Parasocial Interactions of Indonesian Beauty Vloggers in the Digital
Age: Do they Impact Purchases by Millennial Netizens?
RINI KUSWATI1,*, SOEPATINI SOEPATINI1, KUSSUDYARSANA KUSSUDYARSANA1,
SAFIRA ZAKIYAH1
1Department of Management,
Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta,
A. Yani 157 Street, Pabelan, Kartasura, Sukoharjo 57169, Central Java,
INDONESIA
*Corresponding Author
Abstract: - The research objective of this study is to determine the impact of parasocial interactions on
consumers' propensity to purchase cosmetics in the digital age. The other aim of this study is to elucidate how
hedonism, social attractiveness, and physical beauty affect parasocial interactions. The originality of this study
is the integration of theories in the research model, namely the parasocial interaction theory, social identity
theory, and theory of reasoned action. The main goal of this study is to fill a theoretical and practical gap by
answering the question of how internal and external factors significantly influence online purchase intention.
Beauty vloggers' physical and social attractiveness is used to explain the external variables, while hedonism is
used to explain the internal factors. The researchers used a positive paradigm and a quantitative approach. Data
from well-known media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, were gathered. The sample of subscribers
to beauty vlogger accounts numbered 450 and they were surveyed using a purposive sampling technique. The
data were examined using the outer and inner models of Smart PLS through Structural Equation Modeling.
This study shows that parasocial interactions entirely offset the effect of physical and social attractiveness on
purchase intention in the digital age. The external variables affect how millennials interact with beauty vloggers
more than the internal variables do. Therefore, it is distinctive how millennial netizens use the Instagram and
YouTube platforms in parasocial interactions, using beauty vloggers as influencers. Given the results, managers
should engage with the influencers to create collaborations and manage social media channels to interact with
audiences who are involved with beauty vloggers.
Key-Words: - beauty vlogger, hedonism, parasocial interaction, parasocial interaction theory, physical
attractiveness, purchase intention, social attractiveness, social identity theory, theory of reason
action, theory of planned behavior.
Received: June 11, 2023. Revised: January 23, 2024. Accepted: February 11, 2024. Published: March 26, 2024.
1 Introduction
Physical and social attractiveness are both
components of parasocial interaction, [1], [2].
Physical attractiveness refers to a set of
characteristics used to determine whether a person is
attractive or unattractive and to what degree. In
contrast to physical attractiveness, social
attractiveness refers to a person's socially attractive
attitude or attributes, [2], [3]. Moreover, hedonism
is an inherent component of both physical and social
appeal. Hedonism is the degree to which the pursuit
of delight in life becomes a priority in an
individual's decision-making process, [4]. These
factors have an empirical impact on the
communication of influencers with their audiences.
In the digital era, effective communication by
influencers and beauty vloggers influences
consumer purchase intention and decisions, [2], [5].
Extensive research has been conducted on online
purchase intention, [6], but empirical support is still
lacking for studies investigating the role of
parasocial interaction in how beauty vloggers
strengthen purchase intention from the perspective
of internal and external personality dimensions.
Therefore, it is intriguing to investigate this to fill a
gap in the research: what the role of beauty vloggers
in digital business trends, given the shift in
consumer purchasing behavior towards online
purchases, [7], [8].
The novelty of this study lies in predicting the
impact of parasocial interactions on consumer
purchase intentions within online communities,
particularly among Indonesian millennials. The
study examines the influence of hedonism, physical
attractiveness, and social attractiveness on purchase
intentions, mediated by parasocial interactions with
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DOI: 10.37394/23209.2024.21.19
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beauty vloggers. Additionally, this research aims to
fill the theoretical gap by explaining the consumer
behavior of Indonesian millennials in online
communities within the framework of the parasocial
interaction theory and social identity theory, [9],
[10], [11]. The social identity theory explains
consumer behavior within online communities,
suggesting that individuals tend to identify
themselves based on their involvement in such
communities, [12].
The parasocial interaction theory in this study is
used to explore whether individuals' online purchase
intentions are primarily influenced by external
factors, such as physical attractiveness and social
attractiveness. According to the parasocial
interaction theory, individuals who have strong
social media connections with specific characters
tend to imitate or behave like those characters.
