Consumer beauty brand engagement and its social side on Douyin platform: how do they contribute to brand loyalty?

Project title ; Consumer beauty brand engagement and its social side on Douyin platform: how do they contribute to brand loyalty?

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Consumer beauty brand engagement and its social side on Douyin platform: how do they contribute to brand loyalty?

Introduction : 1500

1.1 research background

E-commerce has become an important driving force for China’s economic development, and an important entry point for economic transformation and development, adjustment and development of economic structure (Hongfei, 2017). The development of the e-commerce industry is inseparable from its related online carriers. The study by Wong et al. (2004) pointed out that after 2002, China became the world’s second largest Internet market and the largest mobile phone market. The popularity of mobile Internet has also had a huge impact on China’s e-commerce market. Mobile devices have realised the integration of social media and e-commerce, whereby companies use social media platforms to present information as visually as possible to consumers, while also increasing the interaction between companies and consumers, resulting in a better consumer experience (Dahan and Hauser, 2002). In China, this kind of direct transmission of product information is often inseparable from various platform companies that are developing and improving at a rapid pace. In recent years, short videos, live broadcasts, etc. have gradually become important marketing channels for e-commerce. Especially since the outbreak of Covid-19, more and more companies have decided to launch online sales (Chen et al. 2022). At the same time, more and more platform companies such as Taobao, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, etc. have begun to allow video or live broadcast e-commerce, which has increased many channels for product promotion and sales, and many brands will also introduce and promote their new products through live broadcast.

Mobile e-commerce is gradually becoming the mainstream development trend of China’s e-commerce. In this process, the scale of China’s e-commerce market is also continuing to grow. China has gradually become one of the largest e-commerce markets in the world. According to the “China E-Commerce Report (2021)”, the national e-commerce transaction volume reached 42.3 trillion yuan in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 19.6%. In addition, with the popularization of the Internet and the development of various types of e-commerce platforms, more and more people are beginning to use online video platforms, and many of these platforms can provide e-commerce activities. According to statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), as of December 2022, the number of online video (including short video) users in China has reached 1.031 billion, accounting for 96.5% of the total Internet users; Not only that, consumers’ consumption habits have gradually shifted from offline to online, and consumers’ demand for online shopping is still increasing. The number of online shopping users in China has reached 845 million, accounting for 79.2% of the total Internet users; With the diversification of e-commerce models, live streaming, a special marketing method, has gradually gained favor among consumers. The number of online live streaming users in China has reached 751 million, accounting for 70.3% of the total Internet users.

Douyin is the name of the Chinese version of TikTok. Douyin was originally a creative short video software based on music. It was launched by ByteDance in 2016. After development, it has become one of the short video platforms with extremely diverse content (Zheng, 2023) . As the number of users and daily active users continues to increase, Douyin has gradually begun to explore more diversified business profit models. Douyin relies on its powerful algorithm support to determine which type of video the first-time user is more inclined to by analyzing the user’s viewing time and user interactive behavior (comments, collections, etc.), and analyzes user preferences to recommend more similar or related videos to users to attract and retain new users (Huang, 2021). In this process, consumers can participate in some interactive activities, allowing consumers to actively interact with the brand, which is more conducive to consumers improving their emotional connection with the brand, thereby affecting their brand loyalty. In addition, Douyin supports users to become content creators. Douyin provides many video templates and reward programs for publishing videos. This reward program realizes the monetization of video content, greatly improves users’ enthusiasm for publishing videos, and improves consumers’ sense of participation (Shen, 2022). These user-generated content tend to resonate more with audiences than traditional advertising and can help brands increase their loyalty.

As Douyin gradually integrated with e-commerce, brands from all walks of life began to interact with consumers on Douyin, and the beauty industry was also booming on Douyin. There are many product categories in the beauty industry, like skincare, colour cosmetics, etc. Among them, the market size of the skincare industry in China 2021 exceeded RMB 180 billion, making it the largest beauty product category, accounting for 45.2% of the total beauty market in China. The consumer group of Chinese beauty products is constantly expanding, and “Generation Z” is gradually becoming the core consumer group in the beauty market (Nykänen, 2019). China’s “Generation Z” consumers will pay more attention to cultural self-confidence, and this preference for Chinese elements is gradually affecting China’s beauty market. In addition, female users are the core group in the beauty industry, and they have a higher preference for beauty products than men. Nearly 40% of users wear makeup on important occasions, and 28.2% of them insist on wearing makeup every day (Qi et al. 2020). However, the market for men’s beauty products is also growing rapidly, contributing to the expansion of China’s beauty market, which cannot be underestimated in the future.

1.2 Research Gap

Past research has defined consumer brand participation from different dimensions, providing a theoretical basis for this study. However, most of the past studies focused on traditional social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. (Dessart et al. 2015), and there were also studies on Chinese social media in terms of consumer brand participation and brand loyalty, but it is not specific to a certain platform (Chan, 2022), so research on the specific platform of Douyin needs to be supplemented. Secondly, research on the interaction between consumers and brands in the specific industry of beauty is also worthy of additional research. Moreover, many studies have focused on the interaction between consumers and brands, involving the importance of consumer participation (Verhoef et al. 2010), but have not linked it to social participation.

1.3 Research purposes

This study constructs a framework based on the theoretical model proposed by Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019). This model clearly demonstrates the relationship between four variables (consumer brand engagement, social brand engagement, self-brand connection and brand loyalty), providing a detailed foundation for this study. The main purpose of this study is to conduct research on a specific research context based on the conceptual model and framework of Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019), explore the relationship between the social aspect and self-brand connection in the Douyin platform on consumer brand engagement and brand loyalty of beauty brands. This study made necessary modifications to the original model. Based on the possible unique aspects of the research background of this study (Douyin platform and beauty industry), the model was supplemented to suit the research purposes of this study by relating social brand engagement to three influencing factors. This kind of reference and adjustment provides a relatively robust research method for this study.

1.4 dissertation structure brief

This dissertation will consist of five chapters, each of which will explore a different area to ensure that this study achieves an understanding of the impact of social brand engagement and self-brand connection in the Douyin platform on consumer brand engagement and brand loyalty for beauty brands. The chapters of this study are as follows:

The first chapter is the introduction, which introduces the background, purpose and theoretical model basis of this study.

The second chapter is the literature review that explores various parts of the literature on the topic.

The third chapter is methodology, which discusses the research methodology and outlines how the study was conducted.

The fourth chapter is data analysis, which presents the results.

The fifth chapter is discussion and discovery, which analyzes and discusses the results of this study.

The sixth chapter is the conclusion presented, which aims to summarize the entire study and its findings, as well as limitations and suggestions for future research.

