Topic: When the Irrelevant Becomes Relevant: The Impact of Small Talk on Consumer Engagement in Livestream Shopping

Speaker: Professor CAI Fengyan, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiaotong University

Time: March 5, 2025, 14:00

Venue: EMS 231

Abstract:

Livestream shopping is an intensely competitive market, with millions of streamers striving to engage and retain viewers. Effectively building viewer engagement in a short time has become a critical determinant of a streamer’s survival and success. Our research proposes that incorporating small talk—social talk unrelated to products or shopping—can boost viewer engagement, including sales. Field data from livestream shopping broadcasts on Douyin, together with four experiments, indicate that livestreamers’ small talk can enhance viewer engagement. We demonstrate that this small-talk effect is caused by viewers perceiving a more communal, friendship-like relationship with streamers based on small talk. The effect diminishes when viewers seek a more exchange (business-like) relationship with streamers (e.g., streamers act as brand representatives), when the degree to which streamers’ talk conveys their own intention is low (e.g., talk is prepared by others), or when the quantity of small talk becomes excessive, leading to an inverted U-shaped relationship between small talk and viewer engagement. Our findings enrich the marketing literature regarding communication effectiveness in livestream shopping, and contribute broadly to paradigms of influencer marketing and marketing relationships. We provide practical insights to livestreamers, brand managers, and other stakeholders seeking to engage viewers in livestream shopping.

Guest Bio:

Cai Fengyan is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and a national high-level talent. She previously served as an associate editor for Psychology & Marketing and is currently an editorial board member for the Journal of Business Research, Psychology & Marketing, and the Journal of Marketing Science. Her primary research focus is on consumer information processing, with applications in areas such as consumer prosocial behavior, green consumption behavior, pricing and promotion, and cross-cultural marketing. She has published over 10 papers in international academic journals including the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Psychological Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Her research findings have been covered by media outlets such as The New York Times and BBC News. She has received the Best Paper Award from the Association for Consumer Research, the First Prize for Outstanding Research Achievements in Philosophy and Social Sciences in Shanghai, and the Third Prize for Outstanding Research Achievements in Humanities and Social Sciences from the Ministry of Education.