Essentially, this theory also implies the contribution
of external factors in explaining the occurrence of
certain behaviors. Meanwhile, the Social Identity
Theory explains that an individual's behavior or
intentions are influenced by both external and
internal factors, [12]. Based on this, the research
model in this study is developed to explain
millennial purchase intentions in the digital era,
[13], [14]. Consumer purchase intentions, in this
case, are elucidated by the theory of reasoned
action.
Thus, an individual's behavior is influenced by
perceived external models as well as internal
factors, including personality and individual values.
Furthermore, this study measures individuals'
intentions to purchase cosmetics online, explained
by integrating the parasocial interaction theory, the
social identity theory, and the theory of reasoned
action.
2 Theoretical Framework
2.1 Parasocial Interaction Theory
The parasocial interaction theory defines a person’s
friendship relationship with, or attachment to, a
character who appears online based on the affective
bond felt by that person towards the media
character, [12]. Initially, this theory explained the
illusionary or false intimacy that exists between
television viewers and media figures. It depicts the
trend in online media and online communities, [15].
Today, non-celebrity vloggers are as popular as
celebrities in the conventional media.
Parasocial interactions are one-sided
emotional relationships between the audience and
media characters through initial or repeated
interactions in that media reality that imitate an
imaginary interpersonal relationship, [16]. The
applicability of parasocial relationships has been
extended from traditional mass media to the
contemporary online environment, especially within
the context of social media, which brings the
audience and media characters closer than ever
before, [17]. The concept of parasocial interaction
has been applied to comprehend the relationships
between influencers and consumers in the digital
environment, including traditional celebrities and
social media influencers, [3], [18].
There is research [19], that extends the
concept of parasocial relationships to the business-
to-business (B2B) context, proposing that B2B
parasocial relationships generated with an
entrepreneur endorser stimulate repurchase intention
among customer firms. In addition to real-life social
relationships, influencer-fan interactions can form
and strengthen parasocial relationships, [19], [20].
In social media, consumers can interact with their
preferred influencers (e.g., follow, like, comment
on, and share posts), creating the illusion of two-
way communication. Frequent social media
interactions between consumers and vloggers
facilitate the development of parasocial
relationships, as demonstrated by [21]. Some
studies, [22], [23] discovered that increased
parasocial relationships reduce consumers' critical
evaluation of advertising content.
2.2 Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory
of Planned Behavior
According to theory of reasoned action [12], [24],
there is a positive association between parasocial
interaction and an individual's attitude and intention,
[25]. Belief, attitude, intention, and activity are
simultaneously linked to an individual's act. The
most accurate predictor of behavior is intention,
which means that knowing one's intentions is the
best method to predict one's behavior. However,
one's behavior can be done for a variety of reasons
(not all are necessarily intended). The focus of
attention, which refers to the mind's ability to think
about something essential, is a key term in the
theory of reasoned action.
Intention is determined by attitudes and
subjective norms, [24]. A rigorous and deliberate
decision-making process, which is affected by
attitudes, in turn, affects behavior, and their
influence is only felt by three variables. First,
precise attitudes about something rather than general
attitudes are what largely govern conduct. Second,
assumptions about what others are likely to expect
have an impact on conduct in addition to objective
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rules. Third, attitudes toward particular behaviors
and subjective norms work together to create the
intention to act in a particular way.
Based on the theory of reasoned action serves
as the foundation for the theory of planned behavior
according to [12], whose study suggests an
amendment of intention to act. Intention is a
function of two basic determinants, namely attitude
toward behavior (personal aspect) and the perceived
social pressure to perform or not engage in a certain
behavior (subjective norms). Principally, according
to the theory of reasoned action, attitudes, and
subjective norms have an impact on intentions,
which in turn have an impact on behavior, [26].
One's beliefs and previous deeds influence one’s
attitude. Simply, this theory explains that a person
will behave according to a certain manner as well as
the expectations of others, [27]. The theory of
reasoned action is applied to explain that consumer
purchase behavior is determined by purchase
intention. Likewise, attitudes and subjective norms
also affect behavioral intention.
