Abstract :

This study analyzes how V BTS, as TIRTIR’s brand ambassador, transformed celebrity endorsement into symbolic participation within social media conversations. Using a descriptive quantitative approach, the study examined public comments related to TIRTIR’s campaign featuring V BTS through sentiment distribution, engagement volume, temporal movement, and active account concentration. The findings show that neutral sentiment dominated the conversation with 2,191 comments, followed by 869 positive comments and only 7 negative comments. This pattern indicates that audience participation was not primarily expressed through explicit product evaluation, but through symbolic presence, repeated mentions, emojis, short expressions, and fandom-based interaction. Temporal analysis also shows that audience attention was strongest in the early phase of observation before declining gradually, while neutral sentiment remained dominant across most periods. The study concludes that brand ambassador effectiveness in social media should not be measured only through positive sentiment or purchase-oriented indicators. Instead, symbolic participation represents an important form of digital engagement because it sustains visibility, activates fandom expression, and strengthens public conversation around the brand.

---

Keywords :

Brand ambassador, Digital Engagement, Fandom Participation, Sentiment analysis, Symbolic Participation.

---

References :

1. Alkan, Z., Dolunay, A., & Ulaş, S. (2025). Influencers in luxury brand communication: An evaluation of the relationship between source credibility, persuasive message, and parasocial engagement. SAGE Open, 15(3), Article 21582440251377320. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251377320
2. Almashaleh, O., Wicaksono, H., & Fatahi Valilai, O. (2025). A framework for social media analytics in textile business circularity for effective digital marketing. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 11(2), Article 100544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100544
3. An, G. K., Ngo, T. T. A., Tran, T. T., & Nguyen, P. T. (2024). Investigating the influence of social media influencer credibility on beauty product purchase behaviors: A case study from Vietnam. Innovative Marketing, 20(3), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.20(3).2024.21
4. Ballester, E., Ruiz, C., Rubio, N., & Veloutsou, C. (2025). We match! Building online brand engagement behaviours through emotional and rational processes. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 82, Article 104146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.104146
5. Davoodi, L., Mezei, J., & Heikkilä, M. (2026). Aspect-based sentiment classification of user reviews to understand customer satisfaction of e-commerce platforms. Electronic Commerce Research, 26, 1417–1459. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-025-09948-4
6. Garg, M., & Bakshi, A. (2024). Exploring the impact of beauty vloggers’ credible attributes, parasocial interaction, and trust on consumer purchase intention in influencer marketing. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11, Article 235. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02760-9
7. Hossain, M. S., Islam, T., Babu, M. A., Moon, M., Mim, M., Alam, M. T. U., Bhattacharjee, A., Sultana, M. S., & Akter, M. M. (2025). The influence of celebrity credibility, attractiveness, and social media influence on trustworthiness, perceived quality, and purchase intention for natural beauty care products. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 17, Article 100277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100277
8. Kanaveedu, A., & Kalapurackal, J. J. (2024). Influencer marketing and consumer behaviour: A systematic literature review. Vision, 28(5), 547–566. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629221114607
9. Krowinska, A., & Dineva, D. (2025). The role and forms of social media branded content driving active customer engagement behaviours. Journal of Marketing Management, 41(9–10), 1030–1060. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2025.2544808
10. Libai, B., Rosario, A. B., Beichert, M., Donkers, B., Haenlein, M., Hofstetter, R., Kannan, P. K., van der Lans, R., Lanz, A., Li, H. A., Mayzlin, D., Muller, E., Shapira, D., Yang, J., & Zhang, L. (2025). Influencer marketing unlocked: Understanding the value chains driving the creator economy. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 53(1), 4–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01073-2
11. Liu, H., Jayawardhena, C., Shukla, P., Osburg, V.-S., & Yoganathan, V. (2024). Electronic word of mouth 2.0 (eWOM 2.0): The evolution of eWOM research in the new age. Journal of Business Research, 176, Article 114587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114587
12. Mao, Y., Liu, Q., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Sentiment analysis methods, applications, and challenges: A systematic literature review. Journal of King Saud University – Computer and Information Sciences, 36(7), Article 102048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksuci.2024.102048
13. Nadroo, Z. M., Lim, W. M., & Naqshbandi, M. A. (2024). Domino effect of parasocial interaction: Of vicarious expression, electronic word-of-mouth, and bandwagon effect in online shopping. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78, Article 103746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103746
14. Ngo, T. T. A., Le, T. H. A., Nguyen, N. P., Nguyen, H. T. T., & Nguyen, P. M. (2024). Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on social networking sites (SNS): Roles of information credibility in shaping online purchase intention. Heliyon, 10(11), Article e32168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32168
15. Nip, J. Y. M., & Berthelier, B. (2024). Social media sentiment analysis. Encyclopedia, 4(4), 1590–1598. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4040104
16. Osorio-Andrade, C., Rospigliosi, P. A., & Jiménez-Zarco, A. I. (2025). eWOM and content marketing strategies: Maximizing brand engagement among social media users in Spain. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 31(3), Article 100293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2025.100293
17. Pan, M., Blut, M., Ghiassaleh, A., & Lee, Z. W. Y. (2025). Influencer marketing effectiveness: A meta-analytic review. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 53(1), 52–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01052-7
18. Rendi, Linawati, Novita, & Jemi, N. (2026). Digital Marketing Communication Strategies and The Implementation of Sharia Financing Values in Agribusiness Msmes: Case Study of Kebun Binar Bumi. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 09(05), 2627–2633. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20268117
19. Rosli, N., Mohamad, A. D. B., Johar, E. R., Hashim, S., & Lim, X. J. (2025). Beyond borders: The transcendent effect of Korean celebrity credibility on brand perceptions among Malaysian youth—A necessary condition analysis. Heliyon, 11(3), Article e41155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41155
20. Shams, R., Chatterjee, S., & Chaudhuri, R. (2024). Developing brand identity and sales strategy in the digital era: Moderating role of consumer belief in brand. Journal of Business Research, 179, Article 114689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114689