Copyright by Victoria Filomena Davis 2016

Victoria Filomena Davis

2016 The Thesis Committee for Victoria Filomena Davis Certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis:

Trusting the Guru:

Studying the Effects of Online Beauty Guru Reviews on Consumer Opinion

Forming and Purchase Intent of Cosmetics

APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE:

Supervisor: Matthew S. Eastin

Brad Love Trusting the Guru:

Studying the Effects of Online Beauty Guru Reviews on Consumer Opinion

Forming and Purchase Intent of Cosmetics

Victoria Filomena Davis, B.A. Communication

Thesis

Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Arts

The University of Texas at Austin May 2016 Dedication

I dedicate this thesis to all those picky consumers who spend hours and hours researching products online. May the information you find here aid you in your quest. Acknowledgements

I extend a special thanks to the research participants who took time out of their day to help out with this study, as well as my advisor, Dr. Eastin for working with me throughout the process of these past couple semesters. Everyone’s help is truly appreciated.

v Trusting the Guru:

Studying the Effects of Online Beauty Guru Reviews on Consumer Opinion

Forming and Purchase Intent of Cosmetics

Victoria Filomena Davis, MA The University of Texas at Austin, 2016

Supervisor: Matthew S. Eastin

This research examines consumer attitudinal and behavioral responses to online consumer reviews, specifically on the YouTube platform. This study seeks to understand how influential both negatively and positively framed reviews are on consumers’ behavioral and purchase intent and attitude toward the consumer created content. Data indicate that message framing has a persuasive effect on consumers’ attitudes, but less so on behavioral and purchase intention. Moreover, the negatively framed review seems to be more influential on consumers than the positive framed review. In sum, these results showcase the intricacies of product review effectiveness, and their impactions on marketing.

vi Table of Contents

List of Tables ...... ix

Trusting the Guru: ...... 1

Chapter I: Introduction ...... 1

Chapter II: Review of Literature ...... 2 Intro and the YouTube Platform ...... 2 Beauty Gurus ...... 4 Source Credibility ...... 5 Attitude Formation and Purchase Intent ...... 7 Chapter III: Hypotheses ...... 11

Chapter IV: Research Methods ...... 12 Origin of Data ...... 12

Sample Description ...... 12 Research Design...... 12 Variables ...... 14 Data Analysis ...... 15

Chapter V: Results ...... 16

Chapter VI: Discussion ...... 17 Discussion ...... 18 Implications & Further Research ...... 19 The Role of Motivation...... 19

Chapter VII: Conclusion...... 22

Appendix A: Questionnaire ...... 23

Resources...... 32

vii List of Tables

Table 1.1: Group Statistics ...... 16 Table 1.2: Independent Samples T-Test...... 16

viii Chapter I: Introduction

In today’s quickly expanding online social media environment, it is important to understand the effects of consumer opinions on “regular”/ “everyday” people. Many consumers post both positive and negative reviews daily in order to hold businesses accountable. Several research projects have found that product reviews (i.e., also known as e-word of mouth) do influence consumers and their purchasing behavior (Gesenhues,

2013). Recognizing the power of consumer opinions on product perceptions, there have been incidents in which companies fined customers for posting negative reviews of their products and services online (Calvert, 2015).

To this end, the current research will examine how commercial reviews on the social network site known as YouTube influences consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions.

Specifically, from an Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) perspective, this research will look at consumer opinion influence from a different and perhaps more favorable perspective

- the YouTube beauty guru product review. Looking at positive and negative reviews, this research will examine attitudes toward the message, behavioral intent, and purchase intent.

1 Chapter II: Review of Literature

BACKGROUND and YOUTUBE:

Online customer reviews are becoming increasingly popular, and cover many different product categories including movies, electronics, clothing, accessories, cosmetic, music, books, and games. One recognizable example can be seen from Amazon.com, which has allowed its customers to write online reviews of purchased products since 1995. Admittedly, customer comments “have been regarded as one of the sites most successful features” (Harmon 2004, p.2).

