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Analyzing shopping behavior of the middle-aged users in tiktok live streaming

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Association for Information Systems
AIS Electronic Library (AISeL)

AMCIS 2020 Proceedings Virtual Communities and Collaboration (VCC)

Aug 10th, 12:00 AM

Analyzing Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged users in Tiktok

Live Streaming Platform
LIFU LI
University of Technology Sydney, 13760653@student.uts.edu.au

Kyeong Kang
University of Technology Sydney, kkang@uts.edu.au

Follow this and additional works at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2020

Recommended Citation
LI, LIFU and Kang, Kyeong, "Analyzing Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged users in Tiktok Live
Streaming Platform" (2020). AMCIS 2020 Proceedings. 2.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2020/virtual_communities/virtual_communities/2

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 Analyze Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged Group

Analyzing Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged

users in Tiktok Live Streaming Platform
Emergent Research Forum (ERF)

Lifu Li Kyeong Kang

University of Technology Sydney University of Technology Sydney
Lifu.Li@student.uts.edu.au Kyeong.Kang@uts.edu.au

Abstract
With the popularity of live streaming platforms, an increasing number of middle-aged online users begin
to spend plenty of time and money on these platforms. However, in China, most of the middle-aged users
lack live shopping experience and detailed legal knowledge, which results that they are easier to build trust
with live anchors. In light of this, this study analyses the online shopping behavior of middle-aged users
and research the features of live streaming platform TikTok. Based on the analysis, the research model
related to the trust-building between Chinese middle-aged online users and live anchors will be established.

Keywords
Mobile commerce, Live streaming platform, Chinese Middle-aged users, Live anchors, Shopping behavior.

Introduction
As peer to peer technology develops, live streaming functions have been applied in various apps. According
to the live-streaming market report (2019), the number of active users has increased to 330 million, and
63.1% of them claim they will scan online shopping information. Among these live streaming platforms,
TikTok (Douyin) is the popular one that was launched by ByteDance in 2017 (Zhou, 2019). In the first
quarter of 2019, it has attracted more than 500 million active users around the world (Zhou 2019).

Figure 1. The map system among the most popular social platforms in China

TikTok has some connections with other popular social media platforms. As figure 1 shows, Wechat, QQ
and Sina Weibo are three most popular social media platforms in China, and their main functions have been
presented on the system map, such as friends’ moment, public post and message. When there is a new sales
live streaming content shown on TikTok platform, users can copy its link and invite their friends to watch

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 Analyze Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged Group

through the message function on Tiktok or remind their friends on the comment part of the live content
(Jiang and Kontauts 2019). During the process of sharing, the large Business to Consumers cross-border
mobile commerce market has been established and developed (Kim et al. 2017). However, most of the live
streaming platforms have not developed an improved online shopping system (Yang and Liu 2013).
Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the status of live streaming shopping among the middle-aged group.

Background
Middle-aged users’ specific behaviors should be concerned. Firstly, older users compare for fewer products
than their younger counterparts, but the amount of products purchased by them is similar to youngers
(Sorce et al. 2005). Secondly, middle-aged users are more comfortable to build trust with live anchors and
follow their recommendation (AgeClub 2019). Thirdly, when middle-aged mobile users suffer from online
fraud, most of them prefer to accept it (Liu 2017). Finally, Chinese consumers prefer to trust their friends’
advice. According to the survey of moisturizer purchases, 66% of Chinese consumers rely on suggestions
from friends and family, compared with 38% of American consumers (Atsmon 2010).

Moreover, as the TikTok live commerce popularizes, some issues are revealed. Firstly, the credibility of
some anchors should be suspected, because live anchors can purchase likes, and fans to increase their
influence (Zhaike 2019). Secondly, to win the trust of users, some anchors invite experts to assist them. The
reason is that compared with youngers, middle-aged users rely more on experts’ recommendations (Lu et
al. 2013). Finally, various products on the TikTok live platform have not been graded by the system. This
means users have to judge the products by themselves instead of the official grade system.

Research approach
Many previous studies focus on mobile commerce and analyze issues related to online purchase (Sharma et
al. 2019; Varshney and Vetter 2002). Some studies research how users’ attitude are influenced in online
shopping (Chen et al. 2019; Zhou 2019). Although the percentage of middle-aged users has grown from 9%
to 11% between 2017 and 2018 (2019), there are almost no papers studying this group’s status. So, the aim
of this study is to analyze middle-aged users’ shopping behavior and research the relationship-building
between middle-aged users and live anchors. Because of the representative of TikTok, this paper will use it
as an example. Finally, the paper aims to propose a model without empirical validations.

