Shopping online is becoming increasingly popular, and there is a rising need to shop for products that a user may come across in a video or on social media. To bridge this gap, YouTube has announced their acquisition of simsim, who specializes in connecting local businesses, influencers and customers.
Showcasing products through a video online is a powerful way of advertising directly to consumers, however, it can sometimes prove to be difficult to find that exact product in an online store or offline store. This is where simsim comes in, allowing creators to post video reviews about products from local businesses, and then viewers can buy those products directly through the app. At the moment, simsim has videos in three local languages – Hindi, Tamil and Bengali.
After the acquisition, YouTube has stated that simsim will continue to work independently for the immediate future. The two companies will work together on finding ways to integrate the capabilities of simsim into YouTube’s massive video streaming platform.
Commenting on the acquisition, Amit Bagaria, Kunal Suri and Saurabh Vashishtha said:
We started simsim with the mission of helping users across India shop online with ease, enabled through small sellers and brands showcasing and selling their products using the power of content by trusted influencers. Being a part of the YouTube and Google ecosystem furthers simsim in its mission. We cannot think of a better ecosystem in which to build simsim, in terms of technology, reach, creator networks and culture. We can’t wait to be part of YouTube and are excited to build simsim within the most admired tech company in the world