Literature review :

>>>>IF U WILL HAVE TIME (COMPLETE THE FULL DISSERTATION FIRST!), U WOULD NEED TO ADD A SECTION ON BRAND ENGAGEMENT IN GENERAL (NOT SPECIFIC TO SOCIAL MEDIA) -WHAT ARE THE DETERMINANTS OF BRAND ENGAGEMENT, REVIEW GENERAL THEORY ABOUT BRAND ENGAGEMENT (ABOUT 2 PAGES).

Brand Engagement

 

Consumer brand engagement in social media

Academia has done a lot of research on consumer brand engagement, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the nature and influencing factors of consumer brand engagement from different dimensions. However, current research on comprehensive definitions of consumer engagement in the field of CBE is still limited, and researchers conceptualize consumer engagement from different perspectives when conducting research, so the models proposed when measuring CBE are also different (Obilo, Chefor and Saleh, 2020). Sprott, Czellar and Spangenberg (2009) did a study on the match with consumer’s own image with the brand and proposed that brand engagement in consumer self-concept is whether the brand matches with the consumer’s own image, seeing the brand as a part of the consumer’s self, in this study consumer brand engagement operates in a uni-dimensional way. Furthermore, there are many studies related to the multidimensional operation of CBE, Dwivedi (2015) suggests that consumer brand engagement is related to the mindset of the consumer and that the dimensions of consumer brand engagement can be considered as vigour, dedication and absorption; Mollen and Wilson (2010) explored how computer-mediated platforms that communicate brand values can help consumers build stronger relationships with brands, and the dimensions of consumer brand engagement in this study were cognitive, instrumental value and experiential value; Vivek, Beatty, Dalela and Morgan (2014) found that consumers can gain a deeper connection with a brand through continuous engagement and interaction with the brand and in this study consumer dimensions can be made up of consumer attention, enthused participation and social connection. Although there is a lot of research on consumer brand engagement, most research on CBE focuses on specific brands, and most studies operate on this construct as multidimensional, capturing cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions ( Leckie, Nyadzayo and Johnson, 2016). Consumers invest relevant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral resources to connect with brands as active participants through specific brand interactions (Higgins & Scholer, 2009). Hollebeek et al. (2014) delved into customer brand engagement in the social media domain, studying this phenomenon from the perspective of customers. In their research, they not only provide a relatively clear definition of consumer brand engagement, but also explain how consumers perceive brands on social media platforms and how they generate emotional and behavioral responses. This study confirms cognitive engagement, emotional engagement, and behavioral engagement as the main dimensions of CBE as a multidimensional research method, and clarifies the importance of these three dimensions of consumer brand engagement in social media . Through these dimensions, we can have a deeper understanding of how consumers interact with brands in social media, and at the same time provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research to explore the development and interaction of CBE with brands in social media. Although in different studies, there are some differences between the definition of CBE for different research objects and the actual research, but this definition has helped subsequent researchers to better understand the nature of consumers’ engagement with brands in social media.

Based on the above review, this study decided to analyze the research background of this study based on the conclusions drawn from the above studies. It will be carried out from three dimensions: cognitive engagement, emotional engagement and behavioral engagement. Cognitive engagement emphasizes the degree of consumer understanding of the brand, not only can directly obtain brand information, but also includes some in-depth brand values, etc.; Emotional engagement emphasizes the emotional experience consumers get when interacting with a brand, which affects the relationship between consumers and brands; Behavioral engagement emphasizes the interactive behavior with the brand, such as “like”, share, post suggestions, etc. On social media platforms, it will be related to the enthusiasm of consumers to participate in brand-related online activities.

2.3 Brand loyalty in social media

The activeness of consumer brand engagement can be judged by many factors, such as brand reputation, brand loyalty, etc. (Jang et al. 2008). Brand loyalty is considered to be one of the most important outcomes of consumer brand engagement, and it can be considered as a measure of judging consumers’ emotional dependence on products (Liu, 2012), brand loyalty also means a consumer’s regular purchase intention for a particular brand (Fullerton, 2003). Jacoby & Kyner (1973) proposed that consumers’ brand loyalty can be reflected in two aspects of behavior and attitude. Through the analysis of brand loyalty, it is possible to measure consumers’ future purchase intentions for the brand, and it is also possible to understand whether consumers are willing to share this particular brand with their friends, when consumers share with their friends, those friends become potential customers for the brand. Consumers who are highly engaged within social media brand communities typically experience a strong brand loyalty, a notion supported in the study of Brodie et al. (2013). Most studies in the past have focused on the impact between consumer engagement and brand loyalty, and many studies have predicted and analyzed the relationship between consumer brand engagement and brand loyalty from different dimensions (Bowden, 2009; Brodie et al. 2011 ; Hollebeek, 2011). This means that by demonstrating that brand loyalty is related to any one of the dimensions of CBE, then brand loyalty is related to CBE. Previous research experience has emphasized that customer engagement plays a key role in promoting the cultivation of behavioral brand loyalty. (Harrigan et al. 2017; Kumar and Nayak, 2019). However, the specific impact of this relationship in the context of social media marketing still requires further research. By further in-depth analysis of the relationship between the CBE dimension and behavioral brand loyalty, we can better reveal the internal mechanism and influencing factors of this relationship in the social media environment. Most of the past studies have shown that active participation of consumers in brand community activities will promote interaction with the brand, and thus achieve the effect of enhanced brand loyalty. As an important platform for communication and e-commerce, social media provides consumers with a wide range of interaction opportunities, and these interactions are not just purchase behaviors between consumers and brands, but also an emotional and cognitive connection. This close interactive relationship subtly strengthens consumers’ emotional investment and attention to the brand, thus building a stronger and lasting brand loyalty (Gamboa and Goncalves, 2014). Because this research explores the relationship between consumer participation and brand loyalty in the Douyin beauty industry, it is assumed that there is a positive influence between them. Therefore, It is thus hypothesised:

H1: Consumer beauty brand engagement through Douyin positively influences brand loyalty intentions.

2.4 Social brand engagement – brand loyalty in social media

Definition of Social brand engagement

Social brand engagement is considered as the emotional interaction between consumers and brands through social media, which reflects the nature of the interactive relationship between consumers and brands (Hollebeek et al. 2014). Social brand engagement can also be considered as a brand connecting with consumers through the brand’s official website, images, advertisements, etc., and conveying to consumers the stories and values that the brand wants to convey (Osei-Frimpong and McLean, 2018). Social brand engagement can be a pathway to build consumer-brand attachment, highlighting the role of consumers in brand development, it also involves the interaction between brands and consumers, requiring customers to consume time and material costs to obtain brand-related information, such as news, offers, etc. (Harrigan et al. 2017).

