The role of influencer trust in social commerce engagements amongst American & Chinese GenZ shoppers
Bryce Whitwam
Abstract
This study focuses on the role of trust in Chinese and American GenZ online commerce interactions through social media influencer engagements. Twenty-six GenZ participants from a northeastern American university were interviewed for an average of 45 minutes. Four themes emerged from the research, indicating differences and similarities between Chinese and American shoppers. The first theme was differences observed in levels of existing persuasive knowledge, followed by differences in cognitive processing during shopping. The third theme was the social/cultural lens that influenced the cognitive process. This process included parental influence, changes in the living environment, and parasocial relationships with the influencers. The fourth theme was the outcome of the cognitive process that resulted in either a positive or negative trust transfer which helped to acquire new persuasive knowledge.
Background
Social commerce is rapidly growing in the United States, rising by 24.9% in 2022 to achieve $45.74 billion in sales. Social commerce in the U.S. now represents 4.4% of the total e-commerce market and is expected to grow an additional 6% in 2023 (Enberg, 2021). China’s social commerce market is eight times larger than the U.S. at $351 billion, representing 14.4% of total e-commerce sales, three times the proportional size of America’s social commerce market (Enberg, 2021).
This study primarily focuses on social media influencers’ role as trust intermediaries between brands and consumers (Ouvrein et al., 2021). It evaluates similarities and differences between Chinese and American GenZ consumers when engaging in different social media ecosystems and environments. GenZ consumers are the prime targets for social commerce. Trust can also be transferred within a community through a user or influencer. S. Sharma et al. (2017) point to antecedents that create trust-building mechanisms, such as rating systems and communities, to trust in the brands themselves. Lin, Wang, and Hajli (2019) take social commerce trust to a multidimensional perspective, including social media, e-commerce platforms, influencers, and other consumers. Influencer trust research frequently refers to consumer parasocial interactions that help build credibility within social media. Reinikalnen et al. (2020) study on parasocial relationships in social commerce, for example, demonstrates the influencer’s credibility that can positively or negatively impact brand trust and purchase consideration.
An Accenture report shows that GenZ will represent 62% of global social commerce spending by 2025 (Murdoch, 2022).
Research Questions
My study utilizes the following research questions to help fill gaps left in quantitative research by interviewing Chinese and American GenZ who frequently engage with social influencers and purchase from them.
RQ1: What impacts influencer trust when engaging social influencers for commerce purposes?
RQ2: What specific triggers impact the trust that eventually drives a purchase decision?
Theoretical Lenses
1. Transfer of Trust (Stewart, 2003): Trust in a person or entity can be transferred from an unknown person through associations between them. The Transfer of Trust occurs during the interaction of 3 different parties: influencer follower, influencer & trusted third party.
2. Persuasion Knowledge Model (Friestad & Wright, 1994): People learn about persuasion from firsthand experiences in social interactions. Persuasion episodes are delivered through influencer campaign tactics to target consumers who accept or reject them.
3. Heuristic Systematic Model (Chaiken, 1980): People use two types of cognitive processing when evaluating persuasive messages: heuristic and systematic. Heuristic processing involves using mental shortcuts or “rules of thumb” to make judgments quickly and easily without engaging in a detailed evaluation of the information. Systematic processing, in contrast, involves a more careful evaluation of the information, where people critically analyze the arguments presented and use logical reasoning to arrive at a conclusion.
4. Parasocial Trust (Horton & Wohl, 1956): Based upon Parasocial Relationships, Parasocial Trust lies in the illusion of personal and private interaction with a media performer, or in this case, a social media influencer. Parasocial trust shows that people build influencer relationships with whom they have strong, emotional connections.
Methodology
26 one-on-one interviews were carried out in March and April 2023 with American and Chinese students, ranging from ages 19-23 years old, ten from the U.S., including six women and four men. The study included 16 students from China, including 11 women and five men. They were screened based on social commerce purchases during the last three months. As a white male and fluent Mandarin speaker who has resided in China for many years, I was able to offer Chinese students the option to interview in Chinese. Subsequently, 5 of the Chinese student interviews were conducted in Chinese. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded in NVivo. The first round of coding was completed line-by-line, and the second round of lean coding identified the four major themes present in the data.
Role of the Researcher
Having lived and worked in China in the digital advertising industry for the past 17 years, I have witnessed the digital transformation of a society that evolved from the early stages of Western imitation to the creation of social ecosystems that permeate every aspect of a consumer’s life. And as China started out by copying the West, it can now influence how the West engages on social platforms, interacts with influencers, and purchases products. As a fluent Mandarin-speaking American white male in his 50s, I am uniquely placed to cross cultures, enrichening knowledge through a unique exchange of cultures that, thanks to modern technology, are gradually converging.
Limitations
There were several limitations to this research study, particularly in relation to Chinese students who were interviewed for this project, many of whom have lived in the United States for several years and have become influenced by their surroundings. While all of the participants still engage in Chinese social media applications, their shopping habits are different from when they lived in China. Many of the participants have refrained from engaging in livestream influencers while in the U.S. due to time differences and distribution restrictions. In addition, the American and Chinese students interviewed for this project came from wealthier backgrounds which would ultimately influence their shopping behavior.
Conclusions
Transfer of trust occurs through a process that involves Heuristic Systematic Processing through a social/cultural lens. This process is initiated from existing persuasive knowledge, ending with acquired persuasive knowledge regardless if the transfer of trust is completed. There are several challenges to trust transfer, including self-awareness and cognitive dissonance. Overall, the Chinese respondents exhibited stronger existing persuasive knowledge and tended to take a more systematic approach to shopping, relying less on parasocial relationships than their American counterparts. Because of their experience and rational approach to shopping, they are likelier to experience a transfer of trust than their American counterparts, who rely on more emotional support for purchase decisions. Chinese and American students exhibit cognitive dissonance levels, especially when making incorrect shopping decisions. Observed cognitive dissonance was stronger amongst male participants.
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