Influence of Virtual Live Streamers’ Credibility on Online Sales Performance

With the development of artificial intelligence technology, virtual live streamers emerge in the field of live streaming e-commerce. Previous studies have identified how human live streamers affect online sales performance. However, little is known about the virtual live streamer. Can virtual live streamers play a role in e-commerce as well as their human counterparts? The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of virtual live streamers on online sales performance from the perspective of source credibility. The perceived credibility of virtual live streamers can modify viewer behavior in the virtual live streaming room. The relevant data is thus generated and recorded by the e-commerce platform. We collected data from 300 virtual live streaming rooms in the e-commerce platform known as Taobao.com. Using the behavior data, a multiple regression model was built to empirically study the relationship between the characteristics of virtual live streamers and online sales performance. The results showed that virtual live streamers’ characteristics of trustworthiness, attractiveness, and expertise had a positive effect on online sales performance, whereas the characteristic of interactivity had an adverse effect. This study provides insight into the virtual live streamer. Virtual live streamers are still unable to interact with viewers in a human live streamer manner. Marketing managers should improve virtual live streamers to meet viewers’ hedonic shopping motivations in the future.