Gen-Z online impulse buying of celebrity-owned brands on live streaming commerce: a stimulus – organism – response framework

Live streaming commerce can be viewed as a new business model that are mainly concerned with the marketing of making consumers purchase products impulsively. In line with the increasing amount of celebrity launching their own brands, Malaysia will be benefitted economically through this niche industry. This research investigate the key factors that impact the online impulse buying among Gen-Z consumers in west coast zone of Sabah. More specifically, it aims to establish the correlation between Source Credibility Model (SCM) and Stimulus- Organism-Response Theory (S-O-R) among Gen-Z respondents in the west coast zone of Sabah, Malaysia as well as the mediating effect of perceived enjoyment influences. Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyse the data collected. The result of the PLS-SEM analysis confirmed that attractiveness of the source has the strongest relationship with online impulse buying of celebrity-owned brands on live streaming commerce. This research also shows that attractiveness and expertise have positive effect on live streaming commerce. Regarding the mediating effect, the result of this study revealed that expertise and trustworthiness did not influence or mediate the relationship between Stimulus-Organism-Response Theory and online impulse buying. The findings indicate that only attractiveness of the celebrity or live streamer mediate the relationship between perceived enjoyment and online impulse buying among Gen-Z. Furthermore, the result of this study reveals that expertise and trustworthiness did not mediate the relationship between perceived enjoyment and online impulse buying among Gen-Z. The findings of this research add to the existing body of knowledge, theoretical and aid in the development of marketing strategies by business owners and celebrity-owned brands management.