Virtual Streamer Features: Unveiling the Influence on Online Purchase Intentions in the TikTok Era

In recent years, China’s live-streaming e-commerce led by Tik Tok has developed rapidly. With the gradual maturity of AI technology and digital technology, digital virtual human is becoming increasingly widely used. In the live-streaming e-commerce industry, many e-commerce enterprises use virtual streamers for live streaming. However, judging from the market reaction, the help of virtual streamers for enterprise sales is different. Some enterprises use virtual streamers, and sales have increased a lot. On the contrary, some companies have seen their sales decrease after using virtual streamers. Although there has been abundant research on the impact of real streamer features on the sales of live streaming of e-commerce, few studies have focused on the impact of Virtual Streamer Features (VSF) on the live streaming business. After analyzing the real streamer features, based on the research results on the real streamer features and consumers’ purchasing behavior, this study proposed a hypothesis on the impact of VSF on consumers’ online purchasing intention. VSF includes sociality, interactivity, professionality, attractivity and popularity. By reviewing the existing literature, a model of VSF and consumers’ online purchase intention is developed. This conceptual paper proposes a new theoretical framework to investigate the impact of VSF on online purchase intention within the TikTok platform, shedding light on the evolving dynamics of influencer marketing in the digital age. And providing a theoretical basis for helping e-commerce enterprises increase sales by using virtual streamers.