YouTube celebrity endorsement: audience evaluation of source attributes and response to sponsored content. A case study of influencer Verdeliss

Abstract

This article analyses follower response to the growing number of product endorsements present in YouTube videos published under the username “Verdeliss” by Estefanía Unzu Ripoll, Spain’s most popular YouTube influencer on the topic of maternity and childcare. Results of a self-administered online survey of 949 Verdeliss followers focused on their individual evaluations of source attributes indicate that Unzu Ripoll’s YouTube fans tend to buy products she endorses on the basis of her perceived likeability and expertise, and that the overall influence she exerts on their purchasing decisions is slight. In closing, the authors offer insights into how social media influencers can enhance the effectiveness of their online endorsements and identify tactics brands can employ to ensure that the influencers they collaborate with are optimally suited to promote their products.

Keywords

• Source attributes
• influencers
• YouTubers
• followers
• audience research
• audience response