The Fresh Market’s livestreaming continues to strengthen

The Fresh Market continues to beef up its livestreaming lineup behind the launch of an annual partnership with Boston celebrity Chef Anna Rossi. In her new role as a brand ambassador and spokesperson, Rossi will create recipes, lifestyle content and host a monthly livestreaming shoppable event on the company’s website. The celebration began March 23 with a livestream titled “Plan an Easter to Remember with The Fresh Market & Chef Anna Rossi, which included chef-inspired recipes and tips for the holiday. Guests were able to shop live during the event and the replay which lasts through April 9. In February, The Fresh Market used a shoppable livestream to promote its Valentine's Day offerings. 

“The Fresh Market has served as a cornerstone of inspiration for me as a chef and home cook for years,” said Rossi. “I'm thrilled to join forces professionally with a team that shares a passion for thoughtfully sourcing and celebrating delicious products, quality ingredients and unforgettable recipes. We are now taking that to the next level on an innovative platform that has the capacity to connect and engage with customers in a meaningful and immersive way.” 

The creative collaboration of The Fresh Market and Rossi is already gaining national attention. The Fresh Market, in partnership with Firework, the video commerce leader, was recognized with the Best Live Video Strategy Award at this year's Digiday and TV Awards. More than 845,000 people tuned in to watch Rossi prepare The Fresh Market’s Ultimate Thanksgiving Meal during last November’s livestream, making it one of the most-viewed episodes.

Related:The Fresh Market launches first retail media network for shoppable livestreams

Back in February, The Fresh Market launched a retail media network for vendors seeking to post shoppable ads during the retailer’s livestreamed online broadcasts.

As previously reported, The Fresh Market has seen strong results from its livestreamed cooking shows. In February it was translating those into an ad platform through which vendors can incorporate customized livestream content featuring their products and video ads that viewers can click on to shop while they watch, Kevin Miller, chief marketing officer at The Fresh Market, told Supermarket News.

“It’s a proven model that continues to grow,” he said of the company’s livestreaming platform, noting that vendors have expressed considerable interest in using the streams and videos to reach The Fresh Market’s customers.

Viewers can click on products that are used in the videos and livestreams to purchase them directly from The Fresh Market’s ecommerce site. The chefs who host the videos will describe the products they are using, including messaging about the products that The Fresh Market and vendors agree upon beforehand. 

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Different levels of sponsorships are available for each program, with the potential for multiple vendors on a single show.

Consumer interest in the livestreams and the long-form videos that result from them has been surprisingly robust, Miller said. He said the time customers spend viewing the videos has continued to grow, and that 75-80% of viewers now watch the entire videos.

“We are well above industry average in clicks, levels of engagement and view-throughs,” said Miller. “Brands can spend a lot of time with highly engaged customers.”