How background visual complexity influences purchase intention in live streaming: The mediating role of emotion and the moderating role of gender

There is growing evidence that visual complexity plays a crucial role in consumer purchase behavior. However, existing research on background visual complexity’s effect on individuals’ purchase intention in live streaming is limited. This study explores the relationships between live background visual complexity, emotional states, and purchase intention, by drawing on the stimulus-organism-response theory. A 3 × 2 between-subjects online experiment was developed with participants’ emotional and intention data. The results indicate that the background visual complexity of the livestream room influences consumers’ purchase intention positively via the evoked emotional states (pleasure and arousal). Background visual complexity exhibits an inverted U-shaped effect on consumers’ emotions. Additionally, the results reveal a significant moderating effect of gender on the relationship between background visual complexity and purchase intention. Women exhibit an inverted U-shaped effect on emotion and purchase intention, whereas men show a positive linear relationship when faced with complexity.     

What reduces product uncertainty in live streaming e-commerce? From a signal consistency perspective

E-commerce live streaming has become a popular emerging trend worldwide. However, as an obstacle to consumer decision-making, product uncertainty is still a concern in e-commerce live streaming contexts. Based on signaling theory and uncertainty literature, we propose that signal consistency can reduce product uncertainty and further facilitate consumers’ purchase intention. Moreover, using a sample of 338 live shoppers, we find that anchor-product fit and live content-product fit negatively affect product quality uncertainty but not product fit uncertainty. Danmaku content-product fit and self-product fit negatively influence product quality uncertainty and product fit uncertainty. Product quality uncertainty positively affects product fit uncertainty, and product quality uncertainty and product fit uncertainty have significant negative effects on purchase intention. Additional analyses suggest that four signal consistency cues and two product uncertainty can be combined in three causal configurations to induce high purchase intention. This study extends relevant theory and literature and guides management decisions for e-commerce live streaming sellers and platforms.     

Background music tempo effects on food evaluations and purchase intentions

This article is a report of results of three studies investigating effects of fast versus slow background musical tempo on physiology, cognition, and emotions. Two pilot studies first measure consumer perceptions of tempo. In Studies 1 and 2, participants view a short video restaurant advertisement featuring fast or slow background music along with illustrations of food items. Results indicate that fast music is more effective than slow music for evoking positive taste expectations and purchase intentions. Study 3 shows that the effects observed in Studies 1 and 2 occur because fast music enhances self-reported arousal levels that then lead to enhanced moods, taste expectations, and purchase intentions. Theoretical implications regarding effects of music on emotional responses are discussed, as are practical managerial implications for using fast music as a persuasive technique.     

Interactive music for multisensory e-commerce: The moderating role of online consumer involvement in experiential value,cognitive value,and purchase intention

Background music adds a multisensory element to marketing and e-commerce. Applying interactive sensory-enabling technologies (SETs) to online shopping websites is an area of interest in sensory marketing. This research examines interactive background music in e-commerce and investigates how online consumer involvement moderates the effects of interactive music. Single-factor experiments with three conditions (interactive music, static background music, and control) were conducted to investigate its impact on experiential value, cognitive value, and purchase intention of high- and low-involvement consumers among both students (Study 1, N = 251) and nonstudent samples (Study 2, N = 218). Different music genres were applied to stimuli of the two studies to demonstrate the generalizability of the findings. Results find that interactive music enhances the experiential value of e-commerce for low-involvement consumers. By contrast, high-involvement consumers show greater purchase intention under the interactive music condition due to a heightened level of perceived cognitive value. Involvement is an effective predictor of elaboration and purchase intention under the interactive music condition, but not under the other two conditions. The contribution is twofold: (a) it shows the impact of music as an interactive SET and, (b) demonstrates the moderating role of consumer involvement in the context of multisensory integration in e-commerce. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with limitations and directions for future research.     

Consumer Responses to Sexual Magazine Covers on a Men's Magazine

SUMMARY

Competing men's magazines often use sexually attractive cover models to enhance circulation. This investigation tested the efficacy of sexual cover models on consumer outcome variables including magazine interest and purchase intention, as well as on psychological variables such as sexual arousal and social comparison. Overall, magazine interest-value and purchase intention were significantly higher in the sexual condition, as were sexual arousal and tendency for upward social comparison. Discussions on sexual information processing and implications for management and future research are offered.     

