The Trust Effect: How Online Word-of-Mouth Drives Purchases in Personal Care Products

Abstract

When discussing the personal care industry, Authenticity, credibility and trust are absolutely vital when it comes to the personal care industry to how consumers form their minds. In this research, I explored the influence of Electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM) on consumer trust and buying intentions in the Indian personal care industry. They examined the use of three main e-WOM aspects: online reviews, verified purchase labels, and the authority of the influencers. It used a quantitative research design and gathered data on 250 participants (18-35 years old) who filled out an online survey. The study revealed that the degree of trust in online reviews and verified purchase tags was very different between consumer to consumers. The researchers found that consumers tend to rely much more on the dry, factual details, such as very detailed reviews, verified tags, and pictures uploaded by users, rather than the endorsements of celebrities and influencers. Well-known user-generated content, they found out, has a much greater effect on a consumer's faith in the product and their decision to buy it. Trust, as a mediator, plays a massive role in the relationship between e-WOM and consumer behavior, which can be best described as a dynamic balancing act. Coming across as real, verified, and clear, these three qualities, authenticity, are far stronger drivers of confidence and sales than celebrity marketing. Management takeaways for brands are to prioritise verified feedback, honest communication, and a fair split in the way they work with influencers, to build lasting faith in the minds of their customers. This research is limited to the Indian personal care market and is based on people's own words and deeds, and as such, could be used as a starting point for future studies in different countries and areas.