How broadcasters enhance rapport with viewers in live streaming commerce

Abstract

Despite the increasing research interest, the existing literature on live streaming commerce as a new e-commerce mode is still in its infancy. Based on 100 live streaming commerce videos from the top two broadcasters on Taobao Live in China, this study conducted a genre-based discourse analysis to investigate the move pattern in this new genre. The study draws on rapport management theory to scrutinize the linguistic functions of the moves, to explore how the broadcasters managed to enhance broadcaster-viewer relationship. Our findings may further our understanding of live streaming commerce as a new form of digital genre, and shed light on how successful broadcasters may strategically manage their relationship with viewers through well-organized discourse forms. Theoretically, the present research may contribute to the literature of employing rapport management theory in the discourse domain by extending it into a new digital genre analysis. Practically, our findings may provide implications for relevant practitioners.