As the number of reviews has increase, so has the number of sites offering consumers the ability to express opinions about products. Here, consumer review options are now available in areas such as electronics (CNet.com), tourism (TripAdvisor) and automotive (Edmunds.com).

Multiple studies researching the effectiveness of consumer reviews seem to suggest that customer reviews have in fact become widely influential on consumer purchasing decisions

(Cheung et al. 2012; Duan et al. 2008; Mudambi and Schuff 2010; Park et al. 2007). Further, studies have analyzed “product sales based on data from websites or online product review platforms” (Cheung et al. 2012; Duan et al. 2008). For example, a study performed by Chevalier and Mayzlin (2006) suggests a positive link between book sales and positive online reviews.

Liu (2006) found a similar link between positive online consumer reviews from Yahoo Movies and box office revenue. The present research will analyze yet another outlet for consumer reviews: YouTube.

YouTube is a video-sharing website headquartered in San Bruno, California. Created in

2005 and purchased in 2006 by Google, YouTube now operates as one of Google's subsidiaries.

YouTube allows users to upload, view, and share videos, and to display a wide variety of user-

2 generated and corporate video content. Available content includes video clips, TV clips, music videos, and other content such as video blogs, short original videos, and educational videos. It is important to note that anyone can create a profile on YouTube, called a “channel.” On a channel, users can post a wide range of content, including many videos regarding personal opinions and/or reviews on certain companies, products, or services. YouTube has certain rules and regulations regarding what materials are allowed to be uploaded by users, though most of the rules and regulation deal with copyright (YouTube, 2016). For example, no copyrighted music is allowed to be uploaded, unless it is by the creating artist. Stock music is okay to utilize, as long as it is cited. Generally speaking, the site allows any original user material, which would not otherwise be prohibited by law (e.g., no pornography or adult material, as defined by

YouTube’s terms of use).

Thousands of videos are uploaded daily from all around the globe, covering a wide range of topics. As defined by the site, there are 15 content categories (cars & vehicles, comedy, education, entertainment, film & animation, gaming, howto & style, music, news & politics, non- profits & activism, people & blogs, pets & animals, science & technology, sport, and finally travel & events) (YouTube 2016), which users can choose from to better categorize their content for targeting, and to allow viewers to more easily find the content they are seeking. Typically, most YouTube beauty gurus fall under “how to & style”, “people & blogs”, or “entertainment”.

In addition to creating content, users of YouTube can subscribe to other channels that cater to their interests. Although YouTube does not require users to upload their own content, it does require an account be created if someone wishes to subscribe to (i.e., follow) a channel.

3 BEAUTY GURUS

Now that the platform itself has been defined, let us consider a phenomenon that has

become quite popular in the past several years and is the context of this study: the beauty guru. In

order to better conceptualize whose opinions and reviews will be studied in this research, a clear

definition of “beauty guru” needs to be created. Although many people have slightly differing

ideas, for the purpose of this research, “beauty guru” is defined as someone who makes videos

about makeup, hair, and style for YouTube and has a significant following. Or, simply, guru’s are

defined as online spokespeople that specialize in all things beauty, hair, makeup, fashion, and

personal care.

A beauty guru’s role can be described as electronic word-of- mouth, and these online guru

opinion leaders have become increasingly popular and arguably influential (Sunder, 2016).

Although it would be useful to quantify just how many guru channels exist on YouTube, this is

no easy task since there are new beauty guru channels created daily (Sunder, 2016). Perhaps the

most well-known beauty guru is Yuyai. Yuya created her channel in 2009 and currently has

12,339,407 subscribers and has uploaded 318 videos to date, which total 1.2 billion views.

