Roku partners with Shopify, unlocking new possibilities for users and brands!

Published: July 17, 2023

min read

The usage of streaming services among audiences has phenomenally increased, especially post-pandemic. The convenience and flexibility it provides to watch hundreds of TV shows and movies anytime invariably attract audiences to shift towards it from traditional TV.

With the explosion of its popularity, brands jumped on the streaming bandwagon to invest their media dollars, and the competition got fierce. As a result, many streaming platforms, like Disney Plus and Netflix, unveiled an ad-supported tier and more measurement options for advertisers.

And to keep standing out, streaming platforms form new partnerships so that they can attract both audiences and advertisers to their platform.

Recently, Roku collaborated with Shopify to enable users to buy products from Shopify merchants through their TVs. Audiences will be able to engage with a Roku Action Ad for a Shopify merchant using their TV remote in a first-of-its-kind collaboration. When they see the advertisement, they can click OK on their Roku remote to get more details and make a purchase directly from their TV screen.

Users can purchase the product using Roku Pay, the company's payment platform. Once the transaction has been completed, the seller will send a confirmation message.

The Shopify integration is intended to allow users to make purchases without interfering with their streaming experience. Shopify advertisers can also gain more customer data and insight into purchasing trends.

It is also noted that this news of collaboration comes two months after Roku announced new ad products at the 2023 IAB NewFronts presentation.

Why should brands pay close attention to this?

As more brands chase CTV platforms to invest their ad dollars in, the competition is getting more intense by the day. Thus, ignoring the new ad options in this space, in our opinion, is more likely to lead brands to lose touch with their target audience, risk failing to align with these changing consumer expectations, and mean nothing less than losing the opportunity to their potential competitors.

And, not just that, this new, first-of-its-kind collaboration can add huge strength and value to brands using Shopify in many ways.

With its targeted advertising, CTV already helps brands reach a vast and engaged audience. And now, by providing these direct purchase capabilities, the Roku-Shopify partnership enables brands to create a more interactive and immersive experience for viewers. As this new capability enables users to explore product details and make purchases with a few clicks, it can significantly boost brand visibility and engagement among target audiences.
As Roku action ads add convenience and make it simple for users to make a purchase directly from the TV screen, this will likely avoid any potential frictions that could arise if consumers had to change devices or stop by a separate website to make a purchase. This way, we believe it can help brands simplify the process, which may lead to higher conversion rates and increased revenue.
By analysing the data acquired from the Roku action ads, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and purchase patterns, brands will be able to gain valuable insights into audience preferences and interests. This data-driven approach will help them refine their marketing strategies, sharpen their targeting, make informed decisions on future advertising initiatives, and boost ROI.
By quickly adopting this ad option, brands can position themselves as innovative, differentiate themselves from others in the market, and outpace their competitors. This, meanwhile, will help brands strengthen their brand image among their target market and attract tech-savvy audiences who cherish convenience and seamless functionality.

Overall, we believe that Roku's new partnership with Shopify to bring a Shopify purchase experience to television will potentially attract more brands to Roku because it can significantly help them provide a holistic environment to support all customer actions and encourage their audiences to purchase more directly and conveniently.

Author

Bill Walker

Bill is a marketing strategist who believes in the power of storytelling. He's known for his creativity, wit, and ability to connect with audiences across all channels. When he's not crafting marketing campaigns, you can find him hiking in the mountains or reading a good book.