Live-streaming interaction and young consumers’ identification with time-honored brands: The roles of emotional arousal and relationship strength

Time-honored brands, as carriers of cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship, face significant challenges in achieving sustainable development in the digital era. With the rapid growth of e-commerce live streaming and the increasing dominance of younger consumers, how these brands can effectively engage youth segments and enhance brand identification has become a critical issue. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework and brand authenticity theory, this study examines the mechanisms through which product interaction and interpersonal interaction influence young consumers’ identification with time-honored brands in live-streaming contexts. Data were collected from 415 consumers aged 18–40 who had watched live-streaming sessions of time-honored brands, and the proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that product interaction and interpersonal interaction were positively associated with social presence and perceived brand authenticity. Both social presence and perceived brand authenticity were positively associated with emotional arousal, which was in turn associated with brand identification. Both interaction types also showed significant indirect associations with brand identification through two serial pathways: (1) social presence → emotional arousal and (2) perceived brand authenticity → emotional arousal. The interactions of consumer–streamer relationship strength with social presence and perceived brand authenticity were not statistically significant. This study contributes to the literature by developing an integrated framework that combines SOR theory and brand authenticity theory, and by uncovering the dual emotional mechanisms underlying brand identification in e-commerce live-streaming environments. The findings provide new insights into how interactive digital platforms can facilitate the revitalization of time-honored brands and strengthen their connection with younger consumers.