Research on the Influence Mechanism of Communication Style Similarity on Purchase Intention in Live Streaming Marketing

Wu Na; Ning Changhui; Gong Xiaoxiao

doi:doi:10.16538/j.cnki.fem.20200511.301

Summary

With the increase of e-commerce traffic cost, live streaming marketing has become a popular marketing mode, which mainly achieves the sales target through the online real-time interaction and communication between broadcasters and users. In this context, the choice of communication styles of broadcasters is particularly important. Although many researchers have proved that it is significant to match the communication style of broadcasters and users, but there is still a lack of relevant empirical research to explore the quantitative relation between the similarity of communication styles and the purchase intention of users. Especially, under the situation of live marketing, there is still a lack of a comprehensive framework to explain the internal mechanism of communication style similarity between broadcasters and users on the purchase intention of users. In this paper, the similarity attraction theory is used as the basic theoretical framework, and the cognitive affective system theory is combined to discuss whether and how the similarity of communication styles between broadcasters and users affects the purchase intention of users.

Through the empirical research on the questionnaire survey data of 619 live streaming marketing audiences, this paper finds that: By increasing users’ perception of quasi-social interaction, the similarity of communication styles can further trigger users’ flow experience, which has a positive impact on the purchase intention of users. Users’ motivations of avoiding fuzziness（need of cognitive closure）can reinforce this influence path. The higher the need for cognitive closure, the greater the positive effect of flow experience on purchase intention, and the stronger the influence path of communication style similarity on purchase intention.

In terms of theoretical contributions, this study extends the perspective of similarity research to the dimension of communication styles, and extends the scope and content of similarity research. In addition, it broadens the role of cognitive affective system theory in the field of consumer behavior, and provides a relatively systematic explanation framework for how the communication style matching degree of broadcasters and users affects the purchase intention of users in the context of live streaming marketing, which is a powerful supplement to the marketing communication research in the current live streaming context.

This paper also provides practical guidance for enterprises to improve the conversion rate of users. First of all, broadcasters should be customer-oriented when conducting live streaming marketing. They should flexibly identify users’ communication styles and adjust their own communication styles to match them. Secondly, live streaming platforms and broadcasters should fully stimulate users’ perception of quasi-social interaction and immersive experience in the process of watching live streaming, and guide customers to have positive cognitive and emotional experience. Finally, broadcasters can use marketing skills and manipulate the live streaming environment to temporarily improve users’ need of cognitive closure, so as to enhance the positive impact of communication style similarity on the purchase intention of users.