The Trust Crisis of Internet Celebrity Endorsement in Livestreaming

and Emerging Marketing Models: Exploring the Path of Trust

Reconstruction on the Dewu Platform

Yixin Li

1,*

, Haiyang Zhang

and Yuchen Zhu

School of the Art of Sound Language, Sichuan University of Media and Communications, 611745 Sichuan, China

College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Shaanxi, China

School of Broadcasting and Hosting Art, Communication University of Nanjing, 210013 Jiangsu, China

Keywords: Turst, Emerging Marketing Models, Sustainable Marketing.

Abstract: In the context of frequent trust crises within China's Netflix bandwagon and various consignment platforms,

this study aims to explore effective solutions to the trust crisis and promote the innovation and development

of marketing models. Using the literature analysis method, this study conducts an in-depth review of relevant

materials and literature. The advantage of this method is its ability to examine the causes of the trust crisis in

the Netflix economy from multiple perspectives, providing comprehensive and systematic theoretical support

for addressing the issue. A detailed analysis of Netflix's branding was conducted, identifying that the trust

crisis primarily stems from product quality issues, false advertising, and inadequate after-sales service. The

underlying causes of these trust issues were then explored, including the conflict of interest between Netflix

and brands, shortcomings in the regulatory mechanism, and consumer perception biases. Through in-depth

analysis, this study aims to identify solutions to the trust crisis. It explores how to innovate and optimize the

marketing model within the Netflix economy to boost consumer trust in Netflix’s brand. The research will

propose practical strategies to help online influencers and brands improve bandwagon marketing while

providing consumers with a safer, more reliable shopping experience.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the tide of digital economy, the rapid rise of social

media and grid red economy, especially the

phenomenon of grid red with goods, has not only

changed the shopping habits of consumers, but also

provided new ideas for the marketing of enterprises.

However, with the popularity of red net products, the

trust crisis behind them is gradually surfacing. The

purpose of this paper is to discuss the crisis of trust in

grid red products and its impact on consumer

behavior through a review of related papers, and on

this basis, to explore and evaluate the feasibility and

effectiveness of the new marketing model, to provide

enterprises with a sustainable marketing strategy.

At present, the trust crisis of Grid Red with goods

is mainly manifested in the uncertainty of product

quality, false propaganda, lack of after-sales service,

and other problems, which not only affect the

Corresponding author

consumers' purchasing decision but also bring

potential risks to the enterprise's brand image and far-

reaching development. Therefore, the need for a new

marketing model that can satisfy consumer needs and

ensure the long-term development of the company is

the centerpiece of this study.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Manifestations and Causes of Trust

Mediation

This section explores the trust crisis in the live-

streaming sales model and its manifestations, as well

as analyzes the causes of these crises. Through a

review of multiple academic articles, this study can

gain an in-depth understanding of the specific

manifestations of the trust crisis, such as false

Li, Y., Zhang, H. and Zhu, Y.

The Trust Crisis of Internet Celebrity Endorsement in Livestreaming and Emerging Marketing Models: Exploring the Path of Trust Reconstruction on the Dewu Platform.

DOI: 10.5220/0014074000004942

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management (APMM 2025), pages 62-67

ISBN: 978-989-758-791-7

advertising, unguaranteed product quality, after-sales

service issues, etc., and the deep-seated reasons for

these problems, including but not limited to

challenges of trust mediation, moral blindness, and

the dilemma of accountability among multiple

entities. Additionally, it will discuss the impact of the

trust crisis on consumers, merchants, and the entire e-

commerce ecosystem, as well as various

countermeasures proposed to address these issues.

Li Ling and Zhou Yeping constructed a network

trust structure model to analyze the dynamic

relationship between personal trust, relational trust,

and institutional-technical trust in live-streaming

sales, and pointed out that trust mediation is both a

feature of live-streaming sales and the root cause of

the trust crisis. They suggested that the multiple

structures of trust need to return from institutional and

technical trust to personal trust to overcome ethical

risks (Li and Zhou, 2020).

Liu Bingli addressed the issues of after-sales

support and false advertising in live-streaming sales

by proposing countermeasures such as strengthening

after-sales services, formulating legal regulations,

and improving the quality of hosts to promote the

healthy development of the industry (Liu, 2021).