Specifically, the following make the list of “most popular” current gurus: Yuya, Bethany Mota

(9,640,992 subscribers), Zoella (9,598,482 subscribers), Michelle Phan (8,206,864 subscribers),

and grav3yardgirl (6,100,134 subscribers).1

So who are these beauty gurus? Currey (2015) states that, “Well, for one thing, they’re younger, and that’s certainly part of the bread and butter of YouTube. The vast majority of

YouTube views come from women aged 18-24, with younger teen girls a close second. Zoe Sugg is just 25 years old and Bethany Mota is 19 year old (Currey, 2015). Although there are certainly gurus of all ages, the younger demographic tends to make up the bulk of these rising stars (Sugg,

4 2015).

SOURCE CREDIBILITY

To begin, the first relevant literature concerning the influence of “gurus” is source

credibility. Source credibility, as defined by Hovland, “states that people are more likely to be

persuaded when the source presents itself as credible. The theory is broken into three models

that can be used to more aptly apply the theory. The names of those models are: the factor model,

the functional model, and the constructivist model” (Hovland 1953, p.1). Many things influence

source credibility including perceived knowledge (Eastin, 2001), authority (Hovland 1953), or

even physical looks and voice (Hovland 1953). Overall, it refers to the degree to which audiences

trust a source for information.

Research suggests there are both positive and negative opinions of guru source credibility

(Deepika 2015, p.2). Deepika claims that,

”The appeal of the YouTube beauty blogger is that you can go online and get tips from simple, relatable girls, just sitting in a messy bedroom, like you would from a friend.

Now, clicking on a beauty or fashion video is equivalent to watching an ad, except there’s no skip button after a few seconds. There's now even sneaky advertising for completely unrelated things, like audio books, tissues, and food services.

Over the years, corporations, advertisers, and PR firms have recognized the power of the beauty girls — the power to convince a massive amount of girls to go out and spend money. It seems they’ve told them to keep their sponsorships as discreet as possible. The truth is, a beauty guru will rave about a new mascara she bought in a monthly favorites video even though she was “absolutely obsessed” with some other one only two weeks

5 ago. The sponsorship will be hidden somewhere in the description box, sandwiched between affiliate links” (2015, p.2).

As demonstrated, many viewers question how “real” the guru opinion is. While some users believe these beauty guru’s are ethical and represent a good product watchdog, others believe the reviews to be a carefully crafted marketing scheme (Deepika 2015). The idea that they could be a marketing scheme attenuates a guru’s perceived source credibility. Using the ELM as a framework, Chu and Kamal (2013) examined how perceived blogger trustworthiness affects the blog readers' elaboration of brand-related messages and its interaction effects with argument quality. They concluded that,

“When a blog reader is uncertain about whether an expert blogger will provide accurate information because of the blogger's low perceived trustworthiness, that reader may take a central route to scrutinize the arguments systematically and thus ascertain if the message on the blog is valid. In contrast, when a blog reader is confident that an expert blogger is trustworthy, he or she may relinquish the effortful task of scrutinizing the message and accept the arguments as valid without careful thought. In addition, this study finds that argument quality has a greater impact on blog readers' brand attitudes when perceived blogger trustworthiness is high than when it is low” (Chu and Kamal, 2013, p.5).

Taking a look at other research regarding electronic word-of-mouth, Wang et al. (2015) argue that “As a type of user-generated content, online consumer reviews are an emerging element of marketing communication (p.151). Moreover, research has found that 70% of consumers

(worldwide) trust online product and service reviews (Nielsen 2012). Similarly, approximately

90% of consumers indicated online reviews influence purchase decisions (Gesenhues 2013).

Thus, Wang and colleagues argue that “online reviews have the potential to impact a company’s

6 profitability; as such, marketers must understand the extent to which online reviews impact

consumer decision making and purchase behavior” (p. 151). These finding provide some

relevant data displaying just how influential online reviewers can be.

YouTube aside, an interesting consideration is where people generally seek out fashion and

makeup tips. Alexandra (2013) asked the audience of her blog who they go to when looking for

products. Sample comments include,

1) Person1: “Definitely blogs and customer reviews… I haven’t really had any luck

whatsoever with magazine recommendations before – I’m just glad I found blogs that I

trust to find things that actually work.”