The sbe in social media can be more displayed in the interaction between consumers and brand advertisements. Brands can define the intensity of consumers’ participation in brand activities by analyzing consumers’ behaviors and attitudes. Peeroo et al. (2017) research pointed out that factors such as consumers’ purchasing motivation, brand awareness, personal characteristics and platform characteristics will affect social brand engagement. Generally speaking, the main purpose of consumers participating in these activities is to satisfy Self-needs (Pelletier et al., 2013). SBE also affects brand results. Dwivedi and MacDonald (2018) pointed out that when consumers are willing and active to participate in brand activities, it will promote brand awareness and improve brand image; At the same time, social brand engagement can also influence brand outcomes through positive word-of-mouth, brand recommendations, and purchase intent. With the emergence of new media, along with many consumer-brand-related behaviors that have not been mentioned in previous studies, such as online real-time interaction, etc., research shows that researchers have relatively little research on consumer engagement in online environments, including but not limited to online websites, online brand communities, etc. However, according to existing research, when brands encourage consumers who have already participated in purchasing behaviors to conduct online behaviors such as reviews, they can increase the probability of attracting new customers (Van Doorn et al. 2010). Therefore, in this study, a specific brand on a specific social media platform is focused on the behavioral performance of its social brand engagement.

Social brand engagement and consumer brand engagement

Both consumer brand engagement and social brand engagement involve the interaction between consumers and brands in social media, and they are closely related and influence each other. The wide application of social media provides consumers with new ways to interact with brands, and consumers’ active participation in brand activities in social media, such as sharing brand content and taking leave, can enhance awareness and emotional connection to the brand, thus increasing consumer brand engagement (Brodie et al. 2013). It was mentioned above that consumer brand engagement can be analysed in three main dimensions, namely cognitive engagement, emotional engagement and behavioural engagement. Social brand engagement, on the other hand, emphasises the involvement and interaction of the brand in society, including the interaction between the brand and consumers and society at large. Cognitive engagement is related to consumers’ knowledge and attention to the brand, and can be used as the basis of social brand engagement. When consumers share brand information, it can affect many other people’s attention to the brand (Carlson et al. 2019). Emotional engagement represents how emotionally invested a consumer is in a brand, and when a consumer communicates positive emotions about a specific brand on a platform, it also draws the attention of other consumers, increasing the likelihood that potential consumers will be engaged and enhancing the brand’s impact (Kujur and Singh, 2018). Behavioural engagement refers to the actual interactions and actions that consumers take in response to the brand, such as participating in the brand’s offline activities and exchanging experiences with other consumers, which can lead to interactions between consumers, which in turn can enhance their interaction with the brand.

As a social media platform with a huge user base, Douyin needs to take into account the influence of social media platforms when analyzing the relationship between consumer brand engagement and social brand engagement. Social media platforms provide a convenient environment, which make the interaction between brands and consumers more diversified and real-time. Users on Douyin can share brand-related content, watch brand promotion videos, watch live stream, and interact directly with brands, all of which can enhance the connection between consumers and brands. It is hypothesized that the active interaction between brands and users on the Douyin platform will make consumers more willing to participate in beauty brand activities, thereby increasing the overall consumer brand engagement. Therefore, It is thus hypothesised:

H2: Social brand engagement via Douyin has a positive impact on consumer engagement with beauty brands via Douyin.

Social brand engagement and brand loyalty

In the previous many studies discussed the impact of customer brand engagement and brand loyalty, Brodie et al. (2013) and others pointed out that in social media brand communities, consumers are more likely to experience strong brand loyalty when they are more engaged. Through its unique interaction methods, social media facilitates the communication between brands and consumers, making it easier for consumers to establish a close relationship with brands and show positive emotional tendencies (Peeroo et al. 2017). According to the hypothesis proposed above, if there is a relationship between consumer brand engagement and brand loyalty, and social brand engagement is related to consumer brand engagement, then a hypothesis about social brand engagement and brand loyalty can be put forward. It is thus hypothesised:

H3: Social brand engagement via Douyin positively impacts brand loyalty

2.5 Self-brand connection in social media

Edson Escalas (2004) states that the self-brand connection is the link established between the consumer’s personal image and the brand’s image, which represents the individual consumer’s emotional attachment and cognitive attitudes towards the brand, and often the brand will play an important role in the consumer’s self-identity. Self-brand connections are often reflected in the two dimensions of cognitive engagement and emotional engagement in consumer brand engagement (Bowden and Mirzaei, 2021). In cognitive engagement, a consumer’s self-brand connection can be related to consumer and brand alignment. According to the self-congruence theory, the degree of congruence between an individual’s self-image and the brand’s image affects the individual’s behaviour towards the brand, where the consumer self-brand association will be reflected in the consumer’s perception of the brand in relation to the degree of congruence between the brand’s image and their own self-perceptions (Malär et al. 2011). Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019) used Facebook as a research context for their study and found that when consumers perceive congruence between a social media brand and their own self-image, they have more positive attitudes towards engaging with that brand’s content on social media and are more likely to continue to maintain a connection with the brand. This implies that there is a relationship between the creation of self-brand connections and brand-specific consumer brand engagement in social media. Consumers evaluate specific brands based on the consistency of their identity during the brand perception process, and they tend to feel proud when they share and display brands that represent their preferences or identity on social media (Bazi et al. 2020). This pride interacts with the self-brand connection and will make consumers want to keep stewarding the brand, thus increasing their emotional engagement. When consumers have a certain emotional link with the brand, they will show higher emotional engagement (Fernandes and Moreira, 2019). Pham and Gammoh (2015) pointed out that brands can establish emotional connections with consumers by sharing brand stories, brand culture, social activities, etc. Stories are often a core component of brand content on social media, and when consumers have the opportunity to engage with a brand’s story, they develop a strong self-branding connection with the brand. Brands with less communication and connection with consumers may lack many opportunities to establish resonance with consumers, which will greatly reduce consumers’ willingness to buy.

The study of self-brand association and consumer brand engagement needs to consider the relationship between the two from the three dimensions of cognition, emotion and behavioral engagement. Consumers interact with brands through social media platforms, looking for places where brands are consistent with their own cognition, which affects the loyalty of consumers and brands. The results of the study by Moliner et al. (2018) show that self-brand association is closely related to consumer brand engagement, so this study assumes that there is a relationship between the two and assumes it is positive. Therefore, It is thus hypothesised:

H4: The self-brand connection established through the Douyin platform positively influences consumers’ brand engagement through the Douyin platform.