Yan Dan and Ye Siyu analyzed the current

situation and problems of live-streaming sales

through survey research, such as uneven quality of

hosts and products, and proposed policy

recommendations to improve the situation, promoting

the coordination of multiple entities to form an

effective governance pattern (Yan and Ye, 2021).

Yan Zhouhang focused on the analysis of user

behavior in live-streaming sales by celebrities and

internet influencers, proposing solutions by

comparing user behaviors across different platforms,

such as clearer positioning for hosts and standardizing

the live-streaming sales mechanism on platforms

(Yan, 2023).

Aastha Gupta analyzed the performance of false

advertising and Substandard product quality caused

by naive consumers. Based on modeling "naive"

consumers who deviated from complex behaviors, he

analyzed the role of false advertising in information

policing. He pointed out that the low penalty will

continue to affect the signaling distortion, affecting

the market balance. It followed that a low level of

punishment is worse than no punishment (Aastha,

2023).

In summary, the trust crisis in live-streaming sales

manifests in various aspects, including false

advertising, substandard product quality, and

inadequate after-sales service. The causes involve

deep-seated issues such as moral blindness brought

about by trust mediation and unclear accountability

among multiple entities. Countermeasures to address

these problems include strengthening legal

framework construction, improving the professional

quality of hosts and merchants, and optimizing after-

sales services. With these efforts, there is hoped to

gradually establish a healthier and more sustainable

live-streaming sales marketing model.

2.2 The Impact of Trust Crisis on

Consumer Behavior and the

Complexity of Legal and Ethical

Issues

Analyze how the trust crisis affects consumer

purchasing behavior and explore the potential impact

of the reconstruction of online trust on the live-

streaming sales marketing model. In the context of

live-streaming sales, the trust crisis not only affects

consumers' willingness to purchase but may also lead

to fundamental changes in consumer behavior.

Prince Owusu, et al. mentioned that the e-

commerce market is unstable due to the risks

consumers perceive in online transactions and their

lack of complete trust in online retailers (Zhang,

2020). By conducting a survey of consumers who

have experienced service failures and returned

products to merchants, they concluded that factors

such as customer satisfaction and excellent after-sales

service significantly affect consumers' buyback

decisions

Li Ling and Zhou Yeping constructed a network

trust structural model to analyze the relationships of

trust generation, maintenance, and dissolution in live-

streaming sales, indicating that trust intermediation is

both a characteristic of live-streaming sales and the

root cause of the trust crisis (Bi, 2022). This

intermediation results in moral blindness and the

dilemma of accountability for multi-agent behavior,

thereby triggering a trust crisis in live-streaming

sales.

Zhang Ying analyzed the current situation and

potential risks of the development of live-streaming

sales marketing, pointing out that the rapid growth of

live-streaming sales is accompanied by the

emergence of a trust crisis (Han, 2022). The trust

crisis in live-streaming sales not only affects

consumers' purchasing decisions but may also impact

the fair-trading environment of the entire e-commerce

platform.

Bi Guangcui found in her research that the

availability and quasi-social relationships in live-

streaming sales have a significant impact on

consumers' willingness to purchase (Zhang and Chen,

The Trust Crisis of Internet Celebrity Endorsement in Livestreaming and Emerging Marketing Models: Exploring the Path of Trust

Reconstruction on the Dewu Platform

2023). Especially when consumers establish quasi-

social relationships with hosts, they are more inclined

to trust the products recommended by the hosts, and

this trust relationship directly affects consumers'

purchasing decisions.

Han Tianwen studied the civil liability of hosts in

false advertising during live-streaming sales,

indicating that the different positioning of hosts in

live-streaming sales and the diversity of false

advertising make the determination and assumption

of their legal responsibilities complex (Wenshu and

Lin, 2020). This shows that the trust crisis not only

affects individual consumers' decisions but may also

involve broader legal and ethical issues.

Yan Chuhang analyzed the user behavior of

celebrities and internet influencers in live-streaming

sales and found that consumers pay more attention to

the quality of products in live-streaming sales and

rely more on internet influencers for sales. This

reflects the embodiment of the trust crisis in live-

streaming sales, which is that consumers have higher

requirements for product quality and hosts' credibility

(Wang, 2023).

