How Cunbo Affect Consumer Purchase Intention? Analysis from Source Credibility and Parasocial Relationship

Abstract

Cunbo is a specific "live e-commerce" form in China. Rather than celebrities, local farmers or village cadres are always endorsers to advertise their agricultural products through live streaming. Due to China's developed ecommerce, live streaming industry, and the popularity of smartphones, even farmers, can easily engage in live streaming. While most former studies focus on celebrities’ effects, very few studies when endorsers were mainly farmers. Thus, this study aims to research how Cunbo affects consumers’ purchase intention when endorsers are farmers. Based on source credibility theory, this study explores the effects of 3 elements (i.e., attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness) on Chinese consumer purchase intention through Cunbo. Meanwhile, this article considers credibility and parasocial relationship as two mediating variables to study their roles between 3 elements of source credibility and Chinese consumers’ purchase intention. The Process Macro of SPSS has been used in this study as a tool to test the collected data and hypotheses. A total of 302 responses have been collected through a structured questionnaire. The findings indicate that attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness have a significant relationship with Chinese consumers’ purchase intention toward agricultural products. Also, credibility and parasocial relationship play mediating roles between the relationships.