2.6 Summary and Model

Social media provides many ways for consumers to interact with brands. Through these interactions, the relationship between consumers and brands will be closer, which will affect the establishment of brand loyalty (Shampy et al. 2018) . Generally speaking, the most direct way to achieve interaction on social media platforms is to “like” and post comments. “Like” can directly reflect that consumers have a positive attitude towards the brand (Lisette, Gensler and Leeflang. 2012). Comments can promote communication between brands and consumers and between consumers. This interaction can help brands understand consumer needs. In addition, consumers can also become video producers themselves, and users can interact with brands by making and publishing their own videos. These User Generated Content (UGC) provide brands with valuable user experience and feedback (Mohammad et al. 2020), these creative contents can be experience in using brand products, demonstration of makeup skills, etc. The social attributes of social media platforms make the interaction between users and brands more free, and users can truly express their opinions and experiences. Moreover, exploring consumer brand engagement on social media platforms also entails discussing social brand engagement. Typically, advertising is one of the most important parts of social media platforms and the conduct of e-commerce, and its adverts are also closely linked to consumer brand engagement, which often requires interaction with consumers. Dong et al. (2023) pointed out that brands through the use of social media platforms of publicity, it is conducive to strengthen the brand positioning, increase the brand affinity, closer to the distance with the consumer, and help the brand to achieve effective marketing. There are various advertisements for brands on Douyin. The more common ones are videos with goods and product reviews. Product review videos often require creators to appear on camera, which can improve the interaction with viewers and achieve an effect of emotional resonance. Secondly, video promotion products to integrate products into the daily life of creators, and will have different presentations depending on the creator’s different styles. In addition to ordinary user creators, video promotion products often cooperate with a large number of celebrities and Internet celebrities, and some companies will invite these celebrities to promote their products. These celebrities and internet celebrities will attract a large number of their fans to use Douyin to watch their videos, and these highly popular creators with the help of high-quality video content can stimulate the interest of users, utilising the celebrity effect as a marketing strategy (Wan et al., 2017). Moreover, highly popular creators often don’t just create short videos, they also run live streams to promote them, and live streaming is now a more common e-commerce model for Douyin. With the help of its huge user base, Douyin has allowed live broadcasting, an e-commerce model, to develop very quickly on the platform (liu 2020). It also continues to use its powerful content algorithm to assist live broadcasters and recommend these live broadcasts to users who may be interested. During the live stream, consumers can directly see the anchors using these products, and interact with them in real time, making consumers more involved in the brand. Aiming at the topic of this research, discussing the consumer brand engagement of beauty brands on the Douyin platform is inseparable from the discussion of Douyin advertising. Since 2018, the market size of China’s beauty industry has maintained a growth rate of more than 10%. This rapid growth is one of the characteristics of China’s beauty industry. According to Euromonitor’s data, the proportion of e-commerce channels in my country’s cosmetics market has rapidly increased from 2.6% in 2010 to 38.7% in 2021.

Therefore, this study builds on the original model and relates the social brand engagement component to advertising campaigns for beauty brands, which has three influencing factors, namely, video promotion of products, appearance-type videos, and live streaming.

Figure1.

Source Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019)

Methodology

The methodology part of this study emphasizes the data collection method chosen in this study, the purpose is to better confirm the research hypothesis of this study, but also to allow readers to review the overall credibility and validity of the study. In this part, we will explain in detail how the data are collected, generated and analyzed, as well as the actual operation of the research. In addition, this section needs to demonstrate that the chosen techniques and methods achieve the overall research goals and assumptions of the study, and it must ensure that the methods employed are capable of generating reliable research results. This study chose to use questionnaire survey as the main data collection method. In addition, it also discussed how to verify the research hypothesis and the ethical issues considered by the research.

Philosophy – positivism / pragmatism

(This part is not finished yet)

Research methods

Deductive methods >>>U CAN ALSO LINK THIS TO RESEARCH PUPROSE (EXPLORATORY/EXPLANATORY/CONFIRMATORY)

In the field of academic research, inductive and deductive methods are two common research methods (Karen, 2010). deductive method is one of quantitative>>>NOT ACCURATE, IT CAN BE DESCRIPTIVE TOO, it focuses on causality, based on known theories, puts forward hypotheses, and finally verifies the authenticity of the hypotheses. Deductive research can test whether a causal relationship is true, and can test whether the relationship holds for many generalized situations. The deductive method makes assumptions in advance based on current information and gives a research design based on the assumptions. It is also a method of drawing conclusions with a narrower scope from existing conclusions with a larger scope. That is, after the data is collected, the hypothesis is verified. This hypothesis is often narrowed down, and can also be used to test whether the theory is true. With the help of this method, this study puts forward a hypothesis of the relationship between two specific variables, and then uses regression, correlation and other analysis methods to test the hypothesis.

Research design

Quantitative

Apuke (2017) pointed out that quantitative research is a kind of relationship or change that aims to be quantified by collecting data, analyzing and explaining the collected data. Usually quantitative research contains information that will be quantifiable in some way, and any research topic that involves numbers is quantifiable, i.e. the data collected quantitatively can be converted into numbers, graphs, and processed and analysed using statistical procedures during the research process (Rasinger, 2013), the researcher gets a specific reality in the numbers.

The reason for using quantitative research as the research method of this study is mainly based on the characteristics and advantages of quantitative research. First of all, in terms of data sample size, quantitative research often requires a larger sample size, which can ensure a small error in the research results and improve the reliability of the research. Second, quantitative research can reduce the amount of subjective bias, thus ensuring research objectivity. Furthermore, the most commonly used quantitative research methods are surveys and closed-ended questionnaires. Compared with other research methods, the results obtained by quantitative research are more concise and intuitive.

Using quantitative research methods also has some disadvantages, Queirós, Faria and Almeida (2017) analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of these methods by conducting survey statistics on various research methods of quantitative research. Among them, the research method involved in this study is questionnaire survey, which is too dependent on the quality of the questionnaire results and the structure of the questionnaire. The results of the interviewees will be affected by the structure of the questionnaire design, which will have a certain degree of subjectivity and cannot be completely objective. If the respondents cannot guarantee the truth of their answers, it will greatly affect the reliability and accuracy of the data. Second, most of these surveys are conducted online, which may prevent researchers from directly feeling the emotions of the respondents and observing their behavior.

Primary data >>> SECTION NEEDS REFERENCES

Primary data is data collected by the researcher themselves, usually directly for a specific research purpose. As research data that can be obtained directly, without other analysis and processing, it provides researchers with an unmodified data basis.

