Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur ungdomar som tränar upplever att fitness-influencers på YouTube påverkar deras hälsobeteenden. Detta för att på så sätt bidra med kunskap åt samhället om den konkreta effekt som marknadsföringen av träning och kost har på sociala mediekanaler för att börja täcka det forskningsgap som berör hälsorelaterade beteenden. Metod: Vid insamling av empiri användes en kvalitativ metod i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Det empiriska materialet analyserades utifrån det teoretiska ramverket om influencermarknadsföring, parasociala relationer, electronic word-of-mouth och tvåstegshypotesen samt tidigare forskning om hälsobeteenden på sociala medier. Slutsats: Respondenterna påvisade en medvetenhet om den påverkan som influencers har på deras motivation kring hälsa, träning och kost. Majoriteten ser både för- och nackdelar med sociala medieinfluencers då de kan bidra med motivation samtidigt som det framkommer att de även kan leda till minskad motivation. Fitnessinfluencers kan påverka ungdomar till att variera sin kost på ett mer hälsosamt sätt. Det framkommer även att fitness-influencers kan bidra med kunskap inom träning och kost vilket följarna kan ta lärdom av. Det delade innehållet hos fitness-influencers har däremot även visats kunna ha negativa hälsoutfall då det kan leda till upplevd hets för respondenterna. Parasociala relationer är en betydande faktor då följare med dessa relationer till influencers kan se dem som förebilder som kan bidra med motivation och inspiration till mer hälsosamma beteenden. Den påverkan som dessa relationer kan ha är dock inte avgörande, utan det är enligt respondenterna den egna disciplinen som är det viktigaste. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how adolescents experience that fitness-influencers on YouTube influence their health behaviors. This to contribute knowledge for the society about the concrete effect which the marketing of exercise and diet has on social media platforms regarding bridging the gap related to healthy behaviors. Method: While collecting empirical data, a qualitative method was used in the form of semi-structured interviews. The empirical material was analyzed based on the theoretical framework of influencer marketing, parasocial relationships, electronic word-of-mouth, the two-step flow theory and earlier studies about health behaviors on social media. Conclusions: The respondents demonstrate an awareness of the impact that influencers have on their motivation regarding their health, exercise and diet. The majority see both advantages and disadvantages of social media influencers as they can contribute with motivation at the same time as it emerges that they can also lead to reduced motivation. Fitness influencers can influence young people to a more varied diet in a healthier way. It also appears that fitness influencers can contribute knowledge about health and exercise, which the followers can learn from. However, the shared content of fitness influencers also appears to have negative health outcomes as it can lead to negative body perceptions. Parasocial relationships are a significant factor as followers who experience these relationships with influencers can perceive them as role models who can contribute with motivation and inspiration for healthier behaviors. However, the impact that these relationships can have, is not the most crucial since the own discipline is explained to be the most important factor according to the respondents.

The aim of this thesis is to provide insight into how YouTube audiences perceive the professionalization of vlog production styles and what happens to the parasocial relationship between viewer and vlogger, especially in relation to authenticity, in relation to this. This is done by a thematic analysis of comments on Valeria Lipovetsky’s YouTube video “We Need To Talk”, which serves as a case study. The analysis is done in background to theories of professionalization of influencers, parasocial relationships and authenticity. The results show that there is a tension between the perceived authenticity of the vlogger and the professionalization of vlog production style that is affecting the parasocial relationship between viewer and vlogger negatively. The distinguished themes point to vlogs filmed by a camera team being perceived to resemble reality television which is making the viewers feel disconnected with the vlogger. It is revealed that the audience prefers vlogs where the vlogger is holding the camera themselves, asthat is perceived as more personal and authentic.

This paper comprehensively examines a new type of social media influencer characterized by altruistic tendencies. Utilizing the popular YouTube channel Vlogbrothers as the case study text for a constant comparative analysis, this research explores how the strategies altruistic influencers use to mobilize their community for good, the characteristics of the altruistic influencers, and how altruistic influencers create community. Through an in-depth analysis of 30 Vlogbrothers videos, the themes of education, community, and shared humanity emerged. Education, shared values, and calls to action are discussed as essential for mobilizing communities in charitable endeavors. Authenticity, quality, accessibility, and solutions-focused action were found to be vital characteristics of altruistic influencers. Structure, collaboration, multi-format content, parasocial relationships, and traditions are discussed as community-building tools for altruistic influencers. This research contributes to the existing literature on corporate social responsibility and purpose-driven organizations within the realm of social media influencers. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of "altruistic influencer" as a distinct category within this literature. By outlining the key characteristics and strategies observed in altruistic influencers, this study provides a valuable framework for other influencers to model and encourages further exploration of this field.

