Determinants of Purchase Intention of Men's Fairness Cream: The Role of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WoM) Communication in Formation of Product Specific Attitudes of Sri Lankan Millennials

Abstract

At present male-niche cosmetic market is making radical growth signifying opportunities for all marketers in the industry worldwide. Major cosmetic companies have created dedicated products going beyond “only sanitation”. However, there is a lack of research on this type of product category in a male market, especially in the South-Asian context. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the phenomenon with special emphasis on male Millennials in Sri Lanka as they are very much exposed to and engaged in social media platforms and this significantly influences the formation of their attitudes and perceptions towards products. The key purpose of the study was to explain how purchasing determinants together with electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WoM) communication affect the male Millennials' attitudes towards the purchase intention of fairness cream. Based on prior literature, a conceptual model was hypothesized. To achieve the objective of the study, data was collected from a sample of 105 males consisting of current users and potential users or non-users of men’s fairness cream. They are executives or above in their professional status aged between 18 to 35. Non-probability convenience sampling methods were adopted in this. The study was quantitative in nature where data collection was carried out based on structured self-administrated questionnaires. The conceptual model and hypotheses were tested using simple Linear Regression models along with descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that both personal factors and product attributes have a significant impact on purchase intention whilst attitude towards consumption of the product category partially mediates the relationship between personal factors and purchase intention. Further, it is found that the presence of e- Word-of-Mouth (e-WoM) communication negatively moderates the relationship between Attitudes towards purchase intention of men’s fairness cream. This study has implications for both theory and practice.