Wuhan star set sail: industry breaking news, Amazon is testing TikTok-like functions in the application

According to Xingqihang, foreign media reported that the Wall Street Journal reported on August 18 that Amazon is testing a feature in its app that will show users TikTok-style product images and video streams for shoppers to interact with Shared by other users. Only a handful of Amazon employees are currently participating in the test, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Amazon's move joins other big tech companies like Meta and Google parent Alphabet in trying to drive engagement through short videos and a steady stream of content.

Watchful Technologies, an Israeli artificial intelligence company that tracks usage of the feature, said Amazon internally calls the interface being tested “Inspire,” and it appears on Amazon’s app homepage in the shape of a diamond gadget. According to reports , the gadget will guide shoppers into a feed showing a series of product images and videos, which shoppers can like, share and ultimately buy .

Amazon often tries out new features, sometimes even testing them for specific regions. Amid regulatory pressure on its private label business, the company has been testing how to identify its brands by putting badges like "Amazon Brand" or "Amazon Exclusive" in search results, research firm Marketplace Pulse found earlier this year. up to this point.

In its current form, the experimental TikTok-like feed mostly shows photos, said Watchful researcher Daniel Buchuk. But if the feature rolls out, Buchuk suspects the feed will become heavyweight video content as Amazon sellers create content to make it more appealing to customers.

For the crown of digital advertising, Amazon is also determined to win. Therefore, it is natural that Amazon wants to attract users by copying something like TikTok. There's a good chance the e-commerce giant will join a list of like-minded companies: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix…

This isn't the first time Amazon has adopted the same strategy as a major social app. It even has Posts, an Instagram parody feature, as part of its advertising tool. Of course, Amazon has also invested in influencer marketing and live shopping, a feature Facebook will soon be focusing on.

Amazon's TikTok clone doesn't quite come out of the left column, though. On TikTok, Amazon product recommendations are hugely popular – the hashtag #amazonfinds has 25.6 billion views. Some influencers have amassed millions of followers simply by finding interesting Amazon products to recommend to their audience, and they earn a commission if the audience uses their affiliate link. So it makes sense that Amazon might want its customers to find these "Amazon must-haves" in its app, rather than through TikTok or Instagram reels.