2.3 Social Identity Theory
Social identity theory is the study of how belonging
to social groups affects an individual's self-concept
and identity. Social identity theory as one of the
major theories in social psychology was created in
the 1970s, [12]. People align themselves with
specific groups to maintain a positive social identity.
Due to this recognition, individuals attempt to
enhance their self-esteem by distinguishing their
group positively from other groups, resulting in
favoritism towards their group and derogation
towards other groups. The theory highlights the
significance of intergroup conflict and social
comparison in shaping social identity processes. The
social identity theory elucidates why individuals
usually identify with a specific community under
various circumstances. It explains how groups or
communities have a considerable impact on an
individual's behavior, together with external and
internal factors.
The grand theories of parasocial interaction
theory and social identity were utilized in this study.
Multiple factors, including physical and social
attractiveness, were considered. Physical
attractiveness is a set of characteristics used to
determine whether a person is attractive or repellant.
Social attractiveness is an attitude that shapes a
person to generate a sense of social attraction. Then,
according to previous studies, hedonism is one of
the internal factors that influence online purchase
intent, [4]. Individuals who prioritize the pleasures
of life hold hedonism as a value. This value induces
a desire to participate in parasocial interaction,
stimulating purchase intent.
Regarding the determinants of parasocial
interaction, some researchers, [8], [28] have stated
that intimate and false ties are produced by the
unequal relationship between media consumers
(users of social networking sites) and media figures
(such as social media influencers). Such relationship
marketing is developed due to several factors,
including the degree to which media users view
media figures as attractive and representative, [29],
[30].
Attractiveness can be described as physical and
social attractiveness. Physical attractiveness in
social psychology refers to how appealing or
pleasing a person's physical features are, [31]. While
the parameters may vary between cultures and over
time, they are still closely related to social
interaction. This study discusses the relationship
between internal factors (hedonism), external factors
(physical and social attractiveness), and parasocial
interaction. The ability to reach out or connect with
others, especially for media figures, is a part of
social attractiveness. Through media like television,
newspapers, and social media platforms, social
attractiveness has been shown to start parasocial
interactions in addition to physical attractiveness.
The social cognition theory explains that
parasocial interaction is formed by cognitive
processes impacted by external stimuli (social
attractiveness) and personal qualities. Hedonism is
another aspect of predicting the presence of
parasocial interaction. Hedonism is an individual's
view of life, [12]. It emphasizes the pleasure in life,
[4]. Hedonists tend to seek pleasure or to engage in
fun activities. Vloggers who adhere to a hedonistic
lifestyle are prominent figures in parasocial
interactions. When both vloggers and followers are
hedonists, such parasocial interaction will have a
stronger influence on them. The glorification of
hedonism is foreseen as indirectly affecting online
purchase intention, [4]. Moreover, as the apparent
intimacy is stated and visualized, media users
(followers) may sense an affinity with media figures
(beauty vloggers) and thus purchase certain
products.
The intention to make an online purchase is
significantly influenced by physical beauty. Similar
to this, social attractiveness significantly affects
consumers' propensity to make a purchase. An
attitude or characteristic that makes a person appear
socially appealing is known as social attractiveness.
Beauty vloggers with outstanding social appeal are
likely to influence the perception of their followers,
[22], [32]. The modeling process occurs and
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eventually affects the purchase intention of
followers or consumers.
Further, internal factors are estimated to be
ineffective in predicting behavior or intention. By
involving mediating variables, the weak influence of
value as an element of individual personality can be
reinforced. Hedonism might have a direct and
indirect effect on online purchase intentions, with
parasocial interaction as a mediator. The
overarching goal of this study is to evaluate the
impact of beauty vloggers in parasocial interactions
on online purchase intention, with physical
attractiveness, social attractiveness (external
factors), and hedonism (internal factors) as
determinants of parasocial interaction. Furthermore,
parasocial interaction is a mediating factor between
internal and external factors and their effect on
online purchase intention. The following hypotheses
are formed in light of prior theories and empirical
data.
