The TikTok consumer: Indonesian Gen Zs using app to make cosmetics purchase decisions

To capture this market, researchers suggest that beauty firms officially verify their brands to prove authenticity, highlight more brand names, interact with the target audience and engage influencers to promote products.

“Angga Anugrah Putra, as Head of Content and User TikTok Indonesia, stated that fashion beauty content became one of the most popular content because it featured videos about make-up and skincare that dominated user interest.​

“Based on searches on the TikTok app, the number of hashtags #makeup and #skincare has been viewed as many as 91.2 billion and 32.7 billion as of November 26, 2020. This shows that TikTok is able to provide business opportunities for Cosmetic Products such as make-up and skincare in Indonesia,”​ said the researchers.

These findings were highlighted in their study titled Engagement Behaviour Generation Z on TikTok Case Study: Cosmetic Brands​ published in the Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal).

The team utilised the quantitative research method and devised an online questionnaire that had 260 respondents who followed cosmetic brand accounts and liked, commented or shared cosmetic brand video content on TikTok. Engagement intentions then influence on Gen Z consumption, contribution and creation behaviour on TikTok.

TikTok experience influences Gen Z behaviour​

Three factors could influence the engagement intention of Gen Zs on TikTok – media richness, trustworthiness and expertise. The engagement intention of the respondents then exerted influence on their consumption, contribution and creation behaviours on the platform.

For example, the researchers found that a verified cosmetics account increased a brand’s trustworthiness. Once they trust the brand, it impacts their interest in engaging with said brand. The reason is that Gen Zs are not easily manipulated by hoaxes or fake news, and ready to find out more about the information received.

In terms of trustworthiness, the influencers’ expertise in presenting cosmetic products affects a person’s intention to engage with a cosmetic brand. In this case, the intention is to purchase the product featured. The Gen Zs in the study were found to trust the recommendations made by influencers and even bought products on their advice.

An aspect of the Gen Z consumption behaviour on TikTok is that they like to see posts on brands. The research showed that respondents clicked on the store link in the brand profile to see the product after being exposed to the content impressions.

Regarding contribution or interactivity and creation, the Gen Zs are happy to interact and communicate on the platform via ‘Likes’, comments and uploading videos.

Based on these results, the researchers suggest that companies pay close attention to factors like influencer expertise and how they introduce the products to consumers. The consumers trust the advice of these influencers, who are also considered to reflect the company and its products.

Source:​ Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal)

“Engagement Behavior Generation Z on TikTok Case Study: Cosmetic Brands”​

Authors:​ Cristy Natalia Lontoh et al​.