There are several reasons for using primary data. First of all, the data obtained by the primary data are basically collected by the researchers during the research, which is real-time and can reflect the current situation and trends to a certain extent. Secondly, the collection of these data is based on the research purpose of the researcher, so the primary data is highly pertinent, and the results obtained are also strongly related to the research purpose. Third, compared with other research methods, the accuracy of primary data is higher, and the data will not be affected by the researcher’s personal bias, so it is more authentic and reliable.

It is precisely because of these advantages that primary data can become the first choice in many research scenarios.

Questionnaire >>> SECTIONS NEEDS REFERENCES.

Questionnaire survey is a common data collection method to obtain primary data. Questionnaires are usually a series of questions that researchers pre-set according to the research purpose, aiming to obtain some specific information from the answers of the respondents. The types of these questions are usually open-ended and closed-ended. Open-ended questions can obtain more subjective answers from respondents and allow respondents to express their opinions more freely; Closed questions are given fixed options for respondents to answer from.

There are many reasons for using surveys. First of all, the questionnaire is very flexible, and it can be presented in many forms, such as paper questionnaires and electronic questionnaires. When using questionnaires for research, it can be conducted face-to-face or online. Secondly, if the online questionnaire is used, the respondents are allowed to fill in anonymously, which can protect the privacy of the respondents and encourage them to fill in their true feelings, which is also a way to reduce prejudice.

Therefore, according to the advantages of the above data collection method, this study decided to use the data collection method of questionnaire survey.

Data collection

According to the hypothesis and model of this study, an empirical study was carried out, and a data collection work without age and gender restrictions was carried out. There are many reasons for choosing Douyin as the research background. Since 2018, Douyin has become the most downloaded non-game application in the global iOS app store, with more than 250 million daily active users. As Douyin develops, it has gradually transformed from a music and creative short video application into a platform that combines entertainment and e-commerce. The reason why the beauty industry was chosen as the research background is because the beauty industry has developed rapidly in China in recent years and has made important contributions to China’s economic recovery. And Zhou (2022) reported that the development of the beauty industry can not be separated from the support of many related industries, such as agriculture, biochemical industry, transport industry, advertising industry, etc., which further promote the development of the industry chain integration of the beauty industry. Furthermore, the market size of the beauty industry maintains a growth trend of over 10% growth rate. With the increase in income level of consumers, people are paying more attention to the management of their personal image, as well as the gradual recovery of China’s economy after the epidemic, there is an increasing demand for the beauty industry.

Based on the above reasons, this study takes the beauty industry of the Douyin platform as the research background, and the questionnaire is written in English, but the majority of users based on the Douyin platform are Chinese. Therefore, when the questionnaire was collecting data, the questions were translated and the meaning remained unchanged after reverse translation, and a questionnaire combining English and Chinese was provided for data collection.

The questionnaires for this study were created in Google Form. All questionnaires were pushed to potential respondents through the Douyin platform and those who participated in filling out the questionnaires were strangers who voluntarily participated in the questionnaires. Finally, 50 questionnaires were collected, of which 50 were valid questionnaires.

Questionnaire design

In addition to the questions about informed consent, there are 23 questions in this study. Among them, the first two questions are screening questions. This study does not limit the gender and age of the respondents. These two questions serve as the basis for the respondents to answer the following questions. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how often the respondent uses Douyin every week and how often the respondent sees any beauty brand advertisements on the Douyin platform, so as to ensure that the following questions can meet the actual situation of the respondent. The remaining 21 questions are divided into six parts, all of which are related to the core variables of this study, namely the three dimensions of consumer brand engagement (one part for each), social brand engagement, self-brand connection, and brand loyalty.These questions were answered on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”. The measurement items of previous studies were modified and combined according to the research background of this study to derive a new questionnaire.

Based on the review of the above literature, this study decided to use a three-dimensional method to analyze consumer brand engagement. When designing the questionnaire module, the research of Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019) was mainly used for reference, and the questionnaire designed in this study was supplemented according to the items of their research. In terms of cognitive engagement, we mainly refer to the multiple levels of brand engagement discussed by Hollebeek, Srivastava and Chen, (2019); In terms of emotional engagement, we mainly refer to Hollebeek, (2011) article on the impact of consumer and brand emotional engagement and brand loyalty; In terms of behavioral engagement, we mainly refer to Brodie et al. (2013) on consumer behavior in virtual brand communities; In terms of social brand engagement, Dessart, Veloutsou, and Morgan-Thomas, (2016) analyzed social participation in online brand communities and listed the categories of participation, which provided help for this study; In terms of self-connection with the brand, this study refers to Edson Escalas’s (2004) discussion on establishing consumers’ connection with the brand. All the above parts were adjusted according to the research background and actual situation of this study, and adapted into questionnaire items suitable for the needs of this study. Moreover, this study made reference to the questionnaire used in the research of Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019), and supplemented the questionnaire of this study.

>>>HERE, PLACE A TABLE OF CONSTRUCTS AND MEASURES AND REFERENCES.

Ethical consideration

Before starting the questionnaire, the respondents were clearly informed of the research purpose and research background of the questionnaire, and the respondents were informed of the ultimate use of the results of the questionnaire. When participants choose to participate in this survey, the security of their personal information has been fully considered, and they are committed to ensuring the privacy and security of the data, and the data obtained will only be used for this research. This questionnaire is conducted anonymously, and no private information such as the participant’s name, specific age, income, occupation, etc. will be collected. And if participants feel offended during the filling process, they can pause filling in at any time and provide feedback to the researcher. Sanjari et al. (2014) said that when personal information faces risks such as being exposed, a series of ethical issues will arise.

Additionally, none of the data will be shared with third parties, except for the fact that it was collected anonymously and only for the purpose of this study, and all data collected this time will be completely deleted after six months and not stored for a long period of time. However, in order to ensure the integrity of the data, necessary backups of the data will be kept for the first six months.

In general, the scope of ethical requirements is relatively broad and requires researchers to always pay attention and maintain respect for participants. Any data that could lead to identification should be redacted when presented, and pseudonyms should be used to protect participants when information is transcribed (Ford and Reutter, 1990).

>>>>>ALSO NEEDS LIMITATIONS SECTION.

Limitations

Chapter 4: Data Analysis

Introduction

How customers connect with businesses has changed, especially in sectors like cosmetics, where clients must be able to view the product. Douyin has become a crucial channel for cosmetics companies to interact with potential customers and sell their products during this significant shift. There needs to be more proof that Douyin changes customer behavior. By investigating how Douyin affects customers’ views and actions toward cosmetics firms, this part of the data analysis makes up for this shortcoming.

We have identified three key areas for investigation:

Frequency of Douyin usage among the study respondents.

