• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.44-56
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• 2021

This study analyzes the fashion video content of vegan YouTubers in order to understand how the vegan message is being conveyed in media. This study collected data with NoxInfluencer and conducted a case study of the vegan fashion YouTube content. We collected 143 videos for analysis as follows. The characteristics of vegan fashion content were divided into six categories. First, fashion know-how consisted of YouTubers' explanation on vegan fashion, from styling to where to buy vegan and fair trade products. Second, fashion haul content showed second hand products as well as certified vegan fashion products. Third, fashion daily life focused on a day in the life of a vegan YouTuber, casually showcasing fashion in real life. Fourth, fashion products reviews were about vegan YouTubers' thoughts and concerns about various vegan fashion brands and products. Fifth, fashion coordination category consisted of Lookbooks according to seasons. Last, the fashion entertainment category showed YouTubers challenging themselves to dress outside of their comfort zone. The content of the message was distinguished by consumption methods and aesthetic interaction. Also, vegan YouTubers were always anticipating the possibility of appealing to a wider demographic. This study differs from existing studies because it analyzed fashion YouTube content in order to understand the spread of a vegan message in the media environment. This study has its significance in suggesting the direction that the vegan community should take in delivering vegan messages in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.873-890
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• 2023

This study analyzed users' emotional responses to VI character design through YouTube comments. The researchers applied text-mining to analyze 116,375 comments, focusing on terms related to character design and characteristics of VI. Using the BERT model in sentiment analysis, we classified comments into extremely negative, negative, neutral, positive, or extremely positive sentiments. Next, we conducted a co-occurrence frequency analysis on comments with extremely negative and extremely positive responses to examine the semantic relationships between character design and emotional characteristic terms. We also performed a content analysis of comments about Miquela and Shudu to analyze the perception differences regarding the two character designs. The results indicate that form elements (e.g., voice, face, and skin) and behavioral elements (e.g., speaking, interviewing, and reacting) are vital in eliciting users' emotional responses. Notably, in the negative responses, users focused on the humanization aspect of voice and the authenticity aspect of behavior in speaking, interviewing, and reacting. Furthermore, we found differences in the character design elements and characteristics that users expect based on the VI's field of activity. As a result, this study suggests applications to character design to accommodate these variations.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.121-134
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• 2021

As interest in stock markets is growing recently in Korea, more investors in their twenties are using the information provided by personal broadcasting channels on YouTube. This study explores how watching the stock market channels on YouTube influences watching behaviors and investment intentions. A structural equation modeling analysis of survey data from 219 adults in the twenties revealed that the perceived credibility of and para-social interaction with the YouTube influencers affected continued viewing intentions. The findings also showed that the effect of identification with the influencers on viewing satisfaction was more prominent when identification mediated the effect of para-social interaction on viewing satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-59
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• 2020

This study is to examine the effects of personal media influencer's source credibility (attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise) and content authenticity on brand authenticity and product purchase intention. An online survey was conducted, on which the respondents were asked to watch the embedded contents of the influencer provided on YouTube before answering the questionnaire. The results of the regression analysis showed that both influencer expertise and content authenticity had a positive effect on brand authenticity. Moreover, brand authenticity had a positive effect on purchase intention and had a mediating effect between purchase intention and content authenticity. The findings are meaningful in that they not only analyze empirical advertising effects of personal media and media contents but also expand the scope of research on authenticity. This study also provides strategic implications for personal media influencers and companies which want to collaborate with influencers.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.238-249
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• 2021

This research aims to present effective influencer marketing strategies against a heavy blow in Korean influencer marketing industry because of the paid advertisement controversy and the reinforcement of regulations for online advertisement. By investigating the effects of influencer reputation, which is composed of communication skills, influence, authenticity and professionalism on marketing effect, as well as the mediating effect of parasocial relationship, the study provides some implications for influencer selecting. The effect of economic interests is examined under 4 experimental conditions of paid advertisements, brand collaboration, brand gifts and organic review to figure out how to arrange an appropriate sponsorship plan. According to results of PLS structural equation analysis, it shows that the influence and authenticity of an influencer have a significant positive effect on marketing effect and the mediating effect of parasocial relationship is partially proved. It seems that the effect of influencer reputation on marketing effect is significantly differentiated in different contexts, which confirms the moderating effect of economic interest. Distinguish from previous studies, this study focuses on types of economic interest rather than a simple comparison between sponsorship disclosure versus no disclosure and makes contributions to expanding reputation research. Meanwhile, findings of this study could give some practical implications for marketing practitioners in planning influencer marketing.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.99-105
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• 2021

In addition to the OTT video production service represented by Nexflix and YouTube, a personalized recommendation system for content with artificial intelligence has become common. YouTube's personalized recommendation service system consists of two neural networks, one neural network consisting of a recommendation candidate generation model and the other consisting of a ranking network. Netflix's video recommendation system consists of two data classification systems, divided into content-based filtering and collaborative filtering. As the online platform-led content production is activated by the Corona Pandemic, the field of virtual influencers using artificial intelligence is emerging. Virtual influencers are produced with GAN (Generative Adversarial Networks) artificial intelligence, and are unsupervised learning algorithms in which two opposing systems compete with each other. This study also researched the possibility of developing AI platform based on individual recommendation and virtual influencer (metabus) as a core content of OTT in the future.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.270-281
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• 2021

The emergence of social media and technical development of smart phone allows media users to produce, share and spread a variety of contents, which results in a big change in their media usage pattern. Among those changes, the most prominent one is Youtube's powerful growth. Creators' enthusiastic content productions and users' active sharing actions are caused of the growth. Recently, creators give a powerful effect on users as social media influencer, and the practice of influencer marketing has been focused. This current study is examined the effects of parasocial interaction and relationship on brand attitude and purchase intention. Specially, parasical interaction is divided into identification, interest, and experience parasocial interaction, and the divisions of relationship are trustworthy, friendship, understanding, and commitment. As a result, interest and trustworthy are significant predictors of brand attitude. Also, experience parasocial interaction is negative and friendship is positive predictors of purchase intention. Theoretical and practical implication are discussed.

• Trans-
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• v.15
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• pp.57-79
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• 2023

This study aims to explore the strategies and effects of SNS images used by four popular male beauty influencers to gain identification with their female fans. The research selected four male beauty influencers, namely Li Jiaqi, Jeffree Star, James Charles, and Bretman Rock, with a high number of subscribers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok as of July 21, 2023. By observing the content they posted on SNS, the study analyzed the types, characteristics, and relevance of male beauty influencer images with their female fans using Lacan's gaze theory. Additionally, concepts related to gaze, such as the mirror stage, the screen, and objet petit a, were supplemented to conduct an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of male beauty influencer images and the motivations of female viewers. The study results suggest that male beauty influencers can maintain an intimate relationship, referred to as 'girl-friendship,' with their female fans through the identification formed by the homogeneity within the feminized mirror images. Furthermore, male beauty influencers can transform female viewers from being seen as objects to seeing them as subjects by presenting images that embrace diversity in gender identity, challenging the traditional notions of societal gender norms. Therefore, the images of male beauty influencers not only challenge gender stereotypes but also cater to the demands for independence and equality of modern young women, promote understanding of feminine gaze, and explore the potential for democratization and inclusivity on social media platforms from a new perspective.