Green cosmetic purchasing decisions fueled by brand positioning, attitude and knowledge, study finds

20 Jun 2022 --- According to a study by the Islamic University of Indonesia, consumers are gaining awareness of green cosmetics due to the current energy crisis and growing environmental issues such as global warming.

The Indonesia-based study revealed that green brand positioning, green brand attitude and green brand knowledge were all crucial factors to consider when deciding whether or not to buy green cosmetics.

According to the study, consumers would have a purchase intention for green cosmetics if given information or knowledge on green cosmetics. Increasing awareness of green cosmetics would make consumers feel that these cosmetics would not affect their health and they would therefore purchase them.

According to the researchers, Indonesia, with a GDP reaching US$888.5 billion, has been predicted to be one of the top five markets for cosmetics in the next 10 to 15 years due to its rapid economic development.

In Indonesia, approximately 63% of consumers are willing to purchase green products even if they are at higher prices than other products. The researchers aimed to analyze the relationship between green brand positioning, attitude and knowledge toward green cosmetic purchase intention.

Analyzing purchase intentions
The study acquired 200 valid data points from respondents who had purchased green cosmetics before and were aged between 18 to 40. The three variables – green brand positioning, green brand attitude and green brand knowledge – had a favorable impact on green cosmetic purchase intention, according to the findings.

Green cosmetics is a focus away from synthetic cosmetics for skincare.Online questionnaires created with Google form were utilized as the sampling method. The questionnaires were returned and analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach with analysis of a moment structure (AMOS) – testing the relationship between variables in a hypothesis.

The findings reveal that green brand positioning, attitude and knowledge substantially impact green cosmetic purchase intention. Green brand attitude is a significant mediating variable between green cosmetic purchasing intention and green brand knowledge.

Furthermore, green brand knowledge has a favorable impact on green brand attitude.

Transparency impacts purchase
The researchers recommend that a future study is needed to analyze other factors influencing green cosmetic purchase intent.

In terms of managerial implications, the findings of this study can assist managers in gaining a better grasp of green brand positioning, which can help develop company brand positioning.

The findings reveal that green brand positioning, attitude and knowledge substantially impact green cosmetic purchase intention.The researchers note that green cosmetics have been increasingly popular in recent years to prevent environmental problems. Therefore, green cosmetics managers must be able to guarantee the accuracy and trustworthiness of the information they provide to customers about green cosmetics.

As a result, future purchasing decisions may be influenced by a well-executed green positioning of green cosmetics.

Previous moves in eco-friendly beauty
Green beauty was previously pegged as a fast-rising trend within the personal care sector as consumers demand environmental sustainability and traceability. A roundtable of experts from BASF, Cargill, Evolva and Givaudan Active Beauty spoke to PersonalCareInsights about the trend’s potential and its evolution.

In other developments, Garnier unveiled its green beauty campaign as demand for eco-friendly NPD soared. Symrise filed a range of patent applications to boost the “green beauty” appeal of its Hydrolite 7 green – a 100% biobased ingredient suitable for various product applications.

Meanwhile, a roundtable of industry experts spotlighted naturality in fragrances with functional ingredients, green beauty and gender-neutral scents.

By Nicole Kerr