The marketing value of livestreaming in exhibitions and its impact on buyers

Purpose This study aims to explore the value of exhibition livestreaming marketing and its impact on buyers. Design/methodology/approach Based on perceived value theory, Study 1 conducted a qualitative analysis of 654 Weibo user comments and identified seven main categories, including four types of marketing value attributes of exhibition livestreaming. Study 2 conducted a quantitative analysis of questionnaire data from 451 professional exhibition buyers and verified the marketing value and influence mechanism of exhibition livestreaming based on the stimulus–organism–response model. Findings Exhibition livestreaming includes four primary marketing value attributes: cognitive, functional, emotional and aesthetic. The four types of marketing value positively influence purchase intention through the perceived brand trust. In addition, perceived web risk exerts a dampening influence on the connection between perceived brand trust and purchase intention. Originality/value This study identifies the value of exhibition livestreaming marketing and its impact on buyers, successfully broadening the research scope of livestreaming marketing from the traditional business-to-customer domain to the business-to-business realm, particularly focusing on the unique format of livestreaming exhibitions.