In summary, the manifestations of the trust crisis

in live-streaming sales are diverse, from affecting

consumers' willingness to purchase to changing their

purchasing behavior, and even causing disputes over

legal responsibilities. Trust is the key to the success

of live-streaming sales, and solving the trust crisis is

the necessary path for the sustainable development of

live-streaming sales.

3 EVALUATION OF THE

EFFECTIVENESS OF

EXISTING MEASURES TO

ADDRESS THE TRUST CRISIS

Review the measures to address the trust crisis of

internet influencers' sales and their effectiveness

evaluation from existing research. In the context of

the internet economy, internet influencers' sales, as a

new type of e-commerce model, have attracted

widespread attention due to their interactive

characteristics. However, the problem of the trust

crisis has also emerged, affecting consumers'

purchasing decisions and the sustainable

development of brands.

In 2020, Li Ling and Zhou Yeping published an

article in "News and Writing" discussing the trust

model, trust intermediation, and the reconstruction of

technical and personal trust in live-streaming sales

(Owusu et al., 2025). They pointed out that the trust

crisis in live-streaming sales stems from trust

intermediation, leading to moral blindness and the

dilemma of accountability for multi-agent behavior.

Therefore, they suggested strengthening the

construction of trust character capabilities and

establishing strict distributed responsibility

mechanisms to overcome these risks.

In 2021, Liu Bingli published an article in

"Management and Administration" focusing on the

problems and governance countermeasures of live-

streaming sales. She pointed out that the current main

issues include after-sales service problems, false

advertising, product quality, and host quality (Qing et

al., 2023). The suggested countermeasures include

improving after-sales service quality, formulating

corresponding legal norms, improving host quality,

and strengthening consumer supervision functions.

Zhang Ruigang and Chen Kaiqiu further analyzed

the risks in the live-streaming sales process and

proposed using insurance as a risk management tool,

providing a new perspective for sustainable risk

management.

Xu Xiaoxia, et al. Noted that more than half of

Chinese consumers habitually rely on online reviews

to gauge promised product quality. Therefore, they

propose a signaling game model to enhance the

efficiency of consumer reviews in influencing

penalties. This provided a way to solve the crisis of

trust and strengthen the supervision of e-commerce

platforms.

Wang Wenshu and Lin Xiaohua analyzed the

performance in live-streaming sales through the

dramaturgical theory, pointing out the "performance

collapse" of performers in the process, reflecting

some chaos in the industry. They suggested

strengthening regulatory standards, increasing

regulatory efforts, and establishing a blacklist system

to promote the healthy development of the live-

streaming sales industry.

In addition, Wang Yi published a study in

"Science and Technology Communication" that

explored the self-presentation of new farmers in

cyberspace through content analysis, proposing that

new farmers should be vigilant against content

homogenization and digital labor issues in short video

creation, which is also part of solving the trust crisis.

In summary, existing research has proposed

various measures to address the trust crisis of internet

influencers' sales, including strengthening legal

norms, improving service quality, enhancing host

quality, and encouraging rational consumption. These

measures aim to establish a healthier market

environment and promote the sustainable

development of the internet influencers' sales model.

APMM 2025 - International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management

However, the effectiveness evaluation of these

measures still requires more empirical research

support, especially in the constantly changing market

environment, how to effectively implement and

update these countermeasures to adapt to new

challenges.

4 QUALITY CONTROL AND

TRUST RECONSTRUCTION

STRATEGIES FOR THE DEWU

APP

4.1 Quality Control Strategies for

Deliverables

Dewu was named by CCTV in 2022 for quality

control issues and after-sales problems, but Dewu

APP has rebuilt trust with consumers in just a few

years. As a platform specializing in trendy goods,

Dewu APP understands the importance of quality

control for consumer trust. As a result, Scope has

established a professional appraisal center and trained

a team of highly qualified professional appraisers.

These appraisers are equipped with the ability to

identify the authenticity and quality of goods through

rigorous training and assessment. Through this

mechanism, Dewu ensures the authenticity and

quality of the goods sold on the platform. For

example, using advanced appraisal equipment and

methods, as well as experience in merchandise

appraisal, Dewu's appraisers will meticulously

inspect each item to ensure that it meets the brand's

standards before it is shipped to consumers. In

addition, Dewu has also introduced the “Fake One,

Punish Three” promise, that is, if consumers find that

a product is fake after purchasing it, Dewu will

compensate them three times the price of the product.