H1: Physical attractiveness has a positive effect on
parasocial interactions.
H2: Social attractiveness has a positive effect on
parasocial interactions.
H3: Hedonism has positive effects on parasocial
interactions.
H4: Hedonism has positive effects on purchase
intention.
H5: Parasocial interactions have a positive effect on
purchase intention.
H6: Physical attractiveness has a positive effect on
purchase intention.
H7: Social attractiveness has a positive effect on
purchase intention.
H8: Parasocial interaction mediates the relationship
between physical attractiveness and purchase
intention.
H9: Parasocial interaction mediates the effect of
social attractiveness on purchase intention.
H10: Parasocial interaction mediates the effect of
hedonism on purchase intention.
3 Research Method
3.1 Research Strategy
The positivist paradigm in the present quantitative
research supports a deductive approach emphasizing
the research's external validity. This study explores
an online survey as a data collection technique that
emphasizes generalizing a phenomenon being
examined, [33], [34]. This study consists of a
dependent variable (online purchase intention),
independent variables (physical attractiveness,
social attractiveness, and hedonism), and a mediator
variable (parasocial interaction). There are
seventeen instruments to measure all variables as in
Table 1. Individual units of analysis were used to
measure all variables.
Table 1. Research Instruments
Variables and instruments
Parasocial interaction is the relationship between
media figures and media users, such as the relationship
between beauty vloggers and viewers/subscribers. The
following indicators are examined.
1. I have always aspired to see the video by the
beauty vlogger “X”.
2. Watching beauty vlogger “X “makes me feel
included.
3. I am acquainted with the appearance of the
attractive Vlogger “X”.
4. I want to meet the beauty Vlogger “X” in person.
5. I will read any article in a newspaper or magazine
that features the beauty vlogger “X”.
6. Beauty vlogger “X” creates a sense of ease and
familiarity, like being among friends.
7. Beauty vlogger “X” influenced my decision to
purchase a product.
8. I intended to view the video and read the articles
and comments.
9. I will track his activities and engage with him on
several social media platforms.
Physical attractiveness is a set of features to consider
a person is beautiful as measured by the following
indicators.
1. I think beauty vlogger “X” is physically
attractive.
2. I think beauty vlogger “X” is quite beautiful.
3. Physically, beauty vlogger “X” looks sexy.
Social attractiveness is an attitude that shapes a
person to create a sense of social attraction. In
determining a person's attitude, the following
indicators are examined.
1. I think beauty vlogger “X” can be a good friend to
me.
2. I want to make friends with beauty vlogger “X”.
3. Beauty vlogger “X” treats people like me sincerely.
4. Her beauty makes me always want to have a good
conversation with her.
Hedonism is an individual's view of life that prioritizes
pleasure and enjoyment in life. This construct is
measured using the following indicators.
1. I always look forward to having fun even if I have
to leave my task or duty.
2. I love pampering myself.
3. It is important for me to do things that make me
happy.
4. It is important for me to enjoy the pleasures of life.
5. I really like having fun.
Source: own work (2023)
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The target population for this study was the
Indonesian millennials who were spread across
several of the country’s cities. This study involved
450 Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers
of beauty vlogger "X". This research employed non-
probability sampling and the purposive sampling
method. The criteria for purposive sampling
included: females over the age of 17 years who were
followers of Instagram or subscribers on YouTube
of beauty vlogger "X.” Respondents were prompted
to recall their preferred social media vlogger and
answer the questions.
The social desirability bias was mitigated by
ensuring the anonymity of the question-and-answer
procedure. The pilot test was carried out as an initial
testing step for the research instrument. The pilot
test involved 50 respondents with good validity and
reliability test results. The validity test in the pilot
study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The
researchers used validated instruments to collect
data on 450 respondents.
