Optimizing live streaming features to enhance customer immersion and engagement: A comparative study of live streaming genres in China

Yu Tian and Frank, Björn

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2024, vol. 81, issue C

Abstract: Based on the flow theory, this study examines how influencer characteristics and live streaming features (interactivity, utility, entertainment, and harmony) affect the viewer's flow experience (i.e., immersion) and engagement behavior (e.g., purchasing, gifting) across different live streaming genres (utilitarian vs. hedonic, high vs. low involvement; a 2 × 2 between-subjects design). As extensions of the literature, it focuses on live streaming features (rather than merely the influencer), the mediating effect of flow experience, and differences across live streaming genres. Analysis of data from 1233 Chinese live streaming users shows that interactivity, utility, and entertainment (but not harmony) stimulate the viewer's flow experience, which mediates their effects on monetary and non-monetary engagement behaviors. Contrary to intuition, since flow experiences require a balance of utility and entertainment, influencers need to emphasize utility in hedonic live streaming genres and entertainment in utilitarian genres. Utility is more important and interactivity is less important in high-involvement and hedonic genres. Regarding influencer characteristics, trustworthiness, expertise, and charisma positively influence the flow experience. As a contribution to the live streaming literature, this study explains how live streaming features can be optimized to improve customer engagement.

Keywords: Live streaming; Flow experience; Influencer; Hedonic products; Utilitarian products; Involvement; Customer engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698924002704
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:81:y:2024:i:c:s0969698924002704

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103974

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is currently edited by Harry Timmermans

More articles in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().