2) Person 2: “I definitely don’t take beauty advice from magazines as much anymore… I

usually just read reviews online for the Josie Maran & 100% Pure stuff I’m interested in

before I order it online. It has actually made it simpler!”

3) Person 3: “I… read the reviews from other customers of my favorite online boutiques like

Spirit Beauty Lounge, Saffron Rouge and NuboNau.”

Additional comments tend to agree with these women, thus, from this anecdotal evidence along with the high number of followers, it is evident that online reviews posted by bloggers seem to be influential. YouTube beauty gurus are simply bloggers with a video aspect. The women commenting seem to ascribe source credibility with online bloggers, making a study of YouTube fashion guru’s relevant.

ATTITUDE FORMATION AND PURCHASE INTENT

One aspect pertinent to this research is how a consumer’s attitude forms. Schiffman et al.

(2013) suggests that attitude formation toward product categories/brands starts when “a small 7 section [of consumers] start trying out the product” (p.170). This is relevant when considering the

YouTube platform because anyone can potentially become a YouTuber, and opinions expressed by YouTubers can be what shapes attitudes of consumers instead of/ or in conjunction with traditional advertising. Schiffman goes on to say that “personality traits significantly influence the formation of attitudes” and “attitudes are consistent with behaviors. Similar attitudes consistently lead to the same behaviors. However, despite this consistency, attitudes are not permanent and can change either seldom or frequently. Normally, we expect consumers’ behavior to correspond with their attitudes…However, circumstances often disrupt the consistency between attitudes and behavior” (p. 172). Thus, while online beauty guru reviewers may be able to change attitudes and possibly behaviors, however, due to the dynamic nature of attitudes, change can be permanent (leading to brand loyalty) or fleeting.

Additionally, events and circumstances can influence the relationships between attitudes and behaviors at specific times (Schiffman, 2013). For instance, a consumer needing to economize may switch between several products until the least expensive option is identified

(Schiffman 2013, p. 247). Simply put, “Situations can cause consumers to behave in ways seemingly inconsistent with their attitudes…Consumers may have different attitudes toward a particular object, each corresponding to particular circumstances…when studying attitudes, researchers can easily misinterpret the relationship between attitudes and behavior, unless they consider the context of the situation” (Schiffman 2013, p. 173). This speaks to the shaky predictability of attitude formation, which can, in theory, include attitudes formed or changed by beauty gurus. Thus, while research suggests online reviews influence attitudes, it is important to recognize that guru’s represent only one influence on attitude.

Finally, the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), which is a dual process theory, describes how attitudes form and change will be used to guide how attitudes could be influenced by YouTube gurus. Within the model, there are two major routes to 8 persuasion: the central route and the peripheral route. When looking at the central route,

“persuasion will likely result from a person's careful and thoughtful consideration of the true merits of the information presented in support of an advocacy. The central route involves a high level of message elaboration in which stronger (i.e., more connected) cognition about the arguments are generated by the individual receiving the message”

(Petty 1986, p.43).

Attitude changed through central route processing will be relatively “enduring, resistant, and predictive of behavior” (p. 43). Typically, informative advertisements tend to have a “central route” effect on cognition and memory (Puto, 1984, p.2), and certain online beauty reviews are indeed informational, especially demonstration and review videos. In these videos, a beauty guru introduces the product and tests it live on camera. For example, if a lipstick claims to be long- wearing, a guru may apply it, and then try eating or drinking with it on, or even presumably wear it throughout the day and film clips every few hours or at the end of the day to explain and rate its performance.