3.2 Validation Instruments and Data
Analysis
To ensure that the research instrument was
appropriate, it was subjected to discriminant and
convergent validity tests. Both tests were conducted
by analyzing the outer model on the output of the
SEM-SMARTPLS. The degree to which a variable
is consistent with what it is meant to assess is
known as reliability, [9], [35]. Reliability testing
aims to determine whether the instrument used in
the study can measure and reveal what will be
measured precisely and accurately. The value of
Cronbach's alpha indicates the instrument’s
reliability, while composite reliability tests the
consistency of a variable, [36]. According to [37],
an alpha value of 0.6 and a composite reliability
value above 0.7 indicate the reliability of an
instrument.
Data analysis was conducted using SEM with
SmartPLS 3.0 software. Some tests are classical
assumption tests using the multicollinearity test as
indicated by the value of collinearity statistics
(VIF). The outer model test uses four criteria to test
the validity of the research, namely the convergent
validity, average variance extracted (AVE),
discriminant validity using outer loading, the
instrument reliability output shown in composite
reliability, and Cronbach's alpha on each variable.
The inner model tests the hypothesis using the path
coefficient, both direct and indirect effects[38].
Subsequently, the model feasibility test (goodness
of fit model) was carried out.
4 Results and Discussion
4.1 Data Analysis Results
The descriptive data from this study indicate that
100 percent of the respondents were women. The
majority of them, comprising 45 percent, held a
bachelor's degree. Moreover, the largest proportion
of them, accounting for 85 percent of the total, were
between 17 and 25 years old, with the rest being
aged above 25 and up to 35 years old. Therefore,
the majority of respondents in this study were
millennial youths who were active on social media.
4.2 Outer Model Analysis
Smart PLS 3.0 was utilized to perform structural
equation modeling (SEM), on the data collected for
study. The two SEM processes—the measurement
model, which is the output of the outer model, and
the structural model, which is the result of the inner
model of SmartPLS in this study. While the
structural model connects a latent variable like PInt
to other latent variables like PA, H, and PI, the
measurement model relates the observed variables
to their identifiable latent variables. In addition to
validity and reliability assessment tests,
multicollinearity must vouch for the constructs'
independence and lack of strong relationships with
one another.
The multicollinearity test examined possible
correlations between the independent variables in
the research model. As an indicator, a variance
inflation factor (VIF) of less than 10 is acceptable
[39]. The results of the data analysis showed that
none of the independent variables were correlated,
implying no strong correlation exists between
independent variables, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. The Result of the Multicollinearity Test
Variable
VIF
Physical
attractiveness
1.462
Social
attractiveness
2.144
Hedonism
1.034
Parasocial
interaction
2.153
Source: Primary data processed (2024)
4.2.1 The Results of the Validity Testing
This study evaluates the construct validity and
reliability to ensure that the SEM SmartPLS
produces trustworthy and dependable findings. In
the initial stage of the analysis of the measurements,
the convergent validity and discriminant validity
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checks were performed to assess the validity of the
constructs.
Construct validity refers to the alignment
between the indicators of a measuring instrument
and the underlying theory. Furthermore, the
convergent validity test is intended to determine
whether the indicators are conceptually and
theoretically appropriate in measuring the constructs
in this study, namely the physical attractiveness of
beauty vloggers, social attractiveness of beauty
vloggers, hedonism, parasocial interactions, and
online purchase intention. Discriminant validity
refers to the lack of correlation or unity among
instruments evaluating a construct, or assessment of
a different concept. The output of the outer model
test revealed the convergent validity as presented in
the average variance extracted (AVE) shown in
Table 3.
Table 3. The Results of Convergent Validity Test
Variable
AVE
Physical
attraction
0.675
Valid
Social
attraction
0.648
Valid
Hedonism
0.626
Valid
Purchase
intention
0.650
Valid
Parasocial
interaction
0.667
Valid
Source: Primary data processed (2024)
The second validity test is discriminant validity.
The discriminant test is intended to determine
whether the indicators in the research instrument
can be measured differently from other variables
outside the construct itself. The discriminant
validity test means that the indicators used by
researchers have been able to discriminate against
these items from other construct measurements.
