{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T04:52:30Z","timestamp":1776315150775,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776124800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP)-ITRC","award":["IITP-2026-RS-2020-II201749"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IITP-2026-RS-2020-II201749"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002701","name":"Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["NRF2023S1A5C2A03095169"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NRF2023S1A5C2A03095169"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002701","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Ministry of Education","award":["LINC3.0-2023-1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LINC3.0-2023-1"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JTAER"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Creative expression is no longer separate from monetization. It is increasingly structured by the business models that platforms provide. Content monetization has evolved rapidly: early models focused on advertising revenue, followed by brand partnerships, and most recently, the integration of commerce-oriented features at the platform level. YouTube, for example, launched its YouTube Shopping service in South Korea in June 2024, enabling creators to sell products directly through their content. This development demonstrates that commerciality has become intrinsic to the creator economy. While prior research has emphasized factors such as authenticity, less focus has been placed on commerciality itself. This study addresses this gap by analyzing how varying levels of content commerciality affect performance, using real-world data from a Korean YouTube beauty creator agency (N = 286 short-form videos). The analysis tests the effects of three revenue models (organic, sponsored, and content-driven commerce) and two content types (context-focused and product-focused) through multiple regression. Results reveal a trade-off between engagement and revenue, as while content-driven commerce generates significantly higher engagement than sponsored content, it yields lower immediate revenue. Regarding content strategy, contrary to expectations, product-focused content consistently outperforms context-focused content in driving engagement, except within sponsored videos where a context-focused approach effectively mitigates the negative impact of overt commercial intent. These findings demonstrate the divergent efficacy of monetization models and content strategies in the short-form ecosystem. By empirically validating the relationship between commerciality and performance, this study advances theoretical discussions on the platform-driven creator economy and offers practical insights for creators, brands, and platforms navigating this evolving environment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jtaer21040118","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T10:29:08Z","timestamp":1776162548000},"page":"118","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Rethinking Commerciality: How Content Commerciality Contributes to YouTube Beauty Content Performance"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Jaeyoung","family":"Park","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Media and Communication, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-0801-9652","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sewon","family":"Eom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Media and Communication, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eugene","family":"Choi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Media and Communication, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jinho","family":"Park","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beaus Company Co., Ltd., 12F, Kyungwon bld, 340, Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06242, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6703-4465","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seongcheol","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Media and Communication, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijresmar.2024.06.006","article-title":"On the Role of Social Media Platforms in the Creator Economy","volume":"41","author":"Bleier","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. J. Res. Mark."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"45","article-title":"Short-Form Video Content and Consumer Engagement in Digital Landscapes","volume":"17","author":"Manic","year":"2024","journal-title":"Bull. Transilv. Univ. Bras. Ser. V Econ. Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"HubSpot (2026). 2026 State of Marketing Report, HubSpot, Inc."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7075","DOI":"10.1287\/mnsc.2020.3862","article-title":"Compensating Online Content Producers: A Theoretical Analysis","volume":"67","author":"Jain","year":"2021","journal-title":"Manag. Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Berger, B., and Hess, T. (2015, January 13\u201315). The Convergence of Content and Commerce: Exploring a New Type of Business Model. Proceedings of the AMCIS 2015 Proceedings, Fajardo, PR, USA."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"226","DOI":"10.1007\/s11747-021-00829-4","article-title":"Online Influencer Marketing","volume":"50","author":"Leung","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Acad. Mark. Sci."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2018.07.005","article-title":"Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and Consequences of Opinion Leadership","volume":"117","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Bus. Res."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Nelson-Bogle, A.M. (2026, March 26). The New Rules of Influence: Rethinking the Consumer Journey. Available online: https:\/\/business.google.com\/us\/think\/search-and-video\/video-influence-on-consumer-purchase-decision-process\/."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1145\/3555174","article-title":"Characterizing Alternative Monetization Strategies on YouTube","volume":"6","author":"Hua","year":"2022","journal-title":"Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"129","article-title":"The Power of Social Content: Transforming Digital Commerce","volume":"12","author":"Griffin","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Digit. Soc. Media Mark."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1007\/s11747-022-00887-2","article-title":"What Drives Digital Engagement with Sponsored Videos? An Investigation of Video Influencers\u2019 Authenticity Management Strategies","volume":"51","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Acad. Mark. Sci."