| As a representative of China’s virtual idol industry,Luo Tianyi stands out among virtual idols by virtue of her unique product characteristics and the characteristics of the times.Compared to other virtual idols that are short-lived,Luo Tianyi has remained hotly popular for ten years after her debut,thanks to the support of her fan base.As an important part of the virtual idol industry,the behaviour of fans can have an impact on the development of virtual idols.Based on this,this study explores and constructs a model of the influence of quasi-social relationships on the persistent behaviour of fans and Lotte from the perspective of persistent behaviour theory,with a view to providing some implications for the development of virtual idols at the tail end of the waistline.Based on Bhattacherjee’s model of persistent behaviour,the study explores whether the parasocial relationship between Lotte and her fans affects persistent behaviour and which aspects of persistent behaviour are influenced by the parasocial relationship.A questionnaire was used to collect relevant information,and the questionnaire was revised based on the results of a pre-survey of Lotte’s fan base.A total of 443 questionnaires were collected in the formal survey,and after eliminating irrelevant questionnaires,a valid sample size of 404 was obtained,with an effective rate of 91.19%.The study found that the quasi-social relationship between Lotte and her fans was significantly and positively related to persistent behaviour and positively influenced persistent behaviour.In addition,the results of the mediation effect test showed that perceived usefulness partially mediated the relationship between prosocial relationship and satisfaction.The study shows that the parasympathetic relationship between Lotte and her fans positively affects persistent behaviour,and the stronger the parasympathetic relationship,the higher the likelihood of persistent behaviour.In the model of persistent behaviour,prosocial relationships not only directly influence the occurrence of persistent behaviour,but also catalyse the occurrence of persistent behaviour by influencing satisfaction,perceived usefulness,and persistence intention in the persistent behaviour segment.Finally,the study also found that expectation confirmation has an impact on prosocial relationships in the persistence behaviour between fans and Lotte,i.e.the higher the degree of expectation confirmation,the higher the intensity of establishing prosocial relationships.Based on the original theory and previous research,this study expands the original research objects and variables in the model of persistent behaviour,while adding to the connotations of parasocial relationship theory,which is conducive to a better understanding of fan behaviour.At the same time,it is shown that for virtual idols quasi-social relationships can improve the persistent behaviour of fans,and this is used to make corresponding recommendations.This has practical implications for improving the Matthew effect in the development of virtual idols,helping brands to attract potential fans and solidify relationships with existing fans. |