Online visual merchandising (VMD) cues and consumer pleasure and arousal: Purchasing versus browsing situation

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of various online visual merchandising (VMD) cues—high and low task relevant cues—on consumer pleasure and arousal under different situational involvement (browsing vs. purchasing). A random sample of 1634 female college students participated in an experiment in the context of online apparel shopping. The results of the study revealed a significant effect for high task relevant cues on pleasure and arousal under high situational involvement (purchasing situation). In addition, a significant effect for low task relevant cues on pleasure and arousal under low situational involvement (browsing situation) was found. Pleasure and arousal induced by various online VMD cues were positively related to consumer satisfaction, purchase intention, and approach behavior. The findings of the study emphasize a significant role of VMD cues on apparel Web sites, influencing pleasure and arousal, which in turn increase consumer satisfaction, purchase intention, and approach behavior. The study also provides an important implication for online apparel retailers developing Web sites that may attract both online browsers and purchasers. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Influences of background colors and calorie information disclosure on consumers’ psychological process

ABSTRACT

This research explores the influences of menu background colors and calorie disclosure on consumers’ psychological process: dynamics of emotional arousal, temptation, and self-control. Findings from an experimental study showed that a red (the warmest color) against a blue (the coolest color) or white background induces higher emotional arousal and temptation, which led consumers to purchase greater amounts of indulgent foods. In the presence of calorie information, however, elevated arousal and strengthened temptation driven by the background color effects were reversed: a red against a blue or white background elicited a higher level of self-control and lower levels of arousal and temptation, which led consumers to purchase fewer indulgent food items. Therefore, an investigation into the underlying process reveals that consumers can trade their elevated desires (arousal and temptation) and willpower (self-control).     

How customer engagement in the live-streaming affects purchase intention and customer acquisition,E-tailer's perspective

In the emerging retail market, e-tailers operating in developing economies have to cope with the rapid use of the Internet, new electronic purchasing methods and online selling platforms. However, e-tailers do not understand the effect patterns in which customer engagement on purchase intention and customer acquisition. From e-tailers’ perspective, this study explores how customer engagement behaviors are related to both purchase intention and customer acquisition. We obtained live streaming data in the mature e-tail live streaming market environment and found empirical evidence supporting the conceptual framework through regression model analysis. The analysis results show that the specific indicators of the customer engagement are not all positively related to customer purchase intention and customer acquisition, and it is worth noting that the influence of “like” behavior on customer acquisition is no statistical significance. This is expected to encourage e-tailers to rethink their focus on customer acquisition and sales enhancement digital strategies as they operate in emerging markets.     

How do virtual streamers affect purchase intention in the live streaming context? A presence perspective

The rise of live streaming commerce has attracted attention from scholars and practitioners as a new opportunity to reach consumers. However, few studies have focused on the role of virtual streamers in this context. Based on the stimulus organism response framework, we explore the impact of three characteristics of virtual streamers—likeability, animacy, and responsiveness—on social presence, telepresence, and purchase intention. We use partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis with online survey data from 378 consumers concerning their experiences of viewing virtual streamers. The findings indicate that likeability, animacy, and responsiveness enhance social presence and telepresence, which then promote purchase intention. Likeability and responsiveness directly increase purchase intention, but animacy does not. Multi-group analysis reveals differences between the effects of humanoid and zoonotic virtual streamers on social presence and telepresence. These results shed light on the role of virtual streamer characteristics and contribute to the literature on live streaming commerce, presence, and virtual humans.     

Why do consumers prefer a hometown geographical indication brand? Exploring the role of consumer identification with the brand and psychological ownership

This research investigates the consumer purchase intention of products with geographic indications (GIs) based on a sample of 351 valid responses in three representative regions that are well known for their GIs of navel orange brands. Drawing on theories of consumer-brand relationship, social identity or consumer identification with the brand, and psychological ownership, our empirical results support our research hypotheses. Specifically, it is found that consumers tend to have a higher purchase intention for hometown GI brands than for non-hometown GI brands. Meanwhile, the impact of brand origin, that is, hometown versus non-hometown GI brand, on consumer purchase intention of GI products is found to be mediated by consumer identification with the GI brands. In addition, psychological ownership moderates the impact of hometown GI brands on purchase intention in that high psychological ownership enhances the impact of brand origin on purchase intention, whereas low psychological ownership negates this effect. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are provided.     

