• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

YouTube has become a popular platform for vlogs. Among various forms of vlogs, office worker vlogs, in which a person engaged in a specific job shows his/her work environment and daily routine, are gaining popularity. Thus, focusing on office worker vlogs, the present research investigates the effects of office worker vlogs' characteristics (i.e., vlog content characteristics, vlogger characteristics) on the YouTube viewers' educational value of the vlog and their job engagement. Specifically, this research examines whether(1) vlog content characteristics (i.e., usefulness, accessibility, and vividness) and (2) vlogger characteristics (i.e., job similarity, credibility, and expertise) influence the YouTube viewers' educational value of the vlog. Moreover, this research examines how the YouTube viewers' educational value of the vlog affects their job engagement. With a sample of YouTube viewers of office worker vlogs (N = 215), structural equation modelling was implemented to investigate the relationships in the proposed model. The results indicate that (1) perceived usefulness of the office worker vlog is positively associated with the educational value of the vlog; (2) perceived accessibility of the office worker vlog is positively associated with the educational value of the vlog, albeit marginally significant; (3) perceived vividness of the office worker vlog is positively associated with the educational value of the vlog; (4) perceived job similarity to the office worker vlogger is positively associated with the educational value of the vlog; (5) perceived credibility of the office worker vlogger is positively associated with the educational value of the vlog; (6) perceived expertise of the office worker vlogger is positively associated with the educational value of the vlog; and (7) the educational value of the office worker vlog is positively associated with the YouTube viewers' job engagement. The findings provide important implications for the production and use of office worker vlog contents.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.649-664
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• 2018

With the rapid growth of the Chinese cosmetics market and the continuous introduction of new products into the market, beauty videos generated by other consumers, that are by beauty vloggers, have become a major source of information for cosmetics consumers. With the popularity of beauty vlogs in China, beauty vloggers have become influencers who affect consumers' information processing and attitude development regarding cosmetic products and beauty routines. The current study aims to explore the characteristics of beauty vloggers that affect consumers' attitudes toward both the beauty vlogs and the products featured in those vlogs. Based on parasocial interaction theory, the study examines whether perceived characteristics of beauty vloggers influence consumers' perceived parasocial interaction, which in turn influences their attitudes. The study employs an online survey, which was administered to female consumers in China. Data from a total of 372 responses was used for analysis. Findings show that the perceived similarities to and perceived trustworthiness of vloggers have a significant impact on parasocial interactions, which influences consumer attitudes toward both the vlogs and the products shown in them. Perceived reliability and perceived attractiveness are shown to have a positive impact on consumer attitudes toward vlogs. Perceived expertise, attractiveness, similarity, and trustworthiness have all been shown to affect product attitudes. These results show that while beauty vlogs have a significant impact on consumers' decision-making processes, the perceived characteristics of beauty vloggers themselves are important to consumers in the development of their attitudes toward both vlogs and products.