Livestreaming opening new e-commerce vistas

Selling 300,000 yuan ($42,282) worth of durian products in 10 minutes was beyond the wildest dreams of Leron Yee Poh Soon, co-founder of Malaysian durian producer DKing. But that dream materialized last week, thanks to Chinese internet celebrities.

As marketing via livestreaming becomes the "new normal" in China's e-commerce playfield, influencers, better known as "Key Opinion Leaders" in Chinese, are extending tentacles to promote overseas merchandise through heartfelt engagements with social media followers.

"They (KOLs) are professional and ... have such trustworthy appearances that you are more than willing to allow them to promote products on your behalf," said Yee, who exports A-level Musang King durians to China. "Such staggering speed is only possible in China."