THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS ON THAI CONSUMERS' PURCHASE INTENTIONS TOWARD FACIAL SKINCARE PRODUCTS

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the purchase intention toward facial skincare products among Thai consumers aged 18-60 years, focusing on the influence of influencer characteristics based on the TEARS Model, which includes trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, respect, and similarity to followers. A quantitative research design was employed, using a questionnaire as the primary data collection tool. Data were collected from 400 consumers, of which 385 responses were valid for analysis. Descriptive statistics—frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation—were used to describe the data, while multiple regression analysis was applied to examine the relationship between influencer characteristics and purchase intention. The findings revealed that three influencer characteristics—(1) trustworthiness, (2) expertise, and (3) similarity to followers—had a statistically significant positive effect on purchase intention at the 0.05 level. These variables together explained 52 percent of the variance in purchase intention. Among them, similarity to followers was identified as the most influential factor.