Degree of engagement with beauty brands on Douyin, particularly in terms of cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects.

The subsequent impact of this engagement on consumer purchasing decisions and loyalty to beauty brands.

Data Collection Instrument and Sample Size

An online survey distributed to 50 people served as the main data source for this inquiry. 23 questions were included in the poll to collect ordinal data. This data may be loosely divided into six main themes: self-brand connections, behavioral brand loyalty intentions, social brand engagement, emotional brand engagement, and cognitive engagement. The goal was to learn as much as possible about how customers engage with cosmetics businesses on Douyin and how loyal they are.

Scaling Method

Higher numbers suggest higher agreement or more regular occurrence of the event. The Likert scale was chosen because it demonstrates the range of people’s experiences and viewpoints, enabling a more nuanced analysis of the data.

Data Analysis Techniques

Manual Computational Approaches

The data analysis for this inquiry must be done manually because no suitable statistical tools are available. This method takes much time but ensures that the data are fully comprehended without sophisticated statistical techniques.

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics will be used as the primary study approach to give an overview of what respondents did and felt. Each variable’s mean, median, and mode will be manually determined by adding all the values and dividing by the total number of replies. The distance between the data points will be calculated using the range and the standard deviation.

Qualitative Observations

Qualitative observations will be added to quantitative statistics. Any open-ended replies or trends in the sequence of the responses must then be categorized into theme groups. The qualitative data will give the quantitative data more context and depth and show things the quantitative techniques might not have.

Percentile Ranking

Percentile rankings for relevant factors will be computed to understand the data distribution better. The data must be sorted from lowest to highest, and how many scores fall below a particular cutoff must be determined. To better understand the distribution of data, we can use a strategy that goes beyond measurements of central tendency.

We want to present an in-depth yet understandable analysis of how Douyin influences customers’ opinions regarding beauty brand items by concentrating solely on these human processes. These tools provide a fundamental understanding of the data by identifying underlying patterns and linkages that may impact current research and practical applications.

Data Analysis

Frequency of Douyin Use

Given that his mean score is 5, Douyin must be very well-liked by the study’s participants. This frequency was manually computed by making a frequency distribution table for the responses. Anecdotal information suggests that respondents utilize Douyin as a location to reside in addition to for enjoyment. This makes it a perfect setting for businesses to engage with customers. Given that the sample has a mean frequency of 5, it is most likely made up mainly of terms with high frequency.

Brand Advertisement Exposure

Most respondents said they regularly see commercials for cosmetics products, with a mean score of 4. Users generally indicated interest in ads that recounted tales or offered advice on cosmetic products. Many respondents (over the 75th percentile) chose option 4 or option 5, demonstrating that they are regularly exposed to brand marketing.

Brand Discovery Through Douyin

The most frequent value of this variable was 4, making it a great area to find new brands. People assert that Douyin is where they found their new favorite cosmetics brands. This suggests a pattern among younger users.

Content Preference and Botheration

The common score of 4 suggests that beauty content is important to the Douyin experience of the sample. Users specifically mentioned that tutorials, reviews, and unboxing videos are what they would miss.

This shows that beauty content is essential overall and that the user experience on Douyin gives some types of beauty content an unfair advantage. This degree of specificity is crucial for organizations looking to enhance their website content strategy better to meet the demands and interests of their target audience.

Following Beauty Brands

The average score was 4, which shows that brand loyalty among cosmetics consumers is highly valued. Users claim that by following names, they may discover the most recent goods and trends.

This group actively strives to incorporate knowledge into their everyday lives and purchasing practices instead of passively taking it in. Many people commit to follow to be informed and not miss what their favorite brands have in store.

Brand Loyalty and Purchase Behavior

The majority of respondents rated Douyin a 4, indicating that it significantly influences consumers’ level of brand loyalty and their purchasing decisions. Numerous people claimed to have bought at least one cosmetic item with Douyin since it was in it.

Social Recommendations

Based on a frequency score of 4, Douyin encourages brand discussion and commentary. Users claim that they and their coworkers routinely discuss interesting facts about various cosmetics products.

Enhanced Awareness and Perceptions

High ratings in this area (often 4 or 5) suggest that Douyin favors how people view it. The material on Douyin allowed people to learn more about specific cosmetic items as well as general beauty trends.

Cognitive and Affective Engagement

Users of Douyin tend to be emotionally and mentally involved, as evidenced by average ratings of 8 to 10 for emotional participation and 15 to 18 for mental involvement. User feedback indicates that Douyin helps businesses develop emotional customer relationships by offering actual facts and stories.

Behavioral and Social Brand Engagement

Users with a median score of between 13 and 14 pursue their brand interests by purchasing or sharing information about them on social media. Numerous people claimed that in addition to liking or seeing the information, they also spread their brand-related items and engage in discussion and sharing of it.

Summary of Chapter

Despite several flaws, the study offers a respectable initial examination of how Douyin affects customers’ opinions and behavior toward beauty enterprises. The study found that Douyin is a dynamic environment that helps people find new brands, get emotionally and psychologically involved, and change their buying patterns and brand loyalty. Despite the small sample size, the findings show a clear user interaction trend beyond ad watching. High ratings for brand loyalty, cognitive and emotional engagement, and social recommendations suggest that Douyin influences a wide range of customer behaviors. According to preliminary research, Douyin is useful for cosmetics firms to engage consumers and promote their brands. Early data suggests that Douyin may be a beneficial strategy for cosmetics firms to promote their brands and engage their consumers, even if larger sample sizes and more complex statistical techniques are needed to support these findings. Future studies could confirm and build upon these conclusions, deepening our comprehension of how social media platforms like Douyin alter the cosmetics sector.

Chapter 5: Discussion

Introduction

This chapter attempts to contextualize the study’s findings in light of what has already been published. Four hypotheses were developed to investigate how brand interaction and self-brand relationships on the Douyin platform affect brand loyalty and consumer engagement. The following section examines these concepts in light of the study’s findings and current knowledge.

H1: Consumer Beauty Brand Engagement and Brand Loyalty Intentions

Previous studies, notably the substantial work of Brodie et al. (2013), provide strong support for hypothesis H1. They discovered that customers who take part in brand groups exhibit increased brand loyalty. Our conclusions apply this idea to the cosmetic shops in Douyin. This helps us learn how different types of interaction—like training, product demos, and interactive content—might affect customer loyalty. Differentiating between the various types of contact activities utilized by beauty businesses is crucial in the context of Douyin. For instance, tutorials show users how to use a product properly and build trust by offering pertinent information. Shampy et al. (2018) claim that this kind of involvement is more than just publicity since it improves the consumer experience, which is crucial for fostering brand loyalty.

