Danmaku consistency reduces consumer purchases during live streaming: A dual‐process model

Abstract

Danmaku, a new type of real‐time electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM) for shopping during live streaming, was designed to be consistent when promoting products during live streaming to create an active atmosphere. However, the effect of danmaku consistency on consumer purchases has received limited attention. Specifically, the literature on eWOM consistency mainly considers valence consistency in information posted after purchase; it does not explore real‐time interactions under live‐streaming conditions. Therefore, from the perspective of consumer‐to‐consumer interactions, this research innovatively explores the negative impact of danmaku consistency (in both content and format) on consumer purchases. Based on three experiments, we find that danmaku consistency reduces consumer purchases during live streaming. This effect occurs through a dual‐process mechanism of psychological reactance and information richness. In addition, the above negative effect is attenuated by the moderating role of perceived intrinsic motivation to post danmaku. The findings contribute to the eWOM literature by shedding new light on the negative side of danmaku consistency during live streaming, and they provide practical suggestions for streamers and platforms for designing danmaku and increasing consumer engagement.