Discriminant validity refers to the lack of
correlation or unity among instruments evaluating a
construct, or assessment of a different concept. The
discriminant validity test results showed a loading
value of more than 0.5 and clustered in one factor,
so it can be declared valid, [38]. According to the
results of the discriminant validity test, all indicators
of variable measurement are declared valid as
shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Validation of Discriminant Validity
Items
H
PI
PA
PInt
SA
H1
0.756
-0.073
-0.016
0.006
0,028
H2
0.882
-0.114
0.090
-0.087
-0.054
H3
0.827
-0.084
0.037
-0.021
-0.022
H4
0.779
-0.073
0.072
0.008
0.001
H5
0.700
-0.017
0.056
0.004
0.012
Df1
0.007
0.377
0.836
0.175
0.424
Df2
0.074
0.484
0.900
0.219
0.448
Df3
0.077
0.364
0.719
0.246
0.399
Ds1
0.045
0.534
0.488
0.351
0.800
Ds2
-0.030
0.621
0.433
0.387
0.852
Ds3
-0.017
0.528
0.276
0.376
0.789
Ds4
-0.066
0.581
0.461
0.426
0.777
Ip1
-0.170
0.820
0.415
0.500
0.609
Ip2
-0.044
0.834
0.359
0.500
0.616
Ip3
-0.007
0.806
0.399
0.445
0.585
Ip4
-0.106
0.750
0.570
0.407
0.603
Ip5
-0.111
0.811
0.419
0.499
0.592
Ip6
-0.051
0,841
0.435
0.474
0.644
Ip7
-0.101
0.791
0.405
0.521
0.452
Ip8
-0.134
0.845
0.342
0.539
0.543
Ip9
-0.065
0.848
0.353
0.556
0.528
Nb1
-0.054
0.617
0.247
0.827
0.480
Nb3
-0.001
0.287
0.107
0.751
0.237
Nb4
-0.030
0.451
0.232
0.837
0.368
Source: Primary data processed, (2024).
Note: H is Hedonisn; PI is Parasocial interaction; PA is
Physical attractiveness; PInt is Purchase intention; SA is
Social attractiveness
4.2.2 The Results of the Reliability Test
The purpose of the reliability test is to determine
whether research on the instrument is accurate in
measuring the variables in this study. Instrument
reliability testing in this study was validated using
Cronbach alpha and composite reliability values.
When a Cronbach's alpha value higher than 0.7
indicates an acceptable level of reliability [34].
Cronbach's alpha of PA, SA, H, PI, and PInt had
values of 0.754, 0.818, 0.865, 0.795, and 0.937,
respectively. According to [37]when it comes to
measuring a construct's internal consistency,
Composite Reliability (CR) is preferable. When the
CR value of a construct is 0.7 or higher, it is said to
have good reliability [34], [37], [38]. The variables
of PA, SA, H, PI, and PIn had composite reliability
scores of 0.861, 0.880, 0.887, 0.828, and 0.947,
respectively, as shown in Table 5.
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Table 5. Validation of Reliability Test
Cronbach's
alpha
Composite
reliability
Physical
attractiveness (PA)
0.754
0.861
Social attractiveness
(SA)
0.818
0.880
Hedonism (H)
0.865
0.887
Parasocial
interaction (PI)
0.795
0.828
Purchase intention
(PInt)
0.937
0.947
Source: Primary data processed, 2024
4.3 Inner Model Analysis
According to the results of the path coefficient test
in the inner model, the hypothesis testing can be
elaborated as follows.
Table 6. The Results of Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis
t
Statisti
c
P
Valu
e
Physical
attractivenessparasoci
al interaction
3.390
0.001
H1
supported
Social attraction
parasocial interaction
12.102
0.000
H2
supported
Hedonism parasocial
interaction
1.504
0.133
H3 not
supported
Hedonism purchase
intention
0.350
0.727
H4 not
supported
Parasocial interaction
purchase intention
7.874
0,000
H5
supported
Physical attractiveness
purchase intention
1.238
1.238
H6 not
supported
Social attraction
online purchase intention
1.725
0.085
H7 not
supported
Physical attractiveness
IP purchase
intention
3.088
0.002
H8 full
mediation
,
supported
Social attractiveness
IP purchase intention
6.646
0.000
H9 full
mediation
,
supported
Hedonism IP
purchase intention
1.479
0.140
H10 no
mediation
, not
supported
Source: Primary data processed (2024)
Table 6 shows that five of the ten hypotheses
are supported. Physical attractiveness and social
attractiveness have positive and significant effects
on parasocial interactions, but insignificant effects
on direct online purchase intentions. This study's
findings demonstrate that the physical and social
attractiveness of beauty vloggers have a major
impact on how they engage with millennial internet
users. Youthful internet users are more inclined to
consider a vlogger's physical appearance and social
status when deciding whether to buy cosmetic
products. Both of these can be observed with a p-
value below 0.05. The impact of hedonism on the
parasocial interaction between beauty vloggers and
the purchasing intentions of young millennial
netizens was not found to be substantial. Netizens
do not prioritize hedonistic ideals when engaging
and planning to purchase cosmetics.
