Signalling Effects of Vlogger Popularity on Online Consumers

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the effect of video loggers (vloggers) popularity on consumer credibility perception and purchase intention. It employs a two (high versus low vlogger popularity) by two (search versus experience product types) between-subject experimental design to uncover the signalling effect of vlogger popularity. While vlogger popularity influences the consumers’ credibility perception and purchase intention for all products, a high popularity vlogger is likely to be more effective in influencing the online consumers for experience products. We confirm the usefulness of the popularity construct in explaining purchase behavior in social media settings. In doing so, we provide an empirical evidence concerning the specific conditions under which credibility is more (or less) effective in influencing behavior. This study is the first to examine vlogger popularity effects in social media. Our findings provide important insights to both academics and practitioners.

KEYWORDS:

• Vlogging
• popularity
• credibility
• purchase intention
• social media

Notes

¹ Nardi, Schiano and Gumbrecht (2004) define a blog as a web page or web log that is comprised of consecutive posts in the form of text often with embedded images or other multimedia content including video and audio. Blogs are generally run by individuals, commonly known as bloggers, to express personal opinions or experiences concerning various topics including products or services.^19,20

² Blog posts are personal in nature as bloggers often express themselves in an informal, friendly and intimate manner which has been found to enhance the consumer’s level of relatability to a blogger and consequently encourages consumers to perceive bloggers as reliable sources.²⁰

³ This is consistent with earlier findings that consumers have more confidence in information shared by their peers than in information disseminated by advertising firms.⁷⁸