Reckitt uses livestreaming to promote condoms in a tactful China play

The owner of Durex, Reckitt, is hopeful that Chinese consumers' love of livestream shopping will translate to condom purchases, but in order to increase its share of the over $5 billion condom market, the company will need to walk a "tight line."

The British consumer goods company may find support in its efforts to spur growth in the second-largest economy in the world from the buzz surrounding livestreaming, which has emerged as a key factor in the e-commerce boom that has engulfed China since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In China, livestreaming brought approximately $238 billion in revenue in 2022. That is projected to increase to more than $300 billion by 2025, per eMarketer, a research organization.

Reckitt has previously experienced success in China live-selling household goods; however, condom sales may be more difficult given that Chinese authorities closely monitor internet content related to sex, sometimes without explicitly stating what constitutes a sexual offense.

According to Kendra Schaefer, head of tech policy at the China-focused research firm Trivium, the regulators have the final say on what constitutes vulgar content because the system is highly socially conservative. So how can one discuss sexual health without bringing up the "vulgar" subject? Kendra says there's a fine line to tread.

However, considering the scale of the multi-billion dollar condom market, the potential for Reckitt is strong. According to Daxue Consulting, the China Business Research Institute has predicted that China's condom sales will reach $5.2 billion in 2024. Durex, the industry leader, is expected to hold a 40% market share as of 2020.