Parasocial interaction, on the other hand, has a
favorable and considerable impact on online
purchase intention. Thus, parasocial interactions
fully mediate based on [40], the effects of both
physical attractiveness and social attractiveness on
online purchase intentions. The inner model or
structural research model is depicted in Figure 1.
Fig. 1: Inner model (structural model)
Source: Primary data processed (2024)
The goodness of fit model is indicated as good,
with an R square of 0.376 and an adjusted R Square
of 0.364. The chi-square value in the saturated
model was similar to the estimated model of
929.125, the NFI of 0.727, and the AIC of -89.711.
This indicates that the model can explain the
phenomenon of purchase intention for cosmetic
products well. Therefore, the results can be
confirmed for decision-making, especially for
managers of cosmetic products in Indonesia.
According to the results of the outer and inner
model analysis in this study, it can be stated that, in
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on INFORMATION SCIENCE and APPLICATIONS
DOI: 10.37394/23209.2024.21.19
Rini Kuswati, Soepatini Soepatini,
Kussudyarsana Kussudyarsana,
Safira Zakiyah
E-ISSN: 2224-3402
202
Volume 21, 2024
general, the instrument of the research is valid and
reliable. It reveals that the data collection results are
accurate and can be used for further analysis.
Theoretically and empirically, this study shows that
parasocial interaction influences online purchase
intention in cyber media or online stores. Parasocial
interaction deserves the attention of marketers using
online media to interact with customers. This study
also suggests that online stores should pay attention
to product brands endorsed by vloggers who
actively initiate communication and interaction with
potential consumers in the digital era.
Manufacturers must further pay attention to the
pattern of communication to introduce their
products to customers. They must be able to create
potential customers who eventually become loyal
customers.
The findings of this research indicate that
influencers' perceived attractiveness influences
parasocial interaction among millennials. If the
millennial segment perceives the vlogger as
attractive, their communication becomes more
effective. The effectiveness of online
communication becomes stronger when the
vlogger's appeal aligns with millennials'
expectations. Thus, marketers can strengthen
consumers' purchase intentions by using influencers
who align with the target market. The selection of
influencers becomes crucial by considering current
issues and trends among young people, [41]. It is
not surprising that marketers often choose
celebrities and artists as influencers or endorsers,
[42].
Another factor to consider in enhancing the
purchase intention of millennials is understanding
the extent of the attractiveness of influencers or
vloggers in interacting with various online
communities. Prominence in interaction,
communication skills, empathy, and the ability to
provide sympathy without belittling others are
important aspects of social attractiveness that
influence individuals. Consistent with earlier
research, this shows that digitalization changes the
way marketers communicate, [43]. Therefore,
marketers can select influencers who are sociable,
comfortable in communication, and do not respond
negatively to criticism received. These are some
criteria for influencers to communicate
appropriately with their online audiences, [44].
5 Conclusions
The empirical findings of this study suggest that the
hedonistic values of individuals and influencers are
not important factors to be considered by the
audience. The audience does not prioritize
hedonistic values as significant when interacting
with influencers in the online world. Thus,
increasing online purchase intention is not
influenced by the prevalent hedonistic values in the
lives of millennials. Even those who do not exhibit a
hedonistic lifestyle can still be a worthwhile target
segment for marketers.