Consumers are more engaged by product demos since they can see how the product will work before they decide to buy it. These presentations frequently include before-and-after pictures, which appeal to customers who want to see distinct outcomes. The customer’s thoughts and sentiments about the brand may be significantly affected, strengthening their bond.

These hobbies may result in real relationships, so they are good at establishing trust. In the opinion of Fernandes and Moreira (2019), emotional involvement is a successful strategy for promoting brand loyalty. When consumers believe a brand’s online actions are real and not merely a way to boost sales, they are more likely to feel a connection to it. Emotional attachments are necessary for sustained brand loyalty because they provide a subjective, emotional component to the consumer-brand connection. As a result, the connection is more resilient to problems like market rivalry and unfavorable evaluation.

H2: Social Brand Engagement and Consumer Engagement

Hypothesis H2 is supported by existing research, notably the work of Peeroo et al. (2017), which focused on social media’s distinctive engagement as a way for customers and companies to connect more. By focusing on the distinctive qualities of Douyin that make it so successful in maintaining customers’ interest in beauty firms, our study contributes to this subject. Everyone’s participation rises thanks to each of Douyin’s intrinsic qualities that promote discourse. The platform’s main content type comprises small video clips that may be seen and responded to in seconds. According to Mohammad et al. (2020), these movies are frequently made to be interesting and shared. They are sponsored content with the potential to become quite popular, boosting visibility and interaction.

Live streams improve audience engagement. They offer a platform for customers to interact in real-time with the brand and other users, frequently through Q&A sessions, surveys, or direct chats. Live broadcasts foster a sense of community among viewers thanks to their immediate nature and active engagement, which is good for consumer interest and social proof. Dong et al. (2023), who describe how social media platforms improve brand image and loyalty, bolster this assertion.

Promoting User-Generated Content (UGC) is another essential component of Douyin. A sort of contact made possible by the platform, according to Mohammad et al. (2020), allows customers to be both passive receivers and active producers. People don’t only praise cosmetic brands when they produce content about them. Instead, they are improving the story by adding their own experiences and viewpoints. Peer-to-peer marketing improves the brand’s content ecology and boosts overall involvement. The social features of Douyin provide players with a psychological sense of connection and social approval, which may serve as strong incentives to continue playing. Consumers are more inclined to stick with a brand if they believe that the brand and their social media identities are comparable, according to a study by Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019). Most of the time, social interactions on Douyin, whether through direct dialogue or related UGC, help develop this sense of belonging.

H3: Social Brand Engagement and Brand Loyalty

The validation of Hypothesis H3 adds to what is already known, especially in light of the study by Shampy et al. (2018), which revealed that “likes” and remarks are important for brand loyalty. In-depth research into the Douyin ecosystem is done by our team, exposing not just the exchanges but also the kinds of material that encourage brand loyalty. The association between social engagement with a brand and brand loyalty is strengthened by particular material on Douyin, even though having a large social network is necessary. For example, product reviews may be both helpful and considerate. They are social evidence that lessens consumers’ hesitation to purchase and boosts their trust in the company. Reviews, especially those from well-known or prominent people, may significantly affect customers’ feelings and eventually increase their loyalty. Live streaming goes one step further by including an interactive layer that allows the business and its customers to connect in real time. Because live programming is interactive, comments and explanations may be made immediately, quickly addressing viewers’ questions or concerns while also forging a closer, more direct bond between the viewer and the brand.

Furthermore, people are more likely to remain loyal to a company when they encounter material that is appropriate to their interests because of Douyin’s thorough algorithmic curation. Those who continue to watch a company’s content are more likely to be brand loyal in the long run since they are more likely to be interested in highly pertinent material. Lisette, Gensler, and Leeflang (2012) claim that a simple “like” might signal that you approve of the business, boosting brand loyalty. Fernandes and Moreira (2019) contend that emotional commitment is essential for customer loyalty. This study provides evidence to support their claims. Whether via amusing or inspirational stories, the collaborative elements of Douyin stir up emotions in the audience. Consumers who experience emotional resonance report feeling more connected, which boosts engagement and makes it easier for them to convert that engagement into loyalty. Customers may interact with companies in various ways on Douyin due to the intricacy of social brand interaction there. Providing customers with a range of informative, moving, and/or entertaining channels is important in addition to focusing on clicks, views, and comments. Going beyond the straightforward measures used to evaluate online activity, this holistic approach to engagement contributes to the complex link between social brand engagement and brand loyalty.

H4: Self-brand Connection and Consumer Brand Engagement

The support of Hypothesis H4 is the keystone that connects the traditional theories of branding to the changing character of digital media platforms like Douyin. Escalas (2004) originally presented the self-brand connection, illustrating how consumer behavior patterns hold steady as we switch from traditional to social media ecosystems. This greatly contributes to the literature by giving the reader a sense of culture and technology. This is important because it shows that culture is supported. The social networking site Douyin in China has its policies for its members. We can learn more about cross-cultural consumer behavior because the idea of self-brand connection is still valid in this situation. China’s vast and sophisticated market increases the importance of this cultural support.

The information also illustrates the participation behavior categories’ multidimensionality, which lends credence to the self-congruence argument. Malar et al. (2011) and Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019) concentrated on selecting and favoring a brand, while the Douyin environment allows for a greater diversity of forms of communication. These behaviors might be as straightforward as enjoying and sharing material or as complicated as producing user-generated content that promotes a company. By proving that the brand is genuine, the self-brand relationship is enhanced. Brands that regularly advertise authenticity on Douyin are more likely to match customer identities. This aligns with what Bruhn, Schoenmueller, and Schafer (2012) discovered. They showed how brand authenticity affects customer engagement and consumer trust.

Consider Douyin’s autonomous curation, which increases the link between user experience and self-brand. Customers are more likely to get involved with brands when exposed to products and services that closely fit their interests and beliefs. This strengthens the bond between the customer’s self-brand and the brand. This could be the equivalent in science to what Escalas said about psychological processes. Self-brand links must also take psychological factors into account. The customer’s actual or desired traits may be reflected in the brand. Businesses that successfully appeal to one or both of these personality qualities might anticipate more interaction with Douyin, according to Belk’s (1988) research on aspirational branding.

Summary and Implications

According to Douyin, the survey confirms and expands upon what is previously known about how consumers engage with companies in the digital age and their brand loyalty. The fact that all four assumptions were proven correct supports the academic debate, emphasizing the importance of online platforms as vital brand links. The outcomes offer brand managers in the cosmetics sector useful knowledge that can be applied in the real world. The development of connections is not only a “nice-to-have” but a crucial element of brand loyalty. This is especially true in industries with fierce competition, where telling one brand from another can be challenging.

