Live Streaming E-Commerce from the Perspective of Marketing Communication: A Review and Prospects

Abstract

Live streaming e-commerce has emerged as an important form of digital marketing, drawing considerable scholarly attention. Yet the extant literature remains fragmented. Most studies adopt a single perspective and thus lack systematic investigation, while a comprehensive theoretical framework has yet to take shape. From a marketing communication perspective, this paper systematically reviews 450 high-quality Chinese and English-language publications from 2018 to 2024. The review identifies four core dimensions of communication in live streaming e-commerce: the communicator, the channel, the content, and the audience. These dimensions jointly shape communication effectiveness. Research on communicators is the most developed and has begun to form a progressive structure of intrinsic traits–competencies–identity types. Studies of communication channels have moved beyond static classifications toward dynamic adaptation and systematic construction, with growing emphasis on the synergy of platform mechanisms and multiple communication pathways. Research on communication content has likewise evolved, shifting from the classification of static information to the construction of dynamic interactive relationships. Content has thus become a crucial intermediary between streamers and audiences. Audience research, for its part, starts from group characteristics and systematically examines how perceptual and psychological mechanisms shape consumer behavior. Taken together, research on communication in live streaming e-commerce is moving toward mechanism development and systemic integration. Future research should foster closer synergistic coordination among the four dimensions, investigate the bidirectional relationship between content and channels, and deepen analysis of their interactions. Doing so would strengthen both the theoretical explanatory power and the practical relevance of research on live streaming e-commerce.

Keywords

live streaming e-commerce / live commerce / live shopping / marketing communication / interactive marketing

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