• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.212-229
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• 2020

'Live + Sale' is actively promoted in China and 'Wang-Hong', also known as Chinese internet celebrities are dominating this format of marketing strategy recently. They introduce products to consumers through live broadcasts, promote online shopping, and frequently evoke impulsive buying. Under this context, it is worth focusing on what factors influence impulse buying during Wang-Hong's live broadcast. This study investigated the impact of Wang-Hong characteristics on impulse buying behavior when watching live sales. Also, the mediating role of flow experience and viewing satisfaction was explored. Furthermore, we expected that the different live broadcast circumstances could have a different impact on flow experience, viewing satisfaction, and impulse purchase. A total of 242 Chinese women who have experience of viewing live sales were recruited through a Chinese research platform. The results revealed that Wang-Hong's trustworthiness and attractiveness positively affected the viewer's impulse buying directly, and indirectly through flow experience and viewing satisfaction, whereas expertise did not have any impact on impulse purchase. However, there were no significant differences between the two live broadcast circumstances. This research can enhance understanding of the impulse buying process during Wang-Hong's live sale and help brands come up with effective influencer marketing strategies using live sales.