Generation Y female consumers’ perceived value of beauty vlogs: measurement model assessment

Abstract

Beauty social media influencers are increasingly shaping consumers' beauty product preferences, particularly those of millennial female consumers. YouTube beauty vloggers disrupt the beauty product industry, notably shaping the brand preferences of Generation females. In the literarure, there is a recognised need for more research exploring YouTube vlogs, particularly in the context of beauty products. Τhis study sought to evaluate a modified rendition of the marketing communication value model proposed by Ducoffe (1996) as a measure of Generation Y female consumers’ perceived value of beauty vlogs on YouTube within the context of South Africa. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected from a single cross-sectional sample of 340 Generation Y female consumers. The measurement model outlined for confirmatory factor analysis contained the latent factors of informativeness, entertainment, credibility and perceived value. The  findings suggest that the perception of beauty vlogs on YouTube by female consumers from Generation Y follows a four-factor model. This model is deemed valid, reliable, and demonstrates a good fit, with no concerns of multi-collinearity. This measurement model, validated through empirical evidence, furnishes academics and practitioners in beauty product marketing with a tool for determining Generation Y female consumers’ perceived value of beauty vlogs on YouTube.