THE EFFECT OF BRAND IMAGE FROM PERSONAL BRAND VIRTUAL YOUTUBER KOBO KANAERU ON CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT FROM INDONESIAN VIEWERS

• Main Author: Hanif Hariadi, Aflah
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/76147
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

As technology develops, virtual characters have personal brands and can build brand equity through the Virtual YouTuber or VTuber trend. The VTuber trend is quickly becoming a huge industry, with Kobo Kanaeru as an example of a popular VTuber. The research will use a mixed approach. A qualitative approach was carried out to find out the perceptions of Indonesian audiences in the form of brand image, self-congruity, and celebrity attachments through YouTube comments and questionnaire responses as well as the meaning of the Kobo brand personal visual identity through livestream video clips. Qualitative research methods use qualitative text analysis and semiological analysis. Quantitative research was conducted to determine the effect of self-congruity and celebrity attachment relationships moderated by self-extension tendency (SET) on consumer engagement on YouTube content. Quantitative research was conducted using a questionnaire for data collection with the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model (PLSSEM) as the analytical method. Based on the research conducted, the brand image of the audience is similar to the meaning of Kobo Kanaeru's visual identity as a cute and mischievous teenage rain shaman and a fan of Japanese popular culture media who is close to the audience. This equation shows that Kobo Kanaeru's personal brand identity has been successfully formed. There is also self-congruity and celebrity attachment from the audience's perception. From the influence research, only social self-congruity and celebrity attachment have a positive influence on consumer engagement. Social self-congruity also has a positive effect on celebrity attachment and must be fully mediated by celebrity attachment to influence consumer engagement. Selfextension tendency has no effect on self-congruity relationships with celebrity attachments. The contribution of this research is to increase understanding about the brand image of VTuber viewers influencing engagement in video content on YouTube.