The ELMs peripheral route holds that the cues received and elaborated on are generally unrelated to the logical quality of the message. Such cues involve factors including the credibility or attractiveness of the source, the production quality of the message (Petty, 1984) and, pertinent to this research, message bias (or sidedness). When looking at message bias, the source and message are dynamically integrated. Meaning, while the source is being biased, the biased nature of the information constitutes the message. Researchers have investigated the effects of WOM sidedness on persuasiveness (Sai et al, 2015). In the studies conducted, researchers have come to find that consumers are more persuaded by positive messages than negative ones. For instance, Eastin et al. (2008) found the impact of positive WOM is generally

9 greater than negative WOM when looking to the consumer’s probability of purchasing a product or service. However, research also suggests that too much positive information might cause suspicion, actually causing the consumer to question the motives of the reviewer. In this way, trustworthiness and/or authenticity of the reviewer may be jeopardized (Doh and Hwang, 2009;

Schindler and Bickart, 2012).

On the other hand, studies suggest negative information tends to be more attention grabbing on the whole (Ditto and Lopez 1992; Homer and Yoon 1992). This may be because negative messages require more careful processing than those positively framed (Smith and Petty,

1996). As such, “people may weigh negative information more heavily than positive information during information-processing and decision-making tasks” (Doh and Hwang 2009; Kanouse and

Hanson 1972; Sen and Lerman 2007). Looking at this from the perspective of information- processing, Kanouse and Hanson (1972) state that people tend to have negative bias, meaning more emphasis is placed on negative information than positive. Thus, a negative review creates a more powerful message than a review that is positive, and therefor wields higher persuasive power. In a more recent study, Sen and Lerman (2007) also found that “consumers perceive negative reviews as more accurate, informative, and useful than positive” (p.80)

Given the literature on credibility, attitude, ELM and message framing, the current research will test how positive and negatively framed message by YouTube guru’s influences consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions.

10 Chapter III: Hypotheses

Hypotheses:

H1: Positively framed product reviews will increase attitudes toward the message

compared to negatively framed reviews.

H2: Positively framed product reviews will increase behavioral intent (i.e., measured

through ewom) compared to negatively framed reviews.

H3: Positively framed product reviews will increase purchase intent compared to

negatively framed reviews.

11 Chapter IV: Research Methods

ORIGIN OF DATA:

The research employed in this study will utilize secondary data from an existing online

survey. The data is based on a survey that was posted to a Facebook website, and made

available to participants via a shared link for three weeks. As will detailed below, participants

in this study answered a series of questions about their attitudes and consumer behavior

following the viewing of one of two online review videos, one positive review or one negative

review of a beauty product. The category of beauty products was hair tools, including two

different brands of curling irons. Following exposure to the video, participants were asked

about their opinion of the video as well as opinion and purchase intentions. Other than basic

demographic data (i.e., gender, ethnicity, income, and age), all data gathered were relevant to

the video reviewed. Meaning, no identifying information was collected.

SAMPLE DESCRIPTION:

Data regarding YouTube use was collected from a convenience sampling via Facebook.

Participants consisted of 46 U.S. adults with a mean age of 28 years old (SD = 12.58). Four

percent were male and 93% female. Educationally, 4% currently are finishing high school, 2%

high school graduate/GED, 57% completed some college, 28% college graduate, 4% some

graduate school experience, and 4% have completed their Master’s degree. 76% of the sample

was Caucasian, 9% were Asian, and 26% were Hispanic.

DESIGN:

The overall design utilized for this research was an independent group comparison, for

which data was gather through an online survey2 using the Qualtrics software. Utilizing the

Facebook network of the researcher, data were collected through convenience sampling

12 technique. After agreeing to participate, participants were randomly assigned to view videos from one of two beauty guru product reviews. The YouTube beauty guru selected for this study is Bunny Meyer (“grav3yardgirl”), currently ranking as the fifth most popular guru in terms of subscribers and views (VidStatsX.com, 2015, p.1). Participants were shown either a negatively framed review or positively framed review. With the exception of the positive/negative message frame and the name of the product, all video content remained consistent (i.e., time, source, and product category). After watching the video, participants answered a series of questions regarding attitude toward the video, behavioral intent and purchase intent.