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"568","DOI":"10.1093\/ccc\/tcab050","article-title":"Between Commerciality and Authenticity: The Imaginary of Social Media Influencers in the Platform Economy","volume":"14","author":"Arriagada","year":"2021","journal-title":"Commun. Cult. Crit."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1177\/1354856520902136","article-title":"Selling Brands While Staying \u201cAuthentic\u201d: The Professionalization of Instagram Influencers","volume":"27","author":"Dumitrica","year":"2021","journal-title":"Convergence"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1083","DOI":"10.1108\/OIR-04-2022-0217","article-title":"The Effect of YouTube Comment Interaction on Video Engagement: Focusing on Interactivity Centralization and Creators\u2019 Interactivity","volume":"47","author":"Byun","year":"2022","journal-title":"Online Inf. Rev."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108741","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2025.108741","article-title":"How Do Users Contribute to YouTube Channels\u2019 Revenue? An Empirical Analysis of Korean Beauty Channels","volume":"172","author":"Eom","year":"2025","journal-title":"Comput. Hum. Behav."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1080\/10864415.2025.2471672","article-title":"What to Say and How to Say It: Impacts of Content Type and Linguistic Style on Sales Performance on Live Streaming Platforms","volume":"29","author":"Luo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Electron. Commer."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Kim, N.Y. (2026, March 28). Korea\u2019s Cosmetics Exports Surpass Record $11 Billion in 2025. Available online: https:\/\/koreajoongangdaily.joins.com\/news\/2026-01-09\/business\/industry\/Koreas-cosmetics-exports-surpass-record-11-billion-in-2025\/2496828."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"CODIT (2026, March 28). National Assembly Seminar on \u201cGlobal Growth of E-Commerce\u2013Based K-Beauty Companies and Trademark Protection Challenges\u201d. Available online: https:\/\/thecodit.com\/blog\/global-growth-of-ecommercebased-kbeauty-companies-and-trademark-protection-challenges-99611."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"NielsenIQ (2026, March 28). K-Beauty\u2019s Viral Rise in the U.S. Market. Available online: https:\/\/nielseniq.com\/global\/en\/insights\/report\/2025\/k-beautys-viral-rise-in-the-us-market\/."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Burgess, J., and Green, J. (2018). YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture, Polity. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1177\/1329878X17709098","article-title":"Being \u2018Really Real\u2019 on YouTube: Authenticity, Community and Brand Culture in Social Media Entertainment","volume":"164","author":"Cunningham","year":"2017","journal-title":"Media Int. Aust."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1353\/aq.2021.0008","article-title":"Gender, Social Media, and the Labor of Authenticity","volume":"73","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am. Q."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2056305117707191","DOI":"10.1177\/2056305117707191","article-title":"#familygoals: Family Influencers, Calibrated Amateurism, and Justifying Young Digital Labor","volume":"3","author":"Abidin","year":"2017","journal-title":"Soc. Media Soc."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abidin, C., and Brown, M.L. (2018). Vlogging Parlance: Strategic Talking in Beauty Vlogs. Microcelebrity Around the Globe, Emerald Publishing Limited.","DOI":"10.1108\/9781787567498"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/0022242919841034","article-title":"What Drives Virality (Sharing) of Online Digital Content? The Critical Role of Information, Emotion, and Brand Prominence","volume":"83","author":"Tellis","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Mark."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Slaton, K., and Lee, H. (2025). From Scroll to Store: How Short-Form Video Drives Foot Traffic in Destination Retail. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/jtaer20040335"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1007\/s12525-017-0268-z","article-title":"Commerce-Oriented Revenue Models for Content Providers: An Experimental Study of Commerciality\u2019s Effect on Credibility","volume":"28","author":"Berger","year":"2018","journal-title":"Electron. Mark."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"De Pelsmacker, P. (2016). Informing Consumers about \u201cHidden\u201d Advertising: A Literature Review of the Effects of Disclosing Sponsored Content. Advertising in New Formats and Media: Current Research and Implications for Marketers, Emerald Group Publishing Limited."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1080\/02650487.2021.1986256","article-title":"Understanding Which Cues People Use to Identify Influencer Marketing on Instagram: An Eye Tracking Study and Experiment","volume":"41","author":"Boerman","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Advert."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1080\/00913367.2020.1765909","article-title":"A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Disclosing Sponsored Content","volume":"49","author":"Eisend","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Advert."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1080\/10641734.2010.10505275","article-title":"Customer Magazines: Effects of Commerciality on Readers\u2019 Reactions","volume":"32","author":"Neijens","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Curr. Issues Res. Advert."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.1120.0469","article-title":"Social Media Brand Community and Consumer Behavior: Quantifying the Relative Impact of User- and Marketer-Generated Content","volume":"24","author":"Goh","year":"2013","journal-title":"Inf. Syst. Res."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2021.03.067","article-title":"Understanding Influencer Marketing: The Role of Congruence between Influencers, Products and Consumers","volume":"132","author":"Belanche","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Bus. Res."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Hovland, C.I. (1953). Communication and Persuasion: Psychological Studies of Opinion Change, Yale University Press."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1177\/014616727900500209","article-title":"Effects of Forwarning of Persuasive Intent and Involvement on Cognitive Responses and Persuasion","volume":"5","author":"Petty","year":"1979","journal-title":"Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"557","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2018.07.008","article-title":"Authenticity under Threat: When Social Media Influencers Need to Go beyond Self-Presentation","volume":"117","author":"Audrezet","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Bus. Res."