padhiar, Director of New Business at digital marketing communications agency h2o Creative talks to us about the biggest challenges online retailers are facing right now and what’s exciting them ...
-
Meet Adam Ull, Global Product Information Lead at H&M, who is transforming commerce by using data and AI to enhance customer experiences across digital channels. He discusses building agile systems an ...
-
As we approach this year’s eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing events, Na’ama Sheba, Chief Marketing Officer at B2B payments provider Mondu discusses the hottest trends in eCommerce payments r ...
-
In the ever-evolving world of eCommerce, UK merchants must adopt strategic approaches to ensure sustainable growth both at home and abroad. In our recent webinar featuring Emily McMorran, CX Lead at w ...
-
5 Top Tips for Speaking at eCommerce Expo & Technology for Marketing
21 Aug 2024 Alyssia Smith, Senior Content Manager at CloserStill MediaSome essential tips to help you deliver an impactful presentation with Alyssia Smith, Senior Content Manager at eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing -
A new source of information for businesses wanting to expand and increase their customer base.
-
Health & Beauty: A Bright Spot For eCommerce
30 Jul 2024 Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRGWhat a miserable year it’s proving to be for eCommerce. Revenue has performed well below expectation, site traffic overall has seen barely any growth in 2024 so far and conversion remains suppressed. ... -
LeMieux's Head of eCommerce On International Expansion Strategies
28 Jul 2024 Laura DazonShaun Loughlin, Head of eCommerce at LeMieux, shares his 20-year journey in retail and eCommerce, emphasising international expansion strategies. -
Building Strong Partnerships Between Retailers and Marketplaces for Excellent Customer Service
27 Jul 2024Discover how Deliveroo enhances grocery delivery by partnering with retailers, offering logistics, and advanced tech integration, ensuring fast and reliable customer service. -
Is Discounting Usage Intensifying in eCommerce?
26 Jun 2024 Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRGExplore how increasing discount usage in eCommerce is impacting revenue growth in 2024. Discover the trends, challenges, and strategies retailers are employing to navigate tough trading conditions. -
How Big Bus Tours and Oban International Embraced Search Tech To Bounce Back Bigger and Better
26 Jun 2024Big Bus Tours transformed its digital marketing amid COVID-19, leveraging local insights and tech innovations. The result? Increased revenue, higher click-through rates, and record-breaking digital pe ... -
2024 eCommerce Awards – Finalists Announced
26 Jun 2024We are thrilled to reveal the initial category finalists for the 2024 eCommerce Awards. -
Your Month in eCommerce and Marketing
26 Jun 2024 Lily Tokmantseva, Head of Marketing & Content - eCommerce Expo & Technology for MarketingBite-size updates on what happened in marketing and eCommerce this month, to keep you ahead of the curve and inform your campaigns. -
Meet SJ, AllSaint's Global Leader in CX, Fraud & D2C, as she tells you more about implementing AI at a major British fashion retailer, as well as strategies for payment security and fraud prevention
-
UK eCommerce in 2024: Struggles, Bright Spots, and Hopes for Recovery
29 May 2024 Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRGThe UK eCommerce market has underperformed in 2024, with actual revenue growth consistently below forecasts, though some sectors like health & beauty show resilience and potential for improvement. -
Insights on the transformative impact of generative Artificial Intelligence in eCommerce from daily applications to long-term implications.
-
Meet Giovanni, Head of eCommerce Media Europe at Lipton as he shares valuable insights into effective eCommerce strategies and balancing creativity with data-driven decisions.
-
Debating The Value of Amazon Advertising
29 May 2024A comprehensive examination of the advantages and limitations of Amazon advertising. -
Biotiful's Rob Manning on Spearheading DTC in the rapidly growing gut health market
01 May 2024 Laura DazonMeet Robert Manning, Head of Direct to Consumer & eCommerce at Biotiful, who's spearheading the launch of ambient products through DTC channel in the rapidly growing gut health market. -
In a recent conference session, Andrew Ostcliffe, Oxfam's Head of eCommerce & Retail Innovation, shared key strategies for managing rapid eCommerce growth while integrating with physical store offerin ...
-
In this conference Helen Slaven, Chief Revenue Officer at Poq, and Jennifer North, Head of Digital Experience at Hobbycraft, shared valuable insights into the pivotal role of mobile apps in driving cu ...
-
Are things looking up for eCommerce?
30 Apr 20242024 started off badly for eCommerce sales in the UK and it looked like demand might actually be getting even more suppressed; a real blow to a market that has seen 35 consecutive months of negative m ... -
If you haven’t started your entries already to the eCommerce Awards there is still plenty of time to start your winning journey…