Failed products, successful influencers: the moderating effect of the stealing thunder strategy on purchase intentions in live-streaming e-commerce failures

Purpose A live-stream failure occurs when the product which is highly recommended by the influencers and exhibited quality problems. This study investigated how brand trust and influencers trust affect live-streaming purchase intentions (PIs) of consumers when live-streaming e-commerce failures occur and the role of the Stealing Thunder (ST). Design/methodology/approach Totally 584 adults with live-streaming shopping experience were invited to investigate the impact and mechanisms of live-streaming failure incidents, as well as the moderating mechanisms of ST. Findings Firstly, live-streaming failure accidents decreased the PI of consumers by reducing both brand trust and influencer trust, with trust in the influencers having a stronger impact on PI than brand trust. Secondly, if the influencers used the ST after a live-stream failure, the PI was the same as that in a non-failure scenario. Thirdly, the ST acts as a moderating variable neutralized the negative impact of live-streaming failure on trust in the influencers. Lastly, the negative impact of brand trust on PI was less significant using the ST. Originality/value This research deepens the understanding of service failures in live-streaming e-commerce. It provides insights into the consumer behavior and practical guidance on how influencers can actively respond to live-streaming failure to sustain reciprocal relationships in live-streaming e-commerce. The study addresses the effects of the coping strategies of influencers on the interests of product brands and discusses the potential solutions.