Hola Followers! Content Analysis of YouTube Channels of Female Fashion Influencers in Spain and Ecuador

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the contents and unconventional advertising narratives of the eight most important women in the world of fashion in Spain and Ecuador in relation to the number of followers and points of view, in order to identify the discursive and esthetic strategies and narratives that may reflect the keys to their experience as prescribers, through a content analysis based on the interpretation of the five most viewed videos between 2018 and 2019 from four Spanish to four Ecuadorian YouTube channels (ME = 40) based on a three-round Delphi analysis sheet with a validity of W = 0.828 and a = .947. The content is analyzed from a qualitative perspective, which allows an in-depth exploration of the dimensions and indicators of impact and influence on YouTube channels. The research presents the findings that the influencers reviewed use crutches, idioms, and set phrases to identify with their audience. The audiovisual narrative is simple, maintaining its amateur style. Advertising positioning in the channels analyzed is given by identifying the brand in the spoken discourse, the presence of brand logos, advertisements and promotions, and the presence of products of the sponsoring brands. ; The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study is supported by the R+D+I Project (2019-2021), entitled "Youtubers and Instagrammers: Media competence in emerging prosumers" under code RTI2018-093303-B-I00, financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the R+D+I project (2020-2022) entitled "Instagramers and youtubers for the transmedia empowerment of the Andalusian citizenry. Media literacy of the instatubers", with code P18-RT-756, financed by the Government of Andalusia, in the 2018 call for tenders (Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation, 2020) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work is conducted within the framework of 'Alfamed' (Euro-American Network of Researchers), with the support of the R+D Project "YouTubers and Instagrammers: Media competence in emerging prosumers" (RTI2018-093303-B-I00), financed by the State Research Agency of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work is conducted within the framework of 'Alfamed' (Euro-American Network of Researchers), with the support of the R+D Project "YouTubers and Instagrammers: Media competence in emerging prosumers" (RTI2018-093303-B-I00), financed by the State Research Agency of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).