According to this study’s findings, the factor of
a hedonistic lifestyle—that is theoretically related to
the influence of beauty vloggers or similar figures—
does not appear to be empirically correlated.
Consumers with a hedonistic lifestyle do not always
associate pleasure with online shopping. This is a
concern for marketers when they focus on their
market segments, especially in terms of age, gender,
income level, and lifestyle. It is also important for
marketers to examine the role of parasocial
interaction in the relationship between beauty
vloggers and media users as an effective means of
communication to promote their products or brands,
including for SMEs in the cosmetics industry, [36].
Such interaction may influence the purchase
intention of potential customers in the digital era.
The purpose of integrating the parasocial
interaction theory, social identity theory, and the
theory of reasoned action in the research model of
online purchase intention is to fill the gaps about the
internal and external factors that have a significant
impact on online purchase intention. The findings of
this empirical study reveal that parasocial
interaction fully mediates the influence of social and
physical attractiveness on the purchase intentions
toward online cosmetic products in Indonesia. The
integration of the three theories demonstrates that
external factors influence young Indonesian
millennials to intend to buy cosmetics in the digital
era.
6 Managerial Implications and
Suggestions
The study's results indicate that external influences
impact the purchasing intention of young internet
users for cosmetics. This has significant
consequences for marketers and managers, such as:
1) Managers engage with influential beauty vloggers
to create partnerships or collaborations. This could
involve sponsoring their content or creating joint
campaigns to promote products. Practical in content
strategy, managers develop a content strategy that
leverages the influence of these vloggers. This
might involve creating engaging and informative
content tailored to these influencers' audiences.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on INFORMATION SCIENCE and APPLICATIONS
DOI: 10.37394/23209.2024.21.19
Rini Kuswati, Soepatini Soepatini,
Kussudyarsana Kussudyarsana,
Safira Zakiyah
E-ISSN: 2224-3402
203
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Marketers should proactively oversee social media
channels to engage with audiences who
communicate with beauty vloggers. 2) The selection
of an influencer or viewer becomes important to
create positive framing because influencer creativity
is an important factor for respondents to purchase a
cosmetics product. Physical dominance provides
evidence that consumers buy products because they
want to be as beautiful as the influencers. 3) The
social life of the influencer becomes an important
factor in the process of virtual communication with
the consumer. Because virtual communication with
influencers has a strong influence, marketers must
be able to create interesting content by displaying
positive product comments with massive. 4)
Managers should make use of the social media
community so that they can build community-based
brands, in addition to strengthening vlogger
parasocial interaction with netizens. Furthermore,
we are determining effective marketing strategies
that can strengthen consumer purchasing intentions.
These include influencer credibility and
trustworthiness, content quality and relevance of the
beauty influencers, level of engagement and
interaction, and perceived similarity or identification
of consumers. Consumers are more likely to engage
with influencers they feel are similar to themselves
or share similar aspirations, lifestyles, or values,
leading to a stronger parasocial bond.
Understanding these factors can aid researchers and
marketers in strategizing their influencer marketing
campaigns to enhance parasocial interactions and
consequently impact consumers' decisions regarding
cosmetic product purchases and intent.
Acknowledgement:
This research was funded by the Integrated Grant
Program or Hibah Integrasi Terpadu (HIT) from the
Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. Thanks to
the editors and reviewers who provided valuable
suggestions to the authors.
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Contribution of Individual Authors to the
Creation of a Scientific Article (Ghostwriting
Policy)
- Rini Kuswati has organized, conceptualized,
formal analysis, funding acquisition,
methodology, validation, and written original
draft.
- Soepatini Soepatini carried out investigation,
methodology, resources, and supervision, writing
-review, editing,
- Kussudyarsana Kussudyarsana has implemented
supervision, visualization, and writing -review and
editing,
- Safira Zakiyah has carried out project
administration, data curation, software, and
editing.
Sources of Funding for Research Presented in a
Scientific Article or Scientific Article Itself
Research funding from Lembaga Research dan
Inovasi (LRI) Universitas Muhammadiyah
Surakarta, Indonesia.
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)
This article is published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
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