Campaign success and activity-system contradictions in livestream influencer marketing

Purpose Livestream influencer marketing (LSIM) differs from traditional influencer marketing in its real-time selling format, team-based operations and sales-driven integration with e-commerce. Despite LSIM’s rapid growth and importance for e-commerce, emerging research has generally favoured consumer perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to respond to calls for supply-side research by examining the LSIM operational environment, campaign success factors as perceived by livestream influencers (LSIs) and multi-channel network (MCN) team members, and contradictions within LSI–MCN collaborative operations. Design/methodology/approach This mixed-method study draws on activity theory. Sixty-five in-depth interviews were conducted primarily with LSIs and MCN team members; supplementary interviews with five brand sponsors, three platform providers and five viewers enabled triangulation. Survey responses from 112 LSIs and 100 MCN team members engaged with China’s four leading LSIM platforms were also analysed. Findings Results reveal a dynamic LSIM activity system involving interactions among LSIs, MCN team members, tools, culture and policies. Prominent factors in LSIM campaign success, from LSIs’ and MCN team members’ perspectives, include influencer capabilities, LSI–MCN coordination and platform strategies. A two-phase design (2021 and 2024) shows how LSIs and MCN team members respond to activity-system contradictions through adaptive strategies. Research limitations/implications Future research should confirm this study’s results across diverse contexts (e.g. platforms, brand categories and countries). Practical implications Findings offer strategic recommendations for LSIs and MCN teams with respect to capability development, collaboration models and policy implementation. These recommendations can promote sustainable industry performance while addressing inherent contradictions. Originality/value Addressing limited supply-side LSIM research, this study explores LSIs’ and MCN team members’ perspectives on LSIM campaign success factors and how contradictions are managed through adaptive strategies.