Live streaming product display or social interaction: How do they influence consumer intention and behavior? A heuristic-systematic perspective

Abstract

The live streaming e-commerce industry is developing rapidly, significantly influencing consumer decision-making processes. Unlike previous studies focusing solely on singular outcomes, this research concurrently examines impulse buying and repurchase intentions. It constructs a theoretical model based on the heuristic-systematic model to validate the effectiveness of two types of marketing signals (product-related signals and interactive signals) in live streaming. Additionally, this study introduces the uniqueness of streamers, products, and performance as moderating variables, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms through which different marketing signals in live streaming affect consumer cognition, impulse buying, and repurchase intentions. Through the collection and analysis of 468 survey responses, this research reveals that viewer-streamer interactive signals and viewer-viewer interactive signals positively impact the narrowing of psychological distance. Simultaneously, product-related signals positively influence the enhancing of consumer perceived value. Furthermore, three interesting moderating effects are identified. By integrating signal theory and the heuristic-systematic model, this study provides a clear depiction of the pathway through which consumers process marketing signals in live streaming, offering theoretical support and practical insights for streamers, platforms, and businesses.