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Semiotic Analysis

The document discusses the rise of short-form video content, particularly vlogs, as a marketing tool for brands through influencer collaborations. It highlights how influencers can subtly integrate product promotions into their content, making advertisements feel more authentic and relatable to viewers. The analysis emphasizes the importance of authenticity in influencer marketing and the potential impact on consumer behavior and trust.

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Alex Beattie
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7 views

Semiotic Analysis

The document discusses the rise of short-form video content, particularly vlogs, as a marketing tool for brands through influencer collaborations. It highlights how influencers can subtly integrate product promotions into their content, making advertisements feel more authentic and relatable to viewers. The analysis emphasizes the importance of authenticity in influencer marketing and the potential impact on consumer behavior and trust.

Uploaded by

Alex Beattie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Short-form video content is growing increasingly popular, especially on apps like

TikTok and Instagram reels. This growth has opened the doors for new marketing strategies,

incorporating influencers and promotional content. Engaging and relatable content enables

influencers to grow an audience. A video format often used to achieve this is the daily vlog.

Vlogs, meaning video-logs, allow watchers to peak into the seemingly everyday life of

influencers. My video follows this format of the daily vlog as I document my day at

university. This video would appear on TikTok or Instagram reels, so I intentionally filmed it

in portrait to fit a phone screen. My intended audience would be university students. To reach

this audience, I would post this video publicly HASHTAG. This video relates to the media

lecture content because I am choosing to present myself in a way that is not my everyday life.

Putting your best self forward is a recurring theme within the course. Consumers often do not

see the connection between vlogs and promotions. I intended to highlight how easily an

advertisement can be disguised into a vlog, as this is a growing phenomenon that will be

explored further in this essay.

The growth of influencers and online video content has prompted brands to reach out

for collaborations. This has resulted in the evolution of brands using influencer content to

connect with audiences, thus transforming vloggers into brand ambassadors. This method of

advertising is referred to as influencer marketing. (De Veirman et al. 801) The relatable and

authentic nature of vlogs enables brands to promote products in a less noticeable, seemingly

more genuine way. Because of the mass amounts of advertising that people face daily,

viewers are growing immunity towards traditional advertising. (Szikszai-Németh 119)

Influencer brand promotions can be easily disguised, especially in a vlog format. As a

consumer, it appears authentic when an influencer is shown using a product in a small part of
their everyday life compared to a video whose entire purpose is promotional content. I tried

to incorporate this into my vlog by showing my skincare routine towards the end of the video.

I subtly present the results by showing myself before and after using the products. Brands can

also align themselves with influencers that fit the product they are trying to promote.

Influencers can specialize in various content types, such as makeup, toys or lifestyle. Based

on this, brands can approach influencers whose lifestyles would fit the product. Followers

often trust and follow influencers' advice regarding product recommendations because of

their knowledge of certain subjects. (De Veirman, 799) This is another factor that makes

vlogs an excellent and unsuspecting marketing tool. The integration of product placement and

subtle promoting confirms that vlogs offer a simple and less invasive way of advertising.

Vloggers and brand collaborations impact consumer behaviour in several ways.

Influencers can significantly affect their audience’s engagement and attitude towards online

shopping (Bayazıt et al. 23). The relatability and accessibility of vloggers are gained through

insight into their daily lives, thus enabling the audience to easily identify with them (Abidin

87). Because consumers build trust towards influencers, they are likelier to believe in the

products they endorse (Bayazıt et al. 26). If an influencer is viewed positively, the brand they

associate with can have the same effect (Schemer et al. 923). Through this, brands can sell

more products to vlog consumers by leveraging their trust towards content creators. However,

this can also have adverse effects if the product does not perform as advertised, resulting in a

loss of trust between the influencer and their audience. Consumers can feel taken advantage

of, particularly if it is unclear that there is a paid promotion in the content they are watching.

As an easily disguised promotion tactic, vlogs tie directly into how vlogger-brand
partnerships influence consumer behaviour. Because products can be seamlessly integrated

into vlogs, they do not raise suspicion from consumers, increasing the likelihood of

purchasing.

The role of authenticity in product advertising within vlogs can be debated. Studies

show that disclosing a sponsorship negatively affects brand likability due to “…enhanced ad

recognition…” (De Veirman et al. 94). This triggers ad scepticism, which can lead to distrust

towards the influencer's authenticity (94). Alternatively, influences who genuinely

recommend products they use and enjoy without commercial ties to the brand benefit from

explicitly noting this (94). Therefore, influencer authenticity is essential in consumers' choice

to purchase products. Vlogs often inconspicuously incorporate products, making the

promotion feel natural to the viewer. In my video, I highlighted this aspect by casually

showing my skincare products without making the promotion obvious. Because the

promotion is not invasive, it can lead to higher viewer engagement. This relates to the role of

authenticity within vlogging because viewers are more likely to trust content that feels

authentic. In my video, you can see that the products have been used, adding a genuine feel to

the promotion. By showing the results instead of telling the audience, the product speaks for

itself. Because only a small portion of the video is dedicated to the product, it adds further to

the authenticity of the product.

Throughout my video, it appears I am documenting my everyday life even though this

is not my everyday reality. Through semiotic analysis, my thesis statement of how easily an
influencer can disguise a promotion within a vlog has been shown in my video. The theory

that users do not show their authentic selves on social media is explored in my video as I

knowingly chose to record the most aesthetic parts of my day, relating to a key theme within

the course. By explaining the growth of influencer and brand collaborations, how this impacts

consumers, and the role of authenticity in product advertisements, I conclude that using vlog

advertising is a clever way to attract buyers due to its non-invasive nature.

973 words

Bibliography:

Abidin, Crystal. “Visibility Labour: Engaging with Influencers’ Fashion Brands and #OOTD
Advertorial Campaigns on Instagram.” Media International Australia Incorporating Culture
& Policy, vol. 161, no. 1, 2016, pp. 86–100, https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X16665177.

Bayazıt, D. Zeynep, et al. “Can Vloggers Characteristics Change Online-Shopping


Intentions? The Role of Word of Mouth Effect as a Communication Tool.” Academic Journal
of Information Technology, vol. 8, no. 26, 2017, pp. 23–40, https://doi.org/10.5824/1309-
1581.2017.1.002.x.

De Veirman, Marijke, and Liselot Hudders. “Disclosing Sponsored Instagram Posts: The Role
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https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1575108.

De Veirman, Marijke, et al. “Marketing through Instagram Influencers: The Impact of


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Schemer, Christian et al. “Does ‘Passing the Courvoisier’ Always Pay off? Positive and
Negative Evaluative Conditioning Effects of Brand Placements in Music Videos.”
Psychology & marketing 25.10 (2008): 923–943. Web.

Szikszai-Németh, Ketrin. “INFLUENCER MARKETING – PERSUASION OF THE


FOLLOWERS.” Network Intelligence Studies, vol. VIII, no. 16, 2020, pp. 119–24.

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