The study investigates the impact of short video marketing on purchase intention within the context of Chinese social commerce. China's vast online population and the explosive growth of short video platforms like TikTok and Kwai provide a fertile ground for this research. Unlike traditional marketing, short videos offer low barriers to entry, rich information, and rapid transmission, potentially enhancing consumer engagement and purchase intention. Existing research has explored factors like brand equity and social learning, but the role of persona perception—consumers' evaluation of individuals or characters in short videos—remains understudied. This study addresses this gap by examining how persona perception, specifically credibility, willingness to use, consistency, completeness, clarity, likability, empathy, and similarity, influence purchase intention. The research questions focus on whether short videos generate purchase intention, which persona perception factors create shared value, and what factors influence both shared value and purchase intention.

The study grounds its framework in the S-O-R model, arguing its suitability for analyzing consumer behavior in response to short video stimuli. The S-O-R model accounts for both external stimuli (persona perception) and internal organismic states (shared value creation) in influencing the response (purchase intention). The literature review examines the concept of shared value creation, defining it as policies and practices that enhance company competitiveness while simultaneously advancing economic and social conditions in the community (Porter and Kramer, 2011). Previous research highlights the role of trust, credibility, and information quality in shared value creation and purchase intention. The literature also explores the influence of emotional factors like likability, empathy, and similarity in shaping consumer responses. Finally, the study draws on regulatory focus theory, suggesting that promotion-focused and prevention-focused individuals respond differently to shared value creation, and the concept of social presence, indicating that a stronger sense of social presence from the platform enhances trust and purchase intention.

This study employed a quantitative research design using a survey administered to 350 short video users in Chinese universities. The questionnaire included items measuring credibility, consistency, completeness, clarity, likability, empathy, similarity, willingness to use, shared value creation, purchase intention, regulatory focus, and social presence. A pre-test with 20 participants was conducted to refine the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS. Harman's single-factor test was used to assess common method variance. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability, while validity was assessed using average variance extracted (AVE) and factor loadings. Hypotheses were tested using SEM, with bootstrapping used to test the mediating effect of shared value creation and regression analysis used to test the moderating effects of regulatory focus and social presence. A robustness check was performed using PROCESS in SPSS to confirm the findings.

The results supported nine of the eleven hypotheses. All dimensions of persona perception significantly and positively influenced shared value creation (H1-H8). Shared value creation significantly and positively influenced purchase intention (H9). The mediating effect of shared value creation between persona perception and purchase intention was confirmed through bootstrapping analysis. Regulatory focus (H10) and social presence (H11) significantly moderated the relationship between shared value creation and purchase intention. Specifically, promotion-focused consumers showed stronger purchase intention when shared value creation reflected positive outcomes, while prevention-focused consumers showed stronger purchase intention when shared value creation addressed negative outcomes that needed to be avoided. High social presence strengthened the positive effect of shared value creation on purchase intention, whereas low social presence did not show a significant moderating effect. The robustness check using PROCESS in SPSS confirmed the mediating and moderating effects.

The findings indicate that persona perception significantly influences purchase intention through the mediating role of shared value creation. The importance of building credibility, fostering user engagement (willingness to use), delivering consistent, complete, and clear information, and cultivating likability, empathy, and similarity with influencers are highlighted. The moderating effects of regulatory focus and social presence underscore the importance of tailoring marketing strategies to individual consumer characteristics and platform design. The study contributes to the literature by integrating persona perception and shared value creation into the S-O-R model for short video marketing, providing a more nuanced understanding of the influence factors.

This research offers valuable insights into the mechanisms driving purchase intention in short video social commerce. The findings highlight the importance of persona perception and shared value creation, along with the moderating roles of regulatory focus and social presence. Future research could investigate the long-term effects of short video marketing, extend the study to other cultural contexts, and explore additional moderating variables such as product involvement or platform features.

The study's limitations include its cross-sectional design, which limits the ability to establish causality. The sample was drawn from Chinese university students, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings to other demographics or cultures. Future research should address these limitations by adopting longitudinal designs, expanding the sample diversity, and exploring the influence of other variables.