Beyond Attractiveness: Influencer Authenticity and Purchase Intention in Live Streaming Commerce

Abstract

This study investigates how influencer authenticity shapes purchase intentions in Douyin live-streaming commerce within China’s apparel industry. It moves beyond traditional factors like attractiveness to examine how real-time, genuine interactions during live streams impact consumer behavior. Grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), the research frames authenticity as a key mechanism that fulfills viewers’ needs for trust, information, and social connection in interactive digital environments. A quantitative approach was adopted, using a cross-sectional online survey of 400 active Douyin users aged 15–34 who regularly watch apparel-related live streams. Key constructs measured included influencer authenticity, transparency, interaction quality, and purchase intention, analyzed via reliability tests and multiple regression. Results confirmed that influencer authenticity significantly and positively influences purchase intention, with transparency and highquality interaction serving as important reinforcing factors. Authenticity emerged as a stronger predictor than conventional metrics like follower count, highlighting its central role in fostering consumer trust and decisionmaking during live engagements. The study concludes that in the dynamic context of live streaming, perceived authenticity is a critical driver of commercial effectiveness. It extends UGT by positioning authenticity as a core gratification in real-time marketing and offers practical guidance for brands and influencers to prioritize genuine communication over curated appeal. Limitations include the single-platform focus and cross-sectional design, suggesting opportunities for longitudinal and cross-cultural future research.