Interacting with background music engages E-Customers more: The impact of interactive music on consumer perception and behavioral intention

The current study investigates the potential of applying interactive music to the design of e-commerce websites, aiming to create more engaging consumer experience. The model of Theory of Interactive Media Effects (TIME) is applied to propose two psychological mechanisms – heightened consumer control and perceived vividness of the website – that explain the effect of interactive music on consumer engagement. A single-factor experiment with three conditions (the control condition without background music, the static background music condition, and the interactive background music condition) was conducted and data from 248 consumers were collected. Results found that consumers in the interactive music condition were more affectively engaged in the shopping task compared to those in the other two conditions due to a higher level of novelty. The novelty dimension of affective engagement subsequently led to stronger behavioral intention and more positive perception toward the website and its brand. Whereas consumer control explained only affective engagement with the online store, perceived vividness of the website predicted both cognitive and affective engagement. In conclusion, the present study contributes to scholarship by addressing limited discussion on interactive music under the context of consumer behavior and drawing attention to perceived control and vividness as critical mediators of consumer engagement in the digital retailing environment.     

Short-term or long-term cooperation between retailer and MCN? New launched products sales strategies in live streaming e-commerce

Nowadays, live streaming e-commerce has become popular all over the world. In this paper, we study the pricing strategy of new products when they are launched in live streaming considering the consumer uncertainty and network externalities. We characterize the impact of live streaming into two dimensions, emotional support and information support, and investigate how those two dimensions impact the choice of cooperation types and the revenue distribution between the retailer and MCN (Multi-Channel Network). Using a two-stage vertical model, we find that, with the low consumer uncertainty, the MCN induces the retailer to choose the cooperation type depending on the emotional support level, but with the high consumer uncertainty, it depends on the information support level. For new-product pricing strategy, whether to adopt the penetration pricing strategy or the skimming pricing strategy depends on the impact of live streaming, the consumer uncertainty and network externalities. Interestingly, the commission price does not increase with the consumer uncertainty. An important implication for the retailer is that, reducing consumer uncertainty may not be beneficial to the total profit.     

Live streaming commerce from the sellers’ perspective: implications for online relationship marketing

ABSTRACT

Live streaming has recently become a popular direct selling channel which offers small, self-employed sellers unseen levels of consumer interaction and engagement. While the extant research focused on consumer motivation and intention to shop via live streaming, little is known from the seller’s perspective. Indeed, the potential advantages of live streaming commerce are accessible to everyone, but sellers experience different levels of success with this medium. Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach, this study analyses Facebook data of live streaming sellers to assess the nature and extent of engagement metrics, and delineate the dynamic, interactive live streaming sales process. We identify four sales approaches and twelve strategies adopted in acquiring and retaining customers. This typology of sales approach representing seller-focused antecedents is mapped against the relationship process and outcomes to provide a framework for understanding relationship mechanisms in live streaming commerce.     

Way to success: Understanding top streamer's popularity and influence from the perspective of source characteristics

Live streaming opens a new way for selling products, in which the streamer plays a leading role. Whereas e-commerce live streaming has become ever-increasingly prevalent, how to attract viewers and improve the conversion rate have become problems bothering lots of streamers. Based on 245 viewers' experience of watching top streamers' live streams, we try to find a successful way for small streamers from the perspective of streamer characteristics. This study identifies streamer characteristics from three aspects (attractiveness, competence, and communication style) and examines their effects on streamer's popularity and consumer's behavioral intentions. The results show that beauty, expertise, humor, and passion are all proved to be positively related to hedonic value, and both warmth and expertise are positively related to utilitarian value. Meantime, the results highlight the importance of expertise while beauty shows minor importance. Streamer's popularity can only lead to watching intention, it shows no effect on consumer's purchase intention. These findings highlight streamer characteristics as key factors in affecting streamers' popularity and consumers' watching and purchase intentions and its complex effect in live streaming and marketing.     

Attributes of background music and consumers’ responses to TV commercials

This study extends and crystallizes the literature on the effect of background music in the TV advertising setting by focusing on differential effects of attributes of background music on consumers’ attitudes toward TV advertising based on their involvement. The familiarity of background music was more likely to influence attitudes towards advertisement, brand attitudes and purchase intentions in the low-involvement condition, whereas the product fit of background music was more likely to do so in the high-involvement condition. This indicates that effective attributes of background music can be varied according to consumer involvement.     

