Effect of KOLs’ persuasiveness on impulsive buying behaviors: live streaming commerce

Abstract

This study applies the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) to clarify how the characteristics of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in live streaming commerce affect impulsive buying behavior. While prior studies primarily focused on marketing activities rather than the direct impact of KOLs’ perceived persuasiveness, this study addresses that gap by offering a fully understanding of KOL’s impact in both live-streaming features and KOLs themselves. The data from 360 Gen Z participants analyzed via SmartPLS 4.0 and SPSS software 26.0 confirmed that these attributes including popularity, attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise and all live stream characteristics significantly impact KOLs’ perceived persuasiveness in terms of driving impulse buying behaviors. Notably, fear of missing out (FOMO) and deal proneness do not moderate perceived persuasiveness and impulse buying, challenging conventional assumptions in livestreaming commerce. These findings suggest that enterprises should incorporate KOLs with specific characteristics in live streaming commerce to drive purchases among Vietnamese Gen Z users. They can effectively decide on KOLs by applying the verified criteria gained through our study. Moreover, brands should not make excessive use of and rely heavily on deal proneness and FOMO because consumers are becoming wiser in the era of technology.