YOUTUBE BEAUTY VIDEOS’ EFFECT ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AMONG VIEWERS Uddannelsens navn: Cand.ling.merc. Opgavens type: Speciale Den studerenes navn: Signe-Amalie Martinussen Dato for aflevering af opgaven: 1. Juni 2016 Antal anslag/antal sider: 162014 / 71 Signe-Amalie Martinussen Master Thesis June 2016 Table of contents Resume .......................................................................................... 4 YouTube skønheds videoers effekt på forbruger adfærd blandt seerne ....................................... 4 Introduction .................................................................................. 6 Problem statement ............................................................................................................................ 7 Method .......................................................................................... 8 Narrowing down the field of research .............................................................................................. 9 YouTube....................................................................................................................................... 9 YouTube beauty videos ............................................................................................................. 11 Beauty gurus .............................................................................................................................. 12 The legal perspective ................................................................................................................. 13 Empirical data ............................................................................ 14 Quantitative questionnaire ............................................................................................................. 14 Figure 1 Viewership on top 100 Youtube beauty & style channels, by gender ......................... 16 Qualitative interview ...................................................................................................................... 18 Theory ......................................................................................... 20 Selection and critic of theory ..................................................................................................... 20 Consumer behavior ........................................................................................................................ 20 The source of the message ......................................................................................................... 21 The message ............................................................................................................................... 22 The self ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Consumer motivations ............................................................................................................... 25 Group influence.......................................................................................................................... 26 Collective taste ........................................................................................................................... 28 Opinion leadership ..................................................................................................................... 28 Celebrity Endorsement ................................................................................................................... 29 McCracken – Meaning Transfer Model ..................................................................................... 29 Figure 2 Meaning transfer model ............................................................................................... 31 Risks of celebrity branding ........................................................................................................ 32 1 Signe-Amalie Martinussen Master Thesis June 2016 Analysis ....................................................................................... 33 Meaning Transfer Model ............................................................................................................... 33 Meaning acquisition ................................................................................................................... 34 Endorsement............................................................................................................................... 34 Consumption .............................................................................................................................. 36 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 37 Consumer behavior ........................................................................................................................ 38 The source of the message ......................................................................................................... 38 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 43 The message ............................................................................................................................... 44 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 48 The self ....................................................................................................................................... 48 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 51 Consumer motivations ............................................................................................................... 52 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 56 Group influence.......................................................................................................................... 56 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 58 Opinion leader ............................................................................................................................ 58 Partial conclusion ................................................................................................................... 61 Conclusion .................................................................................. 62 Suggestions for further research .................................................................................................... 65 Bibliography ............................................................................... 66 Books: ............................................................................................................................................ 66 Articles: .......................................................................................................................................... 66 Websites: ........................................................................................................................................ 67 Appendix 1 .................................................................................. 69 Most valued qualities in YouTube beauty gurus ....................................................................... 69 Appendix 2 .................................................................................. 70 Viewers’ favorite beauty brands ................................................................................................ 70 Appendix 3 .................................................................................. 70 2 Signe-Amalie Martinussen Master Thesis June 2016 Most mentioned beauty brands in YouTube beauty videos ....................................................... 70 Appendix 4 .................................................................................. 71 Results from quantitative research ............................................................................................. 71 Appendix 5 .................................................................................. 72 Transcription of qualitative interviews ...................................................................................... 72 3 Signe-Amalie Martinussen Master Thesis June 2016 RESUME YouTube skønheds videoers effekt på forbruger adfærd blandt seerne Online skønheds videoer på det sociale medie YouTube har oplevet en stigende interesse. De mest populære videoer er lavet af uafhængige skabere som kontinuerligt laver og deler videoer så som instruktions videoer i at lægge makeup og produkt anmeldelser. Den tiltagende interesse for disse videoer både hos skønhedsindustrien og blandt forbrugere frembragte nogle udvalgte spørgsmål om hvorvidt disse videoer har en effekt på forbruger kulturen blandt dem som ser dem. Flere af videoerne er sponsoreret af firmaer og det var derfor ligeledes relevant at undersøge om betalt indhold gør en forskel på seernes syn på disse videoer (Pixability 2015). Spørgsmålet som dette studie har til formål at undersøge blev således: Hvordan påvirker YouTube skønheds videoer seernes forbruger adfærd? Og er det muligt at genkende nogle forbrugsmønstre blandt seerne som en effekt af YouTube skønheds guruer? Den teoriestiske ramme