Food shopping behavior in the Arabian Gulf region: a comparative study

In the context of an online apparel setting, this study examined the effects of amount of information and music on consumers’ affective states (i.e. pleasure and arousal) and cognitive states (i.e. perceived risk and attitude toward the site), which in turn may affect consumer shopping response (purchase intent). The moderating role of situational involvement with online shopping on the relationship between music/amount of information and affective/cognitive stateswas further examined. Results revealed significant effects for amount of information and music in relation to consumer situational involvement with online shopping. In addition, results revealed a significant effect for pleasure on perceived risk and attitude toward the site which in turn affected purchase intent. The findings of this study provide valuable managerial insights to online retailers by indicating the importance of the amount of information available on an apparel website. Additionally, this study is a springboard in determining the significant effect of music on affect and shopping responses on online shopping websites.     

What motivates users' viewing and purchasing behavior motivations in live streaming: A stream-streamer-viewer perspective

Live streaming has offered new opportunities for retailers to increase their sales, hence its reception of continuous scholarly attention. However, understanding the antecedents of viewer watching and purchasing behaviors in live streaming remains largely insufficient. This study thus constructs a framework from a stream-streamer-viewer perspective to provide a deeper understanding of viewer watching and purchasing behaviors. Using flow theory, both stream dimension (social presence and interactivity) and streamer dimension (streamer attractiveness and streamer expertise) as proposed as antecedents of flow, which motivates viewer behavior. Moreover, the optimal stimulation level of viewers (i.e., viewer dimension) was found as a moderator which alters the way stream and streamer dimensions affect flow experience and downstream behaviors. Structural equation modeling was applied on 367 survey questionnaires to test our framework. Results indicate that both social presence and interactivity enhance flow. Furthermore, flow has a significant influence on continuous watching and purchase intention. Meanwhile, optimal stimulation level negatively moderates social presence on flow, but positively moderates interactivity on it.     

Examining shopping mall consumer decision-making styles,satisfaction and purchase intention

Understanding consumer decision-making (CDM) styles is essential for market segmentation, positioning and crafting marketing strategies within a market. Few studies have examined the structural relationship among decision-making styles that consumers exhibit during mall shopping, level of satisfaction and purchase intention. The purpose of this study was to examine CDM styles as the antecedents and predictors of level of satisfaction and purchase intention. Based on the Consumer Styles Inventory, eight CDM styles that individual exhibit during shopping mall activities are proposed in terms of utilitarian and hedonic perspectives. We hypothesize these eight CDM styles as a set of predictors of customer satisfaction and purchase intention. A total of 327 valid paper-and-pencil questionnaires were collected from several shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Partial least squares (PLS) path modelling approach, a structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was performed to test the proposed structural relationships. The empirical assessment supports that hedonic shopping styles consumers that exhibit high level of habitual, brand consciousness, fashion consciosness, recreational conscious style have lower levels of satisfaction and purchase intention during mall shopping while novelty and fashion conscious style consumers have lower level of satisfaction but do not unveil lower purchase intention. Utilitarian shopping styles consumers that exhibit high level of price conscious, confused by overchoice and high-quality conscious style have higher levels of satisfaction while impulsive/careless shoppers do not; and while price conscious, impulsive/careless, confused by overchoice consumers have higher levels of purchase intention but the high-quality conscious consumers do not unveil higher purchase intention. Further, there is a positive relationship between satisfaction and purchase intention. The practical and managerial implications are discussed.     

The effects of match-ups on the consumer attitudes toward internet celebrities and their live streaming contents in the context of product endorsement

Streaming media platform opens new ways for celebrity endorsement. Based on the researches related to celebrity endorsement and match-up hypothesis, this study explores the influences of various matches on the consumer attitudes within the context of live streaming shopping with internet celebrities in China. Results suggest that product-source fit affects the perceived source attractiveness and trustworthiness, while product-content fit affects utilitarian and hedonic attitude toward the content. Source trustworthiness, hedonic attitude and self-product fit increased the intention to buy. This study develops and tests an integrative model of internet celebrity endorsement by investigating congruence effects on live streaming viewers.     

The impact of cross border E-tailer's return policy on consumer's purchase intention

Based on the signaling theory, cue utilization theory and halo effect theory, this paper establishes a theoretical model of the impact of return policy leniency on consumer purchase intention in the context of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). The model is verified by the experimental data. Moreover, the mediating role of perceived quality and perceived risk and the moderating effects of port of shipment and product traceability code are significant. The results show that in the CBEC scenario, when the online retailers adopt a lenient return policy, the consumers have higher perceived quality and lower perceived risk, which in turn leads to a higher intention to purchase; When a consumer purchases the product which ships from domestic bonded warehouse or a product without a product traceability code present, the effect of the leniency of return policy on perceived quality and perceived risk is stronger.