This commitment not only highlights the confidence

of Dewu in quality control but also greatly enhances

the trust of consumers.

4.2 Brand Cooperation and Personal

IP Creation

Dewu understands the importance of a brand's

influence on consumer trust. As a result, Got Thing

actively cooperates with well-known brands,

radiating to individual Netflix IPs through the brand's

high trustworthiness. This model of cooperation

makes the products recommended by netroots

bandwagon bloggers more reliable, thus enhancing

consumers' willingness to buy. For example, Dewu

has established partnerships with international brands

such as Nike and Adidas, and through the official

authorization of these brands, Dewu can provide a

guarantee of authenticity, which provides strong

support for Netflix to bring goods.

At the same time, Dewu also helps netroots

bloggers enhance their credibility through brand

cooperation. By cooperating with well-known

brands, netroots bloggers can access more quality

resources, which in turn enhances their

professionalism and influence. Under this model, the

personal IP of the netroots blogger is also established,

and an image of “not collapsible” is gradually formed.

The degree of popularity has also been greatly

enhanced.

4.3 Changes in Consumer Reaction and

Trust

These trust rebuilding strategies have generated a

positive response from consumers. Consumers' trust

in the Dewu platform has increased significantly, as

has their willingness to buy. Feedback from some

users indicated that they would check the appraisal

results and user reviews before purchasing goods to

ensure the authenticity and quality of their purchases.

Market data also shows that the number of users and

sales on Dewu’s platform continues to grow. This is

due to the efforts made by Dewu in quality control

and brand cooperation, and the resulting increase in

consumer trust. Through the implementation of these

strategies, Dewu has not only successfully solved the

trust issue in banding, but also further consolidated its

leading position in the trendy goods market. For

example, through exclusive cooperation with several

well-known brands, Dewu has successfully created

several explosive products, which not only sold out

quickly in a short period but also enhanced the overall

image and market competitiveness of Dewu's

platform.

To summarize, Dewu APP has successfully

rebuilt trust through various efforts such as quality

control strategies, brand cooperation, and personal IP

creation, as well as changes in consumer response and

trust. These strategies not only enhance consumer

trust but also promote the platform's continuous

development and growth.

The Trust Crisis of Internet Celebrity Endorsement in Livestreaming and Emerging Marketing Models: Exploring the Path of Trust

Reconstruction on the Dewu Platform

5 DISCUSSION

5.1 Paths to Rebuild Trust Under the

Flow Economy

Firstly, this research takes the Dewu platform as an

example to explore the specific classification of trust

crisis types and marketing schemes. The foremost

issues are quality problems, service problems,

corporate reputation problems, and false advertising

problems. It should be noted that different types of

trust crises may require the comprehensive application

of various marketing intervention measures to be

rectified. Moreover, restoring trust demands time and

effort. Enterprises should take consumers' trust

seriously and actively take measures to solve

problems to rebuild consumers' trust and loyalty.

Not only the factors that give rise to the trust crisis

but also the interaction between the trust crisis of

online influencers and the psychology of consumers is

one of the elements that require exploration.

Consumers' consumption psychology is usually

influenced by online influencers. Online influencers

usually have relatively high popularity and influence.

Their recommendations and evaluations can often

affect consumers' purchasing decisions. At the same

time, consumers' consumption psychology may also

be affected by product quality. When the quality of the

products recommended by online influencers is poor,

consumers will have doubts about the influencers'

recommendations, thereby affecting their purchasing

decisions. For example, when online influencers have

a "product promotion failure", consumers will have

doubts about their recommendations. Just like the

"Three Sheep" IP getting into a public opinion

maelstrom and facing issues with false product

promotion, which led to various live-streaming rooms

of Three Sheep being bombarded with inappropriate

remarks such as "job-hopping" flooding the screen and

a sharp decline in their live-streaming sales.

Another aspect that this research needs to explore

is the long-term maintenance mechanism of consumer

trust. The trust reconstruction strategy of the Dewu

platform has a certain long-term effect to some extent,

but it requires continuous efforts and maintenance.

