When Opposites Attract: Unveiling Cross-Gender Effects in Mukbang Influencer Collaboration Products

The rise of influencer marketing has reshaped consumer-brand relationships, with Mukbang influencers gaining attention by offering both functional product demonstrations and emotional engagement. This study examines cross-gender effects in Mukbang influencer collaboration products, focusing on how the interaction between influencer gender and consumer gender influences perceptions of functional and emotional value, and how these perceptions mediate product preference. The experiment results reveal gender-differentiated patterns. For functional value, female consumers exhibited a strong cross-gender effect, perceiving higher value in male influencer products, while male consumers showed no significant gender-based differences. For emotional value, both genders displayed cross-gender effects: female consumers responded more positively to male influencers, and male consumers to female influencers. Moderated mediation analysis confirmed that value perceptions mediate the effect of influencer gender on product preference. For female consumers, both value types mediated the relationship; for male consumers, only emotional value was significant. Theoretically, the study bridges consumption value theory with cross-gender communication research, highlighting how gender dynamics shape value processing. Practically, the findings suggest that brands targeting female consumers should leverage male influencers capable of delivering both functional and emotional value, while campaigns for male consumers may benefit from female influencers focused on emotional appeal, with functional details delivered through supplementary channels.