The role of gender-identity congruity in cross-gender endorsement in the context of live streaming

Purpose This paper critically examines the effectiveness of male anchor in cross-gender endorsements and questions whether it can truly deliver positive outcomes for advertisers in the context of live streaming. It explores the underlying mechanisms of this effect by examining the mediation effect of perceived gender-identity incongruence and the moderation effect of anchor presence. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments are conducted to examine the effect of cross-gender endorsement on purchase intention. Findings The findings from three experiments provide empirical evidence that the endorsement of female-gendered products by male anchors leads to a significant decrease in the evaluation of these products among female consumers. This negative effect is mediated by a sense of gender-identity incongruence experienced by female consumers. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that female customers exhibit higher purchase intent for female-gendered products endorsed by male virtual anchors compared to real anchors; however, the same pattern was not observed in the case of female anchors. Originality/value This paper empirically examines the possible negative effects of the male anchor endorsement in the live streaming context. It reveals the underlying mechanism of this negative effect, and how the virtual “presence” take a role in this underlying mechanism.