Effect of visualization of production process on consumers’ purchase intentions in farmer-assisted livestreaming

Purpose This study investigates whether the visualization of agricultural products influences consumers’ purchase intentions in the context of farmer-assisted livestreaming in China. Moreover, it explores the moderating effect of packaging functionality and the mediating effect of consumer trust. Design/methodology/approach Consumers in China from multiple social media platforms participated in this survey, which yielded 333 valid responses for analysis. Findings The results revealed a positive relationship between the video presentation about the agricultural production process and consumers’ purchase intention, which is mediated by consumers’ trust. Meanwhile, packaging functionality moderates the relationship between agricultural product visualization and consumers’ purchase intentions as well as the indirect effect of consumers’ trust. Originality/value This study extends the application of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model to the field of farmer-assisted livestreaming. By building a more detailed model, this study adds to knowledge on the influencing mechanisms of consumers’ purchase intentions in farmer-assisted livestreaming.