Theorizing vloggers’ approaches and practices in travel vlog production through grounded theory

ABSTRACT

Video bloggers, also known as vloggers, continuously create and share authentic videos on popular platforms like YouTube. Travel influencer vloggers (called vloggers in this study) influence their audience by sharing their trip experiences and giving reviews about destinations and travel brands. This study employs aconstructivist grounded theory approach of 35 YouTube vlogs from 21 vloggers through a3-phase theoretical sampling. The theorizing process resulted in the development of Vloggers’ Approaches and Practices (VAP) Theory by identifying the main approaches as content (CA) and objectives (OA), the two main practices of travel influencing (TIP) and vlogging (VP), and their relationships. The theoretical and managerial contributions can be important for scholars of influencer marketing, and practitioners that work with vloggers like destination marketing organizations (DMOs), hotels, tour operators, and transportation services.

视频博主，也称为vloggers，不断在YouTube等热门平台上创建和分享真实的视频. 旅游影响者vlogger（本研究中称为vlogger）通过分享他们的旅行经历并对目的地和旅游品牌进行评论来影响他们的受众. 本研究采用建构主义基础理论方法，通过3阶段理论抽样，对21个视频记录器中的35个YouTube视频日志进行了分析. 理论化过程通过将主要方法确定为内容（CA）和目标（OA）, 旅行影响（TIP）和视频记录（VP）这两种主要实践及其关系，导致了Vloggers方法和实践（VAP）理论的发展. 理论和管理方面的贡献对于影响者营销的学者以及与目的地营销组织（DMO），酒店，旅游运营商和交通服务等vlogger合作的从业者来说非常重要.

KEYWORDS:

• Social media influencers
• travel vloggers
• destinations
• grounded theory
• influencer marketing
• YouTube

Highlights

• Constructivist grounded theory through theoretical sampling of 35 YouTube vlogs

• Introducing Vloggers’ Approaches and Practices (VAP) Theory

• Image formation, travel guide and advocacy as vloggers’ objectives approaches

• Distinguishing between influencing and vlogging practices

• Self-experience, expert view, human touch, others’ involvement as travel influencing practices.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohammad Sadegh Gholamhosseinzadeh

Mohammad Sadegh Gholamhosseinzadeh is a researcher of marketing, strategy and tourism at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University and a lecturer of marketing and strategy at PSB Paris School of Business. He has also digital marketing and tour guiding experience in renowned travel agencies in Iran. His research fields include digital influencers, destination image, and social media.