2 See appendix A for full survey questionnaire

13 VARIABLES:

Independent variables:

• Bias 1: Negative product review video: “Does this thing really work? : Air Curler”

• Bias 2: Positive product review video: “Does this thing really work? : Curl Secret”

Dependent variables:

Attitude towards the message: Attitude towards the message is defined as how participants respond to the beauty video presented. This measure was estimated with slider scales including items such as funny/boring, entertaining/unentertaining, enjoyable/unenjoyable, informative/uninformative, comprehensive/lacking information (Air Curler (M= 2.97, SD= 1.48,

α=.97), Curl Genius (M= 2.27, SD= 1.61, α=.93).

Behavioral Intent: Behavioral intent is defined as intent to further research or share the information seen in the video. Behavior intent was estimated using a 7-item Likert type scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree”. Air Curler (M= 1.81, SD= 1.15, α=.93),

Curl Genius (M= 4.12, SD= 1.40, α= .94). Sample items include How likely are you to: “’like’ this video,” “share on social media,” “post a positive comment,” “suggest the video,” “show the video to someone you know.”

Purchase intent: Purchase intent (PI) is defined as the extent to which the consumer is motivated to buy the product displayed. PI was measured with a 7-item Likert-type scale, ranging from “Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree” Air Curler (M= 2.04, SD=1.08, α=.91), Curl Genius

(M= 2.51, SD= 1.19, α=.90). Sample items include: “may look into purchasing this product,”

“think this product would be good to buy,” “would like to purchase this product now,” and

“would like to purchase this product in the future.”

14 Data Analysis:

All data will be analyzed using SPSS version 23. All hypotheses will be examined

through independent sample T-tests to estimate group differences.

15 Chapter V: Results RESULTS:

When comparing participants who viewed the video with the positive message frame to those viewing the negatively framed message (H1), a significant difference was found for attitude toward the consumer generated content (t=-5.80, p<.05). That is, supporting H1, those who watched the positive video (Curl Secret) (M=4.12) indicated a significantly more positive attitude toward the product than those who viewed the negative framed review for the Air Curler

(M=1.18). Results suggest that seeing a video that describes and demonstrates the product as

“good” promotes a liking for the product reviewed, supporting the idea that a positive online review is a valuable marketing asset.

Turning to H2, in looking at behavioral intent (measured as electronic word-of-mouth), those watching the positively framed video did not show statistically different behavioral intent from those viewing the negatively framed video (t=1.47, p>.05). That is, participants who viewed the positive video (M=2.27) seem statistically no more likely to be interested in sharing, discussing, or take any further steps in researching the Curl Genius than those who viewed the negative video about the Air Curler (M=2.97). Thus, H2 was not supported by the data.

Finally, when analyzing purchase intent, those watching the positively framed video do not appear to show statistically different purchase intentions from those viewing the negatively framed video (t=-1.37, p>.05). Here, participants who viewed the positive video (M=2.51) seem statistically no more likely to intend to purchase the Curl Genius than those who viewed the negative video about the Air Curler (M=2.03). Thus, H3 is not supported by the data.

16 Table 1.2

17 CHAPTER VI: DISCUSSION

Upon examination of the results, several conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, when observing the effects of the positively/negatively-framed messages, it can be concluded that a difference exists regarding attitude toward the brand. Those participants viewing the negatively framed video formed a lower attitude toward the message. Why this is the case could have several factors, but the idea seems straightforward. If a product were shown as performing poorly, this would reflect poorly on the brand. Even though traditional advertising put forth by the brand shows the product in a positive light, seeing an “average person” using it online with poor performance seems to be seen as more credibly. This perhaps speaks to the power of electronic word-of-mouth, and should be considered by marketers.

