Advisers

Ariane Astudillo

Discipline

Marketing

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media and the rise of content creators have redefined marketing practices within the skincare industry. This study focuses on the perceived effectiveness of influencer endorsements in advertising skincare products, with Dermorepubliq—a Philippine-based brand—serving as the focal case. Guided by Cognitive Dissonance Theory, the research explores how these endorsements impact consumer trust, engagement, and purchase intentions. Insights from the study aim to support the development of a strategic business model for more effective influencer-driven marketing. The study adopted a quantitative descriptive research design and utilized a structured survey to gather data from 50 TikTok users who had engaged with content creator endorsements of the Dermorepubliq brand. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. The survey instrument, which was validated by experts and pilot-tested for reliability, focused on three core areas: user engagement, consumer trust, and purchase intention. Collected data were analyzed using frequency distribution, weighted mean, ranking, and ANOVA to identify statistically significant differences based on demographic profiles. The results indicate that content creator endorsements are highly effective in driving engagement (mean = 3.32), enhancing consumer trust (mean = 3.38), and influencing purchase intentions (mean = 3.34). Moreover, no significant differences were observed across age, gender, or TikTok usage frequency, suggesting a consistent perception of effectiveness across all demographic groups. The results affirm that content creators are valuable assets in modern marketing, especially for skincare brands. Respondents reported high levels of engagement and trust, underscoring the importance of authenticity, relatability, and consistency in influencer partnerships. The absence of significant differences across demographic variables indicates that influencer marketing is broadly effective across age and gender. These findings suggest that skincare brands should prioritize building long-term relationships with credible influencers and focus on delivering transparent, high-quality content. The proposed business model developed from this study offers a strategic framework to guide brands in implementing more effective and consumer-centered influencer marketing approaches.

Keywords

marketing strategy, influencer marketing, consumer trust, business model, content creators, skincare brands