Real-time interaction

Real-time interaction with virtual influencers is the degree to which information sharing occurs instantly (without first being recorded and stored) between the user and virtual influencer. Live streaming during COVID-19 empowered the government, businesses, education, and the health sector to continue their operation and share information between different sectors. There remains a gap in the literature to empirically examine the role of real-time interaction and information sharing in the relationship between a) trust in the product, b) trust in virtual influencer c) continuance in following influencer and online purchase intention. Building upon celebrity endorsement and interaction ritual chain theory, we developed a theoretical model to understand how the real-time interaction and information sharing between the virtual influencer impacts users purchase intention. The conceptual framework was validated using convenience sampling technique using 376 Chinese consumers to measure structural models. The result showed that real-time interaction moderates the relationship between trust in product and trust in virtual influencer; simultaneously, information sharing mediates the relationship between virtual influencer characteristics and trust in a) product, b) virtual influencer and c) continuance in following the influencer. The current study highlights the importance of virtual influencers’ information sharing and real-time interaction as contributors to online purchases.虚拟影响者（virtual influencer）实时互动，指用户与虚拟影响者之间实现即时的信息共享（无需先进行录制与存储）的程度。新冠疫情（COVID-19）期间的直播技术，助力政府、企业、教育机构与医疗卫生部门维持运营，并实现跨领域的信息共享。现有研究文献仍存在空白：尚未有实证检验实时互动与信息共享在以下关系中的作用：a）对产品的信任、b）对虚拟影响者的信任、c）持续关注该影响者的意愿，与在线购买意向之间的关联。本研究基于名人代言理论与互动仪式链（interaction ritual chain）理论，构建了理论模型，以解析虚拟影响者与用户间的实时互动及信息共享如何影响用户的购买意向。本研究采用便利抽样法，招募376名中国消费者对概念框架进行验证，以测算结构模型参数。研究结果表明：实时互动对产品信任与虚拟影响者信任之间的关系具有调节作用；同时，信息共享在虚拟影响者特征与以下三者的关系中发挥中介效应：a）产品信任、b）虚拟影响者信任、c）持续关注该影响者的意愿。本研究凸显了虚拟影响者的信息共享与实时互动对促进在线购买的重要价值。