Content creator Camille Co, country head of Shopee Philippines Vincent Lee, vice president of Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier Sapna Chadha, business development manager for ECommerce for Colgate Palmolive Philippines Tyron Syling, content creator Mond Salem of Hardwage Voyage.
YouTube, in collaboration with Shopee, has officially launched YouTube Shopping in the Philippines. This move expands the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, which is now available in six Southeast Asian countries, further accelerating the region’s growing video commerce market. The initiative aims to enhance the shopping experience while offering new opportunities for viewers, content creators, and advertisers alike.
With this new feature, viewers can effortlessly discover and purchase their favorite products while watching content from their preferred creators. The YouTube Shopping affiliate program takes video e-commerce to the next level by allowing direct product tagging in videos, eliminating the need for extra clicks or navigating between websites. All users need to do is click to complete their purchase!
The program’s launch in the Philippines provides exciting opportunities for both Shopee sellers and content creators. Shopee sellers can now extend their reach by collaborating with a wider pool of content creators, gaining access to a highly engaged and growing audience. This collaboration boosts product visibility, increases brand awareness, and enhances sales conversions.
For local creators, this partnership offers fresh ways to monetize their influence by promoting products to their loyal audience. As Filipino consumers increasingly seek interactive and content-driven shopping experiences, this partnership aligns with their evolving preferences.
The rise of video commerce
Southeast Asia is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce markets in the world, with video commerce accounting for 20% of the region’s e-commerce gross merchandise value in 2024—marking a fourfold increase since 2022. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ creator economy is thriving, with over 450 channels boasting more than one million subscribers and over 6,000 channels with at least 100,000 subscribers.
This growth is driven by a shift from traditional shopping discovery to video-first experiences, as consumers increasingly turn to trusted creators for both entertainment and product recommendations. According to a global study, users are 98% more likely to trust YouTube creators’ recommendations compared to other social platforms. This trust directly influences purchasing decisions, as YouTube drives 3.8 times higher purchase intent than its competitors.
This trend emphasizes how consumers are drawn to authentic product recommendations and video content, reinforcing YouTube’s unique ability to power the video commerce sector.
A Kantar study on shopping behaviors among Southeast Asian Gen Zs reveals that 80% of Gen Z respondents prefer entertaining shopping experiences, further underlining the importance of content in their buying journey. Despite exploring various discovery channels, 63% of Filipino Gen Z users prefer completing purchases on e-commerce platforms, making the YouTube-Shopee collaboration a natural fit for a seamless shopping experience.
Strengthening digital economy
Sapna Chadha, Vice President of Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, said, “Southeast Asia is shaping the future of shopping with its combination of an engaged video-first audience, a thriving digital economy, and a dynamic creator community. We’re excited to bring YouTube Shopping to the Philippines, making Southeast Asia home to six of the nine countries globally that have it. Just seven months after launching regionally, we’re already seeing strong momentum among creators, sellers, and advertisers. We look forward to building on this success to unlock even more opportunities for viewers, creators, brands, and partners in the region.”
Vincent Lee, Head of Shopee Philippines, added, “At Shopee, we aim to provide engaging shopping experiences that integrate content, community, and commerce. Our partnership with YouTube Shopping marks a major milestone for our brands and sellers, enabling them to connect with creators and leverage their influence to drive sales. This collaboration also opens up exciting opportunities for Filipino content creators to monetize their creativity while promoting products their audiences will love.”
Creators can earn more with affiliate program
With the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, creators can tag products in both new and existing videos, as well as during live streams. A list of tagged products and their details is readily available in the video’s description and ‘Product’ section, making it easy for viewers to explore and purchase. A click on any product will redirect users to Shopee’s external sales page for a seamless shopping experience.
This affiliate program complements other monetization options available for Filipino creators, such as Ads Revenue, YouTube Premium Revenue, Channel Memberships, and features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, and Super Stickers.
Since launching in Southeast Asia, the program has seen significant success. For instance, beauty and fashion creator Mai Trinh Hồ saw her revenue increase nearly fivefold after joining the program in the final quarter of 2024. Similarly, Indonesian tech creator Jagat Review reported that YouTube Shopping affiliate earnings made up 50% of his total channel earnings between July and October of last year.
Now that YouTube Shopping is available in the Philippines, creators like Camille Co are already tagging her favorite makeup products in her videos. “I always get asked where I got certain makeup, clothing, or home items in my vlogs,” Co shared. “Now with YouTube Shopping, it’s so much easier to share the products I love—and I can even earn while doing so!”
Tech creator Mond Salem of Hardware Voyage also expressed excitement about the launch, saying, “I’m thrilled that YouTube Shopping is now available in the Philippines! I’m looking forward to boosting my earnings with commissions from featured product sales.”
New opportunities for advertisers and brands
For advertisers, YouTube Shopping offers new ways to reach and engage consumers, delivering better business outcomes. By linking partnership ads directly with relevant creator content, advertisers can streamline the customer journey from discovery to purchase. Brands can also use both long-form and short-form creator videos with product feeds in campaigns, extending their reach to new customers across the platform.
For instance, L’Oréal Thailand’s campaign combined with YouTube Shopping affiliate results in 10X more high-intent views, with cost-per-visit being twice as efficient as previous campaigns.
Since its regional debut, YouTube and Shopee have witnessed increased activity across various product categories, including Beauty, Mobile & Gadgets, and Home & Living, demonstrating the broad appeal and potential for creators to influence consumer purchasing decisions.
As YouTube Shopping continues to grow in Southeast Asia, it solidifies its position as a transformative force in the world of video commerce and the creator economy.
To learn more about enabling YouTube Shopping on your channel, click here.
