'There's only so many really illustrious people out there who put out products': Ntwrk's Aaron Levant on expanding the livestream platform beyond its celebrity roots
Ntwrk CEO Aaron Levant discusses the evolution of livestream shopping as a powerful sales channel. Discover how to leverage exclusive product drops, FOMO, and strategic partnerships to build a highly engaged audience and drive rapid sales, even as the platform expands beyond celebrity-only collaborations. This episode is a must-listen for ecommerce operators looking to understand and capitalize on the future of interactive retail.
Key takeaways
To build initial audience quickly and cost-effectively, early-stage platforms can leverage existing strong relationships with influential figures related to their product category. For example, Ntwrk used Levant's fashion and streetwear connections to secure early celebrity product drops.
Create a sense of urgency and fear of missing out (FOMO) with limited-edition product drops and exclusive content. This strategy drives immediate tune-ins and rapid sell-throughs.
Livestream platforms should evolve beyond relying solely on celebrity endorsements by expanding product categories and working with diverse creators. Ntwrk successfully transitioned from celebrity-only drops to include professional resellers and retailers, significantly broadening its supply side.
Focus on being a B2C platform with curated sellers rather than a peer-to-peer marketplace. This allows for better quality control and a more premium brand experience, attracting high-value brands and professional sellers with substantial inventory.
Recognize that the U.S. market for mobile-first interactive shopping experiences, like livestream commerce, is still several years behind more developed markets like China. Ecommerce businesses should study successful strategies from these advanced markets to anticipate future trends and prepare for broader adoption.
Livestream shopping has yet to hit true mainstream levels in the U.S. but Ntwrk thinks it can help.
The platform has been around since 2018, and says it has doubled in size every year since launch. Ntwrk's approach to livestream commerce consists of a combination of brand, retailer and celebrity partnerships, along with limited-edition drops.
As Aaron Levant, Ntwrk's CEO, described it, the idea at inception was to create a "live, engaging, entertaining platform where some of the biggest brands and celebrities in the world are dropping exclusive products creating that kind of FOMO and tune in moments that you feel like you can't miss -- and things sell out fast." Now, he went on, "we've done that at scale -- and now we've gone much beyond that we've moved into new categories, new verticals, new supply side of the product."
Levant joined the Modern Retail Podcast this week and spoke about Ntwrk's growth and ambitions, along with the overall U.S. livestream shopping market. One of the early inspirations for Ntwrk was the game show app HQ; "Once or twice a day, you get a push notification. And people would tune in at mass and be highly engaged. And I wanted to take that same ideology, but apply it for a product drop," he said.
Levant has a background in fashion and streetwear, and those past professional connections helped give Ntwrk its initial cultural cachet. Leveraging past celebrity relationships, he said, "allowed us to build a pretty big audience base very quickly for very cheap because of these relationships we had." The platforms has featured drops from brands like Nike as well as celebrities like Billie Eillish and Odell Beckham Jr.
It's this direct relationship with the brand or creator that Levant said makes Ntwrk successful -- and different from competitors. "We're not a peer-to-peer platform," he said, "not just anyone can sign up and start using our tools to sell."
While Ntwrk is still seeing growth -- and is expanding to new categories like collectibles
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about creator economy?
To build initial audience quickly and cost-effectively, early-stage platforms can leverage existing strong relationships with influential figures related to their product category. For example, Ntwrk used Levant's fashion and streetwear connections to secure early celebrity product drops.
What does this episode say about livestream commerce?
Create a sense of urgency and fear of missing out (FOMO) with limited-edition product drops and exclusive content. This strategy drives immediate tune-ins and rapid sell-throughs.
What does this episode say about market expansion?
Livestream platforms should evolve beyond relying solely on celebrity endorsements by expanding product categories and working with diverse creators. Ntwrk successfully transitioned from celebrity-only drops to include professional resellers and retailers, significantly broadening its supply side.
What does this episode say about platform growth strategy?
Focus on being a B2C platform with curated sellers rather than a peer-to-peer marketplace. This allows for better quality control and a more premium brand experience, attracting high-value brands and professional sellers with substantial inventory.
What does this episode say about creator economy?
Recognize that the U.S. market for mobile-first interactive shopping experiences, like livestream commerce, is still several years behind more developed markets like China. Ecommerce businesses should study successful strategies from these advanced markets to anticipate future trends and prepare for broader adoption.