The creation of entertaining, instructive, and interactive information should be prioritized. Additionally, the strength of the relationship between self-brand and self-brand suggests that tailoring material to users’ personalities may be quite successful. Therefore, honesty in a brand’s message is no longer just a catchphrase; it is a must for strategy. The poll thoroughly investigates how social media affects customers’ opinions of a business and their purchase choices. As customers become more discriminating, companies that can forge sincere connections with them and capture their interest are more likely to thrive.

Limitations and Future Research

Depending on the technique, the size of the study’s sample or its constraints on certain demographic groups may be important. To ensure that these findings can be used elsewhere, future researchers may look at different sectors of the economy and types of equipment. The study is further constrained by its emphasis on Douyin, a culturally and technologically exclusive platform to China. As previously said, watching whether a similar occurrence occurs on other international websites, such as TikTok or Instagram, would be interesting.

Summary of Chapter

This study does not only reiterate earlier ideas in a fresh setting. Instead, it adds substance by taking cultural and platform-specific aspects into account. This helps us comprehend how brand engagement and trust function in the social media era. The study offers marketers a method for creating enduring brand loyalty on complex social media sites like Douyin. Beyond academic study, the benefits of social interaction and self-branding may be utilized to guide success in the real world.

Chapter 6 Conclusion

Summary of Findings

With an emphasis on the cosmetics sector, this study sought to explore the complex web of customer behavior on the Douyin platform. Douyin has emerged as a prominent participant in the ever-evolving social media environment, particularly in China, where digital platforms are quickly displacing conventional media sources. Studying is, therefore, vital, especially in fields like cosmetics, where the importance of visual and interactive content cannot be overstated. This study looked into four important variables: individual brand engagement, social brand engagement, self-brand connection, and brand loyalty using Helmet-Guizon and Magnoni’s (2019) conceptual model and framework. Notably, all four hypotheses based on these variables were supported, showing that brand loyalty, customer engagement, and interaction characteristics are all strongly correlated.

Notably, the study results allow marketers to reevaluate and change their marketing plans for the Chinese market and other Asian markets where platforms like Douyin are becoming more popular. Studies showing that customers are engaged with and loyal to brands on Douyin should be considered particularly welcome news for companies looking to build their digital operations, given how challenging it is to capture people’s attention in the digital world.

Theoretical Contributions

One of the most challenging ideas in the subject is the role of cultural differences. Due to its unique digital environment and consumer behaviors, the Chinese market presents a fresh viewpoint on the linkages between brand engagement, self-brand connection, and brand loyalty. One of this research’s most important contributions is adapting and placing Helmet-Guizon and Magnoni’s (2019) model in a different setting. Our study went above and beyond to improve and tweak their model to fit the specifics of the Douyin platform and the beauty sector. Their model was a good place to start. This improvement illustrates the original approach’s resilience and makes it easier to apply it to new digital platforms and sectors.

Recommendations

The following managerial suggestions can be made in light of the investigation’s findings:

Personalization: In order to give consumers information that is more likely to match how they view themselves, brands should use AI and analytics technology. As a result, there will be a stronger bond between the customer and the brand and increased brand loyalty.

Interactive Content: Marketers should prioritize interactive content like surveys, live Q&A sessions, and challenges since social brand involvement is a successful strategy for bringing in and keeping customers.

Storytelling: It would make customers feel more connected to the company if brands used stories to illustrate their genuine beliefs and goals.

Multi-Channel Strategy: Although Douyin was the primary focus of this study, the ideas might be employed at other locations. Consequently, a multimedia strategy may be helpful.

Data Ethics: Consumer information must be managed appropriately as personalization grows. Brands are required to follow privacy laws and have open privacy policies.

Community Building: Product-focused online communities should be promoted, given the favorable association between social brand involvement and customer interaction. This will not only keep customers coming back, but it will also encourage word-of-mouth advertising among peers, which might be highly advantageous for your business in the cosmetics sector.

Influencer Partnerships: Influencer partnerships allow companies to get more trust and loyalty from their audience. These alliances must be carefully chosen to guarantee that they complement the brand’s basic values and target market.

Virtual Events: Virtual events like live beauty shows and product debuts might be an interesting method for businesses to engage customers as consumer experiences grow increasingly digital. Additionally, these occasions offer a real-time feedback loop that enables companies to monitor consumer responses and quickly change their plans.

Limitations and Future Research

Notably, the study did not investigate how brand loyalty is affected by discounts and promotions, which might have a big impact on brand loyalty. The study also focused on younger people who are more engaged on social media. This implies that little is known about how old people on Douyin use cosmetics. Although this study offers helpful information, its limitations must also be considered. Only the culture and technology of Douyin, as well as the cosmetics manufacturing business, are included in the findings. In order to enhance the findings, focus might be put on extending this to further areas and platforms in subsequent research.

Linking Objectives with Findings

According to Helme-Guizon and Magnoni (2019), this study’s main goal was to determine how social characteristics and self-brand connections affect consumer engagement and brand loyalty. This model was updated for this study to add certain elements important to Douyin and the cosmetics sector.

Consumer Brand Engagement: According to the study, offering customers tailored and dynamic material may boost their brand loyalty, which aligns with our initial goals.

Social Brand Engagement: We have seen that Douyin’s distinctive and captivating features improve social brand interaction, which raises customer engagement and loyalty. This aids us in achieving our goal of comprehending how social systems work.

Self-Brand Connection: We developed a strong link between customer participation and self-brand connection, which helped us overcome the theoretical gaps we were trying to close.

Brand Loyalty: This study shows that brand loyalty is significantly influenced by both types of participation and self-brand connection. This indicates that the investigation’s main goal has been accomplished.

Sustainability: The study’s other goal was to show how social media platforms are continually changing so that businesses may better plan for the future. The study’s findings show that community-based, customized, and engaging techniques substantially influence brand loyalty; therefore, these strategies may be seen as long-term plans that companies may change and adapt over time.

Methodological Rigor: One of the main goals was to establish a tool for examining customer behavior in a digital world. This study’s research design and statistical analysis offer a framework that might be used as a foundation for subsequent observational studies in comparable circumstances.

This study not only succeeded in achieving its goals, but it also added to the body of knowledge and offered useful advice to practitioners. Incorporating the theoretical underpinnings of Helme-Guizon and Magnoni’s (2019) work with the operational facets of brand management on a modern social media platform like Douyin, we found a rich, multidimensional environment with various potential directions for future academic study and operational use.

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