The impact of influencer marketing on cosmetics brand switching. An exploratory study on young Vietnamese consumers

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master_Do_Quynh_2022.pdf (11.09 MB)

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School of Business | Master's thesis
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Date

2022

Department

Markkinoinnin laitos

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Mcode

Degree programme

Marketing

Language

en

Pages

86 + 3

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Abstract

In recent years, influencer marketing has become an essential marketing tactic for many businesses, especially for cosmetics brands, leading to numerous research on its impact on brand characteristics such as brand awareness, brand image, and brand trust. However, there is still a distinct lack of studies examining the effects of influencer marketing on brand switching. With a focus on the cosmetics industry in Vietnam as well as young local consumers, this thesis aims to explore attributes of influencers that can affect consumers’ cosmetics brand switching and how influencers leverage such attributes to make consumers change beauty labels. To this end, this thesis employs qualitative methodologies to collect and examine data. In particular, the empirical data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and then analyzed using the Grounded Theory techniques. As a result, this study finds that several attributes of influencers, namely appearance, content delivery, credibility, expertise, content, interactivity, honesty, blogging motive, blogging frequency, reputation, and understanding of consumers’ needs have impacts on young Vietnamese consumers’ consideration of switching cosmetics brands. Furthermore, this study discovers that influencers cleverly leverage their influential qualities to make consumers fall into the authority and availability biases, which were also demonstrated to be able to affect consumers’ cosmetics brand choices. Apart from influencers’ attributes, other factors, namely product availability, personal experience, personal knowledge, consumer reviews, product price, brand reputation, and personal skin condition are also found to have an influence on consumers’ cosmetics purchases. Based on the findings, several valid implications for businesses are also put forward. For example, beauty brands should forge partnerships with personalities who have considerable expertise in cosmetics since such figures are perceived to have high credibility. Cosmetics brands are also recommended to collaborate with influencers who have attractive appearances to demonstrate the effectiveness of the promoted products. Those brands should also encourage influencers to truthfully present the pros and cons of the promoted products, show viewers how to best use them, give detailed explanations of chemical ingredients as well as providing before-after images to prove that the products actually work to improve appearances. Additionally, beauty brands should ask influencers to post contents about the promoted products frequently as well as mentioning them regularly while interacting with audiences to enhance consumers’ purchase intention.

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Thesis advisor

Blakaj, Hedon

Keywords

influencer marketing, brand switching, cosmetics, purchase intention, consumer behavior, Vietnamese

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202209115487

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[gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