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This thesis examines the role of authenticity, its elements and manifestations in the process of developing a relationship between micro-celebrities and their fans. The issue is demonstrated by the example of YouTube, the most important video-sharing site. Part of the issue is whether the YouTube content creators and their subscribers develop parasocial relationships as defined by Horton and Wohl (1956), and authenticity as an element that sets the relationship between micro-celebrities and their fans apart from the relationship between traditional celebrities and their fans. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with concepts that are associated with development of the micro-celebrity phenomenon, discusses the concepts of micro-celebrity and authenticity themselves, and expounds the parasocial relationships theory. Analysis of the role of authenticity in the process of developing the relationship between micro-celebrities and their fans is based on qualitative research that draws from interviews with micro-celebrities and their fans and the analysis of videos and comments by which viewers respond to them.

In this study, an overview is presented regarding how the mechanics in a resource-based game, specifically Crusader Kings II (Paradox Development Studio 2012), might affect the player's connection to the characters in the game. The study introduces conventions prevalent in grand strategy games, roleplaying games as well as literature theory. Participants of the study played two different versions of a mod for Crusader Kings II (2012), and were interviewed, to find indications for how different players related to characters in the game, what mechanics they valued, and their view on the characters themselves. The conclusions that are reached in the study indicated that there are mechanics in the game that influence the player’s connection to the characters, but that it is, to a certain degree, up to the player as to what extent they are used or employed.

In the light of the digitalization and the emergence of social media, the concept of influencer marketing has increased significantly in importance on a global scale and is now considered one of the most effective, powerful and cost-effective marketing tools for businesses in today’s society. Nevertheless, despite the effectiveness of influencer marketing, the growing worldwide marketing trend of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) influencers, also described as human-like influencers, is currently revolutionizing today’s influencer marketing and is expected to become the new way of marketing from a future perspective. With millions of followers on social media, CGI influencers are quickly gaining three times higher follower engagement than prominent celebrities and human influencers, even though their existence is not real. As a result, the organizational use of CGI influencer marketing has intensified markedly on a global scale from several world-leading brands. Although CGI influencers are expected to increase significantly within marketing, the current knowledge and understanding of CGI influencers as a marketing strategy for brands and products is insufficient and is in essential need of further exploration. This thesis contributes to the yet very limited empirical research by focusing on the research gap of differences between CGI influencers and human influencers from a consumer perspective, with the following research question: “How do CGI influencers differ from human influencers in terms of its impact on consumers’ purchase intentions?”  The research purpose of this thesis is to explore whether there is any difference in the impact of CGI influencers and human influencers on consumers’ purchase intentions in order to increase the understanding of the effectiveness of virtual influencer marketing in comparison to influencer marketing on consumer behavior. The research purpose was fulfilled by undertaking a qualitative inductive research approach and performing ten semi-structured interviews with respondents which both follow at least one macro- or mega human influencer and CGI influencer on Instagram. The thesis focuses on CGI influencers in relation to the aspects of motivations to follow, opinion leadership and parasocial relationships, since these are closely linked to purchase intentions. By increasing the understanding of consumers’ view, attitude and behavior, this thesis has discovered multiple key aspects in how CGI influencers differ from human influencers in terms of its impact on consumers’ purchase intentions. The results show that CGI influencers are generally seen as more or less the same as human influencers in terms of inspiration. Followingly, it is possible for consumers to create parasocial relationships with CGI influencers. Nevertheless, this thesis has identified a dominant perspective that CGI influencers affect purchase intentions to a lesser extent than human influencers at present, which is primarily based on higher-developed parasocial relationships, a greater perceived genuineness and higher consumer trust for human influencers. The core theoretical implications are the expanded scientific research on CGI influencers as a marketing phenomenon, and the perceived differences and similarities between CGI influencers and human influencers from a consumer perspective. The key practical implications are the increased understanding of the effectiveness of virtual influencer marketing in comparison to influencer marketing on consumer behavior, and how to implement CGI influencers in the marketing strategy successfully. On a societal level, the most central societal implications are several ethical issues of CGI influencers within marketing.

In an ever-evolving social media landscape, online communication has become more prone to the revelation of our affective states. In this study, I investigate how iterations of emotional capital, an extension of Pierre Bourdieu’s four forms of capital, shape social interaction in mediated relationships on YouTube, a platform that fosters a participatory culture. Previously, the field of media studies has devoted itself to the cognitive-behavioural effects of media consumption, allowing research on consumers’ emotionality as an influence on virtual sociality to be left behind. I attempt to elucidate the emotional footprint left by the discourse of the user comment by applying Marci D. Cottingham’s theorisation on emotional capital, paired with Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s Discourse Theory and by extension Discourse Theoretical Analysis expanded by Nico Carpentier et al on a sample of three sets of thirty most popular user comments, each attributed to a video by UK-based content creators Jade Bowler, Lucy Moon, and Venetia La Manna, to argue that the sociality found within their discourse is formed by the parasocial relationship the user exhibits towards the creator. Depending on the affective distance the user expressed towards the creator or to the other subscribers, different forms of emotional capital emerged - care and vulnerability derived from the address to self; inspiration, communication, encouragement stemming from the address to the community; and empathy and respect originating in the address to the creator. Thus, this study provides a novel outlook on mediated relationships in an online setting, where users actively, and more importantly, emotionally engage with themselves, their community, and the creator, to form affective social networks.

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