Zhu Liangjie, Li Huiyao, Nie Kun, Gu Chunmei
School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China.
Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 28;12:730636. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.730636. eCollection 2021.
Livestream shopping has become the focus of current marketing practises, while theoretical research on it is still in initial stages. Thus, from the para-social interaction (PSI) theory perspective, this study draws on cognitive-affective system theory as an analytical framework to explore internal mechanisms of how anchors' characteristics influence consumer behavioural intentions in livestream shopping while considering the characteristics of consumer online interaction propensity. We conducted a survey questionnaire with a sample of 355 consumers who experienced livestream shopping and used structural equation modelling to assess their behavioural intentions. Our results reveal that anchors' physical attractiveness, social attractiveness, and professional ability influence consumers' intentions to follow the authors' suggestions and recommend anchors to others during live streams. PSI and affective trust in anchors are the chain-mediation mechanisms. Furthermore, consumers' online interaction propensity positively moderates the influence of anchors' characteristics on PSI and plays a moderating role on the whole chain mediation. However, this only affects anchors' physical attractiveness and social attractiveness while exert no effect on anchors' professional ability. This study advances the theoretical research on livestream shopping and provides practical inspiration for managers to develop more targeted livestream marketing strategies.
直播购物已成为当前营销实践的焦点，而对其的理论研究仍处于初始阶段。因此，本研究从准社会互动（PSI）理论视角出发，借鉴认知-情感系统理论作为分析框架，在考虑消费者在线互动倾向特征的同时，探讨主播特征影响消费者直播购物行为意图的内在机制。我们对355名有过直播购物经历的消费者进行了问卷调查，并使用结构方程模型来评估他们的行为意图。我们的研究结果表明，主播的外貌吸引力、社交吸引力和专业能力会影响消费者在直播期间听从主播建议并向他人推荐主播的意愿。PSI和对主播的情感信任是链式中介机制。此外，消费者的在线互动倾向正向调节主播特征对PSI的影响，并在整个链式中介中起调节作用。然而，这仅影响主播的外貌吸引力和社交吸引力，对主播的专业能力没有影响。本研究推进了直播购物的理论研究，并为管理者制定更具针对性的直播营销策略提供了实践启示。