This finding, however, this did not translate into behavior, albeit purchase intent or behavioral intent (ewom). Simply, those viewing the video of the “positive” product review indicated they would be only somewhat more interested in purchasing it, but do have a more positive opinion about the video than those viewing the “negatively” product video. Though most participants claimed beauty products were of interest to them, it is possible the particular products

(hair curlers) were simply not a product they were currently in need of, and thus not interested in purchasing. Although not statistically significant, data indicate that electronic word-of-mouth (i.e., behavioral intent) does not operate as predicted. Perhaps this speaks to the complexity in developing opinions or purchase intent based on analyzing information from just a single source.

Interestingly, those who viewed the positively framed video seemed less likely to share the video with friends via social media or at all, while those viewing the video for the negatively framed product would be more likely to share the video with others. Perhaps it can be inferred that people like to “warn” others against a bad product than recommend a good one, even if it is

18 something they themselves may be interested in purchasing or feel strongly about.

IMPLICATIONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH

While all three variables did not prove to be statistically significant, it is clear that online cosmetic reviews are influential on some level. Looking at how the means trend, if a bad review about a product is posted, people will not be enthusiastic about that product and are more likely to share the bad review with others. If a product receives a good review, on the other hand, the consumer (viewer) tends to view the brand more favorably, and this can have a potential effect on future interactions between the consumer and brand. Therefore, advertisers should take note of how their brand is being presented through platforms such as YouTube, as it is a largely growing platform that does seem to influence consumers.

As with most research, this study has several limitations. First, a larger sample size would increase the statistical power and thus allow for smaller effects to be detected. The convenient sample is also a limitation when considering the generalizability of the study. A larger more representative sample would have allowed for these findings greater generalizability. Further, other aspects of the sources such as the beauty guru’s trustworthiness should have been examined. Controlling for source credibility would have allowed the message attributes to be isolated.

Though this research is focuses on the ELM, other theoretical frameworks could also be considered, potentially shedding light on additional variables to be considered. Once such theoretical model is the tri-Component Attitude Model (CAM).

The CAM consists of affective, behavioral, and cognitive influences on attitude formation. Defined by Schiffman et al. (2013), “The cognitive component consists of a person’s cognitions…this knowledge and perceptions commonly are expressed as beliefs, that is, the consumer believes that the attitude object possesses or does not possess specific attributes” (p.

19 174). Beliefs are important to attitude formation, and beliefs can be influenced by others (i.e., beauty guru). The next component, affective, is representative of consumers’ emotions and feelings regarding the attitude object. These are referred to as evaluations. More simply, it represents the “extent to which the individual rates the object as “favorable” or “unfavorable,”

“good” or “bad”. This would introduce an emotional component not examined in the current study. Finally the conative component is a reflection of the likelihood that a person will undertake a particular action or perhaps behave in a specific way with regard to the attitude object. In the context of the current study, this would suggest a causal relationship between attitude and intention to buy (Schiffman 2013, p. 176). Simply, conducting research about values and emotions as well as potential causal sequencing could prove important to further the current study.

Finally, another important are of research that could extend the current study is consumer motivation. Here, there are two basic categories of needs. The first, physiological needs, includes what human beings need to survive in the biological sense, namely: food, air, water, and protection of the body from the outside environment (Schiffman, 2013). The other category of needs is psychological needs, which are those learned from a person’s parents, their social environment, as well as interactions with others. A few of these needs are outlined by Schiffman and include, among many others, the “needs for self-esteem, prestige, affection, power, and achievement” (p. 61). Most would argue that makeup falls into the latter category, since these products are not biologically necessary to survive. Having this frame of reference allows researchers to understand how such purchases are motivated. Simply, future research could look at what motivates a consumer to the product or the product review. Again, looking at motivation would extend the research model examined in the current study.

