Today, Roku (Nasdaq: ROKU), the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico*, announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Shopify that provides viewers the ability to purchase products from Shopify merchants directly from their TV through Roku Action Ads.
Upon seeing an ad for a Shopify merchant, viewers can simply press OK on their Roku remote to learn more about the product and purchase it directly from their TV. They will be able to check out with Roku Pay, Roku’s payments platform, and return to their streaming experience once they have completed the purchase. Purchasers will receive email confirmation of their order directly from the merchant once the transaction has been processed.
In this latest integration with Roku Action Ads, Roku brings a seamless checkout experience to ads being streamed on the platform. Roku Action Ads are any advertisements on Roku streaming devices that provide a down funnel action, such as sending users a text, scanning a QR code, or making a purchase. Integrating Shopify purchases into Action Ads is the first commerce integration for independent Shopify merchants on TV streaming, creating a completely new advertising channel for Shopify merchants to explore. Men’s apparel brand True Classic, the game-based connected rower Ergatta, and wellness brand Olly have signed on as initial partners.
“Bringing a Shopify purchase experience to television for merchants is an industry first, and innovation opportunities like these are precisely the reason I came to Roku,” said Peter Hamilton, Senior Director of Ad Innovation at Roku. “Roku democratizes access to TV advertising, and now, we’re collapsing the funnel for Shopify’s merchants. This is a great example of Roku’s unique platform position to make advertisers unmissable across the streamer’s journey, from power on to purchase complete.”
“Offering a great purchase experience for customers and having sound channel measurement are critical to True Classic’s success,” said Paige Decker, Vice President, Growth at True Classic. “Roku Action Ads address both these needs, providing a frictionless path to purchase for customers while allowing us to measure the impact of this strategy with the end-to-end Shopify integration. Merging performance-based tactics with the scale of TV is a win-win, and we are excited to explore Roku’s innovation.”
“Our commerce efforts are all about meeting our target consumers where they are, and providing a seamless path to purchase,” said Saaj Parikh, Director of Marketing, Ergatta. “Integrating the Shopify shopping experience on the Roku platform is a no-brainer for us. We’re thrilled to start experimenting with Roku Action Ads and tap into the scale of Roku.”
This unique experience shortens the advertising funnel from brand awareness to purchase on the largest screen in the home. Shopify advertisers receive more customer data and insight into purchasing trends, plus point-of-sale access to Roku’s audience, marking a major milestone for Roku’s ongoing commerce partnership with Shopify. Now, viewers can purchase directly from the screen.
“Shopify is on a mission to make commerce better for everyone, and by partnering with Roku to make Shopify Checkout available through new channels, we are making it easier for more brands to drive deeper engagement with shoppers and reach new audiences,” said Mani Fazeli, Director of Product, Checkout at Shopify.
To learn more about Roku and Shopify, visit our blog.
*based on hours streamed, December 2022, Hypothesis Group
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