Unraveling the Discursive Mechanisms of Live-Streaming Hosts and Corporate Image Construction in Cross-Border E-commerce

The swift expansion of digital commerce has revolutionized conventional marketing approaches, with live-streaming becoming a highly influential medium for engaging with audiences in real time. Within the domain of cross-border e-commerce, live-streaming facilitates direct interactions between brands and international consumers, providing product demonstrations, tailored suggestions, and immediate answers to questions. This interactive format not only elevates the customer experience in a substantial manner but also exerts a profound influence on the corporate image, thereby contributing to the company's overall brand-building and market-positioning strategies. Exerting a profound impact on purchasing decisions within the global marketplace, the corporate image assumes a pivotal and determinant role in molding consumer trust. In the context of the continuous international expansion of enterprises, the proficiency of these entities in traversing diverse cultural and linguistic barriers to achieve effective communication has emerged as an essential and indispensable competency. Live-streaming discussions, in this regard, have emerged as a significant medium through which organizations can articulate their brand identities, enhance credibility, and forge emotional bonds with the audiences. However, the methodologies adopted within live-streaming communication for the purpose of cultivating a corporate image remain underexplored, particularly when examined from the perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). JEL Codes: M31, L82, F23 Keywords: Live-streaming Hosts' Discourse; Critical Discourse Analysis; Corporate Image Construction; Cross-border E-commerce