Alibaba Group (“Alibaba”) today announced the return of its LiveNOW Training Programme (“LiveNOW”, the “Programme”), a corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) initiative dedicated to the Malaysian community.
An extension of the inaugural LiveNOW programme in 2020, the 2022 edition will be remodelled to upskill and reskill more Malaysians, including the B40 group and other underserved communities, and help them unlock potential opportunities in the interactive e-commerce world.
Designed for individuals who are interested in exploring a career as a KOL live-streamer or online video producer, LiveNOW 2022 is also relevant for business owners, especially micro entrepreneurs, who are keen to host their own livestream or produce their own e-commerce videos to deepen consumer engagement.
Fully sponsored by Alibaba, the training will be conducted in three languages across three Saturdays – 25 June for English, 2 July for Bahasa Malaysia, and 9 July for Mandarin. All training sessions will be held online to accommodate more participants across the country.
“The rise of a mobile-first reality in recent years means that consumer engagement formats such as livestreaming and online videos are increasingly intertwined with commerce,” said Jess Lew, Country Manager, Tmall Taobao World Malaysia, the Alibaba business unit supporting the LiveNOW programme.
“Encouraged by the positive response we saw in 2020, we are excited to bring back our LiveNOW CSR programme this year to open the door to potential opportunities in interactive e-commerce wider for Malaysians, as part of Alibaba’s commitment to enabling access to the digital economy for all.” Jess Lew added.
In addition to the original module about KOL livestreaming covered by LiveNOW 2020, this year’s training will be upgraded to include an online video production component given the increased use of short videos as a marketing means in recent years. Participants will be able to learn from expert guest speakers, including coaches from Taobao Malaysia and Lazada Malaysia, as well as KOLs who will share their first-hand experience and insights.
Building on the inaugural LiveNOW training, which successfully incubated 200 livestreaming KOLs, this year’s Programme aims to train up to 300 participants in collaboration with MODEN KOL Academy and with the support from Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), MYNIC Berhad, Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) and Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC).
Jerry Hang, Founder of MODEN KOL Academy, said: “This year, in addition to livestreaming skills, participants will also learn what it means to be an authentic KOL and how it differs from being an influencer during our full-day programme. Furthermore, with consumers demanding more video content and research showing that the majority of them are convinced to buy a product after watching a video, we will incorporate training in e-commerce video production to build participants’ fundamental knowledge in this field.”
This year’s Programme has also been optimised to create more post-training opportunities for participants to put what they learn into practice. Those who complete the training are welcome to join the LazTalent Community – Lazada’s pool of grassroots livestreaming KOLs.
Additionally, they can join Lazada as a Marketplace seller and enjoy the benefits and hands on support under Lazada Malaysia’s Hari-Harimau New Seller Kickstarter Package. They will also receive an official digital certificate in recognition of their participation.
Online registration for the Alibaba LiveNOW Training Programme 2022 is now open for all Malaysians aged 18 years and above with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.