Martin John V.

Recentes/ 2018-02736
ENG 13 WFR5
Outline and Biblio: Draft 2
April 08, 2019

Title: A review of the reviews- A comparative analysis between the top 5 tech youtube channels use of
tech reviews as Viral Stealth Videos (VSVs) for product marketing of tech companies

Thesis statement: The top tech youtube channels use several VSV methods in their product reviews,
which lead to their reviews departing from impartiality. When these occur, consumers must be critical and
aware if ever they plan to purchase.

Outline:

I. Background

A.) Youtube as a platform for product advertisement from companies to showcase new
products

B.) Two major marketing techniques on ads: Product Advertisement Videos (PAV) and
Viral Stealth Videos (VSV) and their respective pros and cons

C.) The use of Top tech youtube channels review and opinion videos as VSVs for
company product placement advertisement

II. Problem

A.) What kind of VSV methods do these youtube channels use in their reviews?

B.) Are there similarities and differences between their methods?

C.) Are there methods that outstandingly recur between all youtube channels?

D.) What do these methods imply on the following:

a.) A review with a statement of impartiality despite being an Ad

b.) The shift of marketing strategies from PAV to VSV

c.) Authenticity of the review as a review and not a VSV

d.) The extent of partiality a professional review is allowed in youtube

e.) Consumers

III. Signficance
 A.) Implications of VSVs through reviews to Consumers

a.) Consumer awareness on VSVs would help them reassess reviews and be more
critical on products before purchase

b.) Would help consumers understand how youtube’s algorithm for recommending
videos work beyond similar videos and subscriber count.

B.) Implications to youtube channels

a.) Though the research accepts that partiality of a reviewer cannot be avoided, it
wants to help reviewers reassess whether of not their content is a review or an VSV
advertisement.

IV. Framework

A.) The framework would use VSV methods since he research is peered through the
lens of VSV.

B.) Some insights from Appadurai’s social life of design and Philip Zimbardo’s Lucifer
Effect would be used to explain further findings seen in the study

V. Methodology

A.) The top 5 tech youtube channels are chosen since they have the most subscribers,
and have review videos of the same trending products which would give a better
comparison.

B.) Watching 3 review videos from each tech youtuber and spot VSV techniques/
methods used. Each individual review should feature the same product in order for
coherence and uniformity between comparisons to occur

a.) the 3 videos should be socially relevant, and should have high view count

C.) Look for Similarities and Differences between techniques and methods

D.) Find Recurring methods that appear through the five youtube channels if any

Bibliography:

Lars Michael Wendt, Joachim Griesbaum, Ralph Kölle, (2016) "Product advertising and viral
stealth marketing in online videos: A description and comparison of comments on YouTube", Aslib
Journal of Information Management, Vol. 68 Issue: 3, pp.250-264, https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-
11-2015-0174

From the two major types of modern advertising methods through online methods namely PAV
and VSV, Wendt researched the various impacts that these advertisements would give to consumers,
which led to him concluding that VSVs tend to have a better appeal to people while PAV give better
product recognition and recollection. The comparative analysis of PAV vs VSV would allow me to
evidently state how big of an impact VSVs could do to consumers and also as a set-up to how I would
use VSV as a framework.

Kaikati, Andrew & G. Kaikati, Jack. (2004). Stealth Marketing: How to Reach Consumer
Surreptitiously. California Management Review. 46. 10.2307/41166272.

Kaikati et Al., created a journal for the basics of stealth marketing from its basic definition to the
different methods and manifestations to its possibilities in the future (which we are already experiencing).
This journal is used primarily as a guide for me to better understand the principles of stealth marketing
and the how it manifests itself in VSV such as youtube reviews.

Milad Farzin, Majid Fattahi, (2018) "eWOM through social networking sites and impact on
purchase intention and brand image in Iran", Journal of Advances in Management Research, Vol.
15 Issue: 2, pp.161-183, https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-05-2017-0062
Milad and Majid found that the reason why eWOM is very effective in brand image and product
endorsement, is that eWOM likely connects to a consumer in a humanistic level- familiarity with the
person, sense of belonging, empathy, moral obligations, altruism, etc. as compared to conventional
product endorsement methods in which they find people to be more apathetic to. Although done in a local
setting, it serves as a supporting argument on the effectiveness of eWOM and why youtube reviews could
become a manifestation of stealth marketing by becoming VSVs.
Steffes Hansen, Sara & Kyun Lee, Jin & Lee, S.-Y. (2014). Consumer-generated ads on YouTube:
Impacts of source credibility and need for cognition on attitudes, interactive behaviors, and
eWOM. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research. 15. 254-266.
The authors of this research found out that since almost all products have a high Need for
Cognition ( NFC), consumers tend to go to Consumer-generated ads on youtube where other consumers
endorse a product and make a good perception towards the product in which they concluded people would
tend to give higher trust and credibility. Similar to Milan and Majid’s paper, this paper is intended as a
supporting argument on the implication of reviews becoming consumer-generated ads without consumer
knowledge.
Li, M., Huang, L., Tan, C. & Wei, K. (2013). Helpfulness of online product reviews as seen by
consumers: source and content features.International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 17 (4), 101-
136.
The authors of this paper found out that reviews support the notion in which online reviews are
highly regarded by consumers, that which reviewer would make a difference in consumer perception, that
-consumer and -source based reviews have a big difference in perception, and that reviews with low level
of content abstractness is found to be the most helpful. This research is used as a supporting argument
where credibility of reviewer is regarded by consumers that’s why it would be problematic if it would
come out as VSV.