The impact of live video streaming on online purchase intention

E-retailers are embracing new digital marketing strategies to provide more authentic information to their customers. This research examines the impact of live video streaming (LVS), defined as broadcasts in real time to an audience over the Internet for business-to-consumer and business-to-business communication. Although LVS has been adopted as a marketing strategy by e-retailers, its effect on customers’ online purchase intention remains unknown. Drawing on construal level theory, this study empirically examines the impact of LVS on customers’ online purchase intention considering psychological distance and perceived uncertainty. We test the research framework with the aid of a quasi-experiment using secondary data collected from Taobao.com, the largest online trading platform in China, and two experimental designs. The presented results indicate that the LVS strategy can improve customers’ online purchase intention by reducing psychological distance and perceived uncertainty. In addition, product type moderates the impact of LVS on perceived uncertainty. This paper finally provides some of the practical and managerial implications of our findings.