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Gerdeman, D. (2024, December 11). Lipstick Tips: How Influencers Are Making Over Beauty Marketing|Working Knowledge. Available online: https:\/\/www.library.hbs.edu\/working-knowledge\/lipstick-tips-how-influencers-are-making-over-beauty-marketing."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1108\/OIR-06-2025-0454","article-title":"Influence of Short-Form Video Advertising on Purchase Intention in Social Commerce: The Power of Word-of-Mouth and Flow Experience","volume":"50","author":"Ghenie","year":"2025","journal-title":"Online Inf. Rev."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"802","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.2022.0620","article-title":"Navigating Platform-Led Affiliate Marketing: Implications for Content Creation and Platform Profitability","volume":"36","author":"Gu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Inf. Syst. Res."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.indmarman.2021.07.001","article-title":"Differential Effects of Firm Generated Content on Consumer Digital Engagement and Firm Performance: An Outside-in Perspective","volume":"98","author":"Cheng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ind. Mark. Manag."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1336","DOI":"10.1002\/cb.1939","article-title":"To Engage or Not Engage? The Features of Video Content on YouTube Affecting Digital Consumer Engagement","volume":"20","author":"Munaro","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Consum. Behav."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1108\/JPBM-09-2018-2014","article-title":"Message Content Features and Social Media Engagement: Evidence from the Media Industry","volume":"29","author":"Moran","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Prod. Brand Manag."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Das, S., and Gochhait, S. (2021). Consumer Engagement in Digital Entertainment: A Systematic Review. Digital Entertainment: The Next Evolution in Service Sector, Springer Nature.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-15-9724-4"},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"(2025, May 02). Influencer Marketing Hub Influencer Rates: How Much Do Influencers Really Cost in 2025?. Available online: https:\/\/influencermarketinghub.com\/influencer-rates\/."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1086\/209380","article-title":"The Persuasion Knowledge Model: How People Cope with Persuasion Attempts","volume":"21","author":"Friestad","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Consum. Res."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1080\/00913367.2018.1539363","article-title":"How an Advertising Disclosure Alerts Young Adolescents to Sponsored Vlogs: The Moderating Role of a Peer-Based Advertising Literacy Intervention through an Informational Vlog","volume":"47","author":"Cauberghe","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Advert."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijresmar.2021.09.006","article-title":"How, Why, and When Disclosure Type Matters for Influencer Marketing","volume":"39","author":"Becker","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Res. Mark."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1264","DOI":"10.1080\/02650487.2025.2526889","article-title":"Unveiling the Persuasion Knowledge Mechanism in YouTube Affiliate Marketing: Channel-Product Congruence Moderates Disclosure-Credibility Spillover Effects","volume":"44","author":"Han","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Advert."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20563051231180628","DOI":"10.1177\/20563051231180628","article-title":"Making a Living in the Creator Economy: A Large-Scale Study of Linking on YouTube","volume":"9","author":"Rieder","year":"2023","journal-title":"Soc. Media Soc."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1047","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-2466.2012.01677.x","article-title":"Sponsorship Disclosure: Effects of Duration on Persuasion Knowledge and Brand Responses","volume":"62","author":"Boerman","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Commun."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Neuendorf, K.A. (2017). The Content Analysis Guidebook, SAGE.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781071873045"},{"key":"ref_52","first-page":"411","article-title":"Reliability in Content Analysis","volume":"30","author":"Krippendorff","year":"2004","journal-title":"Hum. Commun. Res."},{"key":"ref_53","unstructured":"NOOBZMEDIA (2026, March 30). Thumbs Up for Success: The Importance of Likes on YouTube\u2014NOOBZMEDIA. Available online: https:\/\/noobzmedia.medium.com\/thumbs-up-for-success-the-importance-of-likes-on-youtube-noobzmedia-com-82d70cab9974."},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, Y.C., and Huang, M.Q. (2021, January 21). Examining the Matthew Effect on YouTube Recommendation System. Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Technologies and Applications of Artificial Intelligence (TAAI), Taichung, Taiwan.","DOI":"10.1109\/TAAI54685.2021.00035"},{"key":"ref_55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"707","DOI":"10.1108\/JPBM-06-2019-2442","article-title":"Attractiveness, Trustworthiness and Expertise\u2014Social Influencers\u2019 Winning Formula?","volume":"30","author":"Wiedmann","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Prod. Brand Manag."},{"key":"ref_56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102027","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jretconser.2019.102027","article-title":"YouTube Vloggers\u2019 Popularity and Influence: The Roles of Homophily, Emotional Attachment, and Expertise","volume":"54","author":"Ladhari","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Retail. Consum. Serv."},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02547.x","article-title":"The Persuasiveness of Source Credibility: A Critical Review of Five Decades\u2019 Evidence","volume":"34","author":"Pornpitakpan","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Appl. Soc. Psychol."}],"container-title":["Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/0718-1876\/21\/4\/118\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T04:15:04Z","timestamp":1776312904000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/0718-1876\/21\/4\/118"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"references-count":57,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]}},"alternative-id":["jtaer21040118"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jtaer21040118","relation":{},"ISSN":["0718-1876"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0718-1876","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]}}}