User-Generated Content and Consumer Purchase Intentions in the Cosmetic Industry

Online retailers within the luxury cosmetics industry have grown in popularity due to a wider and more diverse catalogue of products. Beauty e-commerce has also seen an uplift due to the increase in blogs/vlogs and online YouTube tutorials which motivate customers to click through to brands and retailer sites through links and affiliate marketing. Given the importance of computer-mediated marketing environments, particularly the burgeoning Internet tapestry along with its various social networking platforms, it is fundamental for management to foster and understand how these emerging technologies impact on their marketing strategies. Drawing on social impact theory (SIT), this paper contends that user-generated content can provide the basis for brand managers in the cosmetic industry to re-evaluate their digital marketing strategies. The paper concludes with discussions about the value of social impact theory in the development of digital marketing strategies.