Research model
Referenced the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis 1985) and previous research about the process of
consumer socialization (Wang et al. 2012), the paper makes improvements in the research model. Figure 2
shows the structure of middle-aged users’ live shopping, which can be divided into three parts, including
Identification, Interaction and Decision. As mentioned before, friends’ recommendations and system
recommendations will support users in identifying live anchors. After the process of Identification, there
will be the process of Interaction between live anchors and middle-aged users, and live anchors can use
various Electronic Word Of Mouth marketing methods to attract users’ attraction (Erkan and Elwalda 2018).
In addition to external factors, the internal factor of middle-aged users, personal judgment, should also be
focused on, because users’ judgment could be helpful for them to keep rational (Dulabh et al. 2018).

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 Analyze Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged Group

Furthermore, users’ view of products also has a relationship with their purchase motivation (Wang et al.
2012). In summary, in this framework, there are eleven relationships among these ten factors.

Figure 2. The framework of trust-building between middle-aged online users and live
anchors (Davis 1985; Wang et al. 2012)

In the part of Identification, live anchors are more possibly recommended by the TikTok live streaming
platform as they are more popular (Yang et al. 2019). During the process of online shopping, older
consumers compare or search fewer related content than their younger counterparts (Sorce et al. 2005). So,
the live anchors who have greater influence are more easily identified and accepted by the users.

Hypothesis 1: The influence of live anchors has a positive relationship with the identification of middle-
aged online users.

Hypothesis 3: The influence of live anchors has a positive relationship with the communication between
live anchors and middle-aged online users.

Due to the lack of experience, middle-aged users need suggestions from their friends or some experts (Guo
et al. 2019). So, faced with different live anchors, the users prefer to trust the live anchors introduced by
their friends. Moreover, the process of identification could assist users in understanding live anchors, which
is beneficial for them to have close communication with these live anchors.

Hypothesis 2: Friends’ recommendation has a positive relationship with the identification of middle-aged
online users.

Hypothesis 4: Friends’ recommendation has a positive relationship with the communication between live
anchors and middle-aged online users.

Hypothesis 5: Middle-aged online consumers’ identification has a positive relationship with the
communication between live anchors and middle-aged online users.

Suitable communication contents, such as policies of satisfaction guarantees, returns, and refunds, could
have a favorable impact on consumers’ attitudes and narrow the distance between them (Urban et al. 2009).

Hypothesis 6: The communication between live anchors and middle-aged online users has a positive
relationship with users’ attitudes to products and anchors.

The main advantage of live streaming advertising is interactivity, which could benefit live anchors to
understand users needs and promote their products suitably (Lewis et al. 2019). Frequently communicating

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 Analyze Shopping Behavior of the Middle-aged Group

with experts could also be beneficial for middle-aged users to build confidence in products. Meanwhile,
peer-generated product reviews also play an important role in advertising effect (Erkan and Elwalda 2018).

Hypothesis 7: Production advertisements have a positive relationship with the process of communication.

Hypothesis 8: Experts’ recommendation has a positive relationship with production advertisements.

Hypothesis 9: Users’ comments have a positive relationship with production advertisements.

Many live anchors know how to utilize their marketing communication skills to influence users’ judgment.
But the users who have improved understanding of the live commerce would stay rational and will not
follow live anchors’ recommendations blindly (Ozen and Engizek 2014). In the part of Decision, consumers’
favorable attitude to the merchandising methods applied by live anchors could transfer to pleasant attitude
to products, and the mood also is positively associated with users’ purchase motivation (Park et al. 2015).

Hypothesis 10: Users’ rational personal judgment has a negative relationship with the process of
communication led by irresponsible live anchors.

Hypothesis 11: Users’ attitude to products has a positive relationship with their purchase motivation.

Expected outcomes
Firstly, the expected outcome of this paper is to assist middle-aged users to enhance their safety awareness
during live shopping. Secondly, it would be helpful to support live streaming platforms such as TikTok and
Kuaishou to improve their service system. Finally, the study expects to arouse the attention of Cybersecurity
departments and support them to establish relevant policies to manage the live commerce market.

Discussion and conclusion

Based on Chinese unique cultural background, middle-aged users’ shopping behaviors, such as lacking
comparison, quickly building trust and relying on friends’ recommendations, should be paid more attention
to. All of these behaviors would have some positive or negative impacts on their shopping experiences and
even the live commerce market. Based on the research model and the relationships among the ten factors
(Figure. 2), an improved protection mechanism should be created by live streaming platforms, and related
information security education needs to be organized by Cybersecurity departments constantly.

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