Firstly, continuous quality control is the key to

maintaining consumers' trust. The Dewu platform

needs to establish strict quality control standards and

procedures to ensure the quality and authenticity of the

goods sold. This includes strict control over the origin,

production process, quality inspection, and other

aspects of the goods. At the same time, strengthen the

management and supervision of merchants to prevent

the inflow of counterfeit and shoddy goods.

Secondly, cooperation with high-quality brands is

also an important way to enhance consumers' trust.

The Dewu platform can establish long-term

cooperative relationships with well-known brands and

jointly launch limited-edition and co-branded

products to enhance the brand image and popularity of

the platform. Meanwhile, the Dewu platform can also

obtain more brand resources and support through

cooperation with brands, thus enhancing the

competitiveness of the platform.

Apart from continuous quality control and

cooperation with high-quality brands, the Dewu

platform also needs to strengthen its service and

communication with consumers. The platform can

establish a sound after-sales service system to

promptly address consumers' problems and

complaints, thereby enhancing consumers' satisfaction

and loyalty.

In addition, the Dewu platform also needs to

strengthen the monitoring and analysis of the market,

promptly understand the market dynamics and the

situation of competitors, formulate corresponding

marketing strategies and competition strategies, and

enhance the market competitiveness of the platform.

In conclusion, the trust reconstruction strategy of

the Dewu platform requires continuous efforts and

maintenance. Through continuous quality control,

cooperation with high-quality brands, strengthening

service and communication with consumers, as well

as enhancing the monitoring and analysis of the

market, etc., it can help the platform and online

influencers maintain long-term consumer trust and

enhance their competitiveness in the market.

5.2 Sustainable Marketing Driven by

Trust Reconstruction

Firstly, based on the feedback of consumers' trust

psychology and by comprehensively considering the

specific manifestations of the trust crisis and

segmenting the specific types of the trust crisis,

corresponding marketing methods are matched for

the platform to correct different types of trust crises

and restore consumers' trust in the platform or

enterprise.

Moreover, it is necessary to strengthen the

supervision of quality control and ensure the quality

of products with the power of the state or the

platform. This kind of third-party guarantee ensures

the quality of products and at the same time enhances

consumers' trust. Create a brand effect, establish high

brand recognition, and develop marketing based on

product quality, so that consumers can associate the

APMM 2025 - International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management

internal relationship between the brand and quality

control, reducing the difficulty for consumers in

choosing products. Through quality control and brand

cooperation, enterprises can effectively rebuild

consumers' trust and restore their confidence in

consumption. This mechanism is achieved by

improving product quality and enhancing brand

reputation.

Against the backdrop of a highly recognized

brand enterprise, through cooperation with high-

traffic online influencers, the trust psychology of

consumers can be further stimulated. Under the

psychological suggestion of double guarantees, a

better marketing environment for products is created.

In the consumer market, the authority of big brands

combined with the trusted groups of high-traffic

online influencers effectively drives trust

reconstruction. Cooperation between brands and

online influencers can achieve a win-win effect.

Brands can get more exposure through online

influencers, while online influencers can enhance

their credibility and the effectiveness of promoting

products through brand endorsement.

In terms of the later trust maintenance mechanism,

an after-sales guarantee is the key to building a brand

reputation. Put an end to the behavior of popular

online influencers not providing refunds or

compensations, so that consumers can get good

feedback on their consumption psychology and also

have a better experience in subsequent quality

assurance. Through continuous quality assurance and

brand reputation, and by clearly defining the division

of responsibilities after product problems occur,

enterprises and online influencers can maintain a

long-term trust relationship and achieve sustainable

economic growth.

6 CONCLUSION

The research results of this study are to reconstruct

the trust path and create a new marketing model under

the background of consumers' trust crisis. Thus, the

further research conclusion drawn is the theory of

sustainable marketing driven by trust reconstruction.

This study provides a great deal of valuable reference

significance for future research in this direction. It

mainly influences the expansion of marketing means

for reconstruction in terms of consumer trust. Future

research should focus more on in-depth studies to

improve the theory of sustainable marketing driven

by trust reconstruction, to achieve good responses to

various types of trust crises.

AUTHORS CONTRIBUTION

All the authors contributed equally and their names

were listed in alphabetical order.

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The Trust Crisis of Internet Celebrity Endorsement in Livestreaming and Emerging Marketing Models: Exploring the Path of Trust

Reconstruction on the Dewu Platform