A Matter of Taste: A study on the influences on YouTube's influencers

Abstract

To better understand the relationship between influencers within YouTube’s beauty channels’ community and their audiences this thesis looks to Distinction, a theory introduced by Pierre Bourdieu (1979) focused on the role of taste within society. By means of ethnographic and semiotic methods, this research has been able to conclude that effects of personal taste have manifested themselves within the community found on the digital platform of YouTube, yet differ from Bourdieu’s theory on its influence on society. Concurrently, findings on trust, authenticity and semiotic constructs emerged as important factors in building and maintaining a following as an influencer.