The need for arousal is another area for potential research. According to Schiffman et al.,

“Most of an individual’s needs are dormant much of the time. The arousal of any need at a 20

specific moment may be caused by biological stimuli, emotional or cognitive processes, or stimuli

in the outside environment” (p.68). Power has most to do with someone’s desire to control his or

her environment. This can include power over people or objects, perhaps even opinions. It is very

much seen as the ego need. This motivational need could be relevant to the consumer of the

product or the guru presenting the material. Next, the affiliation need proposes that behavior is

influenced by the desire for friendship, acceptance and belonging. Perhaps looking at the

community built around guru reviews (i.e. followers) would explain the effects of reviews.

Further, as an opinion leader, the guru may also be driven to content creation for affiliation needs.

Finally, the achievement need states that individuals with a strong achievement needs often

regard personal accomplishment as an end in itself. They are self-confident, enjoy taking

calculated risks, actively research their environments, and value feedback, often in the form of

monetary rewards (Schiffman 2013, p.70). To this end, research on beauty gurus could reveal

which need arousal they cater to and which drive their engagement.

Chapter VII: Conclusion

As can be seen, the study of online beauty guru cosmetic reviews is complex. With many

possible variables to observe and analyze, implications for advertising can truly become more

extensive. In the age of the Internet, many consumers are increasingly turning to reviews from

interactive sites like YouTube. Source, message, platform, and user are all relevant, and

advertisers should be aware of how their brands are perceived online. This awareness will allow

marketers to better tailor their strategies and messages.

The implications of this type of research are diverse and important to consider. Both from the

standpoint of the consumer as well as the brand marketers, information regarding word-of-mouth,

opinions formation, and purchase intention gathered via online platforms are a fast-growing field of

interest. When considering the consumers’ viewpoint, knowing the power of online product opinions

and how other consumers are using them, is an important consideration to make when seeking

credible information regarding products in the beauty industry. With both beliefs and skepticisms of

“miracle” beauty products, one must consider where they are drawing their information. By

conducting research online based on the opinions of “ordinary people,” the consumer is able to

analyze a product from a different viewpoint than simply looking at commercials put out by the

brand itself. Will consumers find this more “raw” or “unedited” review platform more credible than

the fancy, highly complimentary traditional ads? Both studies like this one as well as further research

can help in examining the consumers’ mind and decision-making process.

When observing the implications of the study from the standpoint of beauty companies, it can

readily be seen that their claims are more closely scrutinized by the modern consumer due to new

platforms such as YouTube and other online reviews. Inflated claims are more likely to be pointed

out than before such platforms became available. Perhaps this information can be used by companies

to better present their products and target their consumers both now, and in the future. 22

Appendix A:

Online Survey Questionnaire:

Group 1: Positive product review, Curl Genius:

https://.youtube.com/watch?v=fvBrEc8DFx0

Group 2: Negative product review, Air Curler:

https://.youtube.com/watch?v=NJx5QLOeC3U

Introduction:

“Hello.

The following study is designed by graduate students at the University of Austin’s Stan

Richards School of Advertising, for the purpose of academic research only, and data will

not be shared outside the educational context. Please be assured that you remain

anonymous and all personal data will be kept confidential.

This study examines the effect of online YouTube beauty gurus and will take

approximately 10 minutes to complete. The first portion will include a video, so please be

sure you have the ability to stream YouTube video and audio on your device. It is

recommended you take the survey in a quiet place away from distractions for the sake of

accurate results.

No perceived risk is associated with this study, but should you feel uncomfortable for any

reason, or have any questions regarding any portion of the survey, please feel free to

contact the researcher at [email protected].

Thank you so much for your time and efforts.”

Questions:

1. Based on the video you have just viewed, did you find its content:

a. funny | boring

b. entertaining | unentertaining

c. enjoyable | not enjoyable

d. I would recommend it to a friend | I would not recommend it to a friend

e. informative | uninformative

f. comprehensive | lacking key product details.

2. Based on the video you have just viewed, do you think the Curl Genius/Air Curler is:

a. favorable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 unfavorable

b. good 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 poor

c. high-quality 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 low-quality

3. Based on the video I just watched, I:

a) May look into this product: