1.1 Introduction
Cosmetic products are medical preparations meant to come into contact with the various external parts of the body in order to manifest beneficial topical actions and protect against degenerative skin conditions (Ribeiro et al., 2015). Natural cosmetic products improved skin tone, texture, and appearance by delivering the nutrients required for healthy skin, and prior to the use of synthetic substances with similar properties, plants were the primary source of all personal care and cosmetics.
Cosmetic products online marketing is the application of the internet and related digital technologies to achieve marketing objectives of cosmetic product sales and promotion. This definition is a simple definition which, unlike the following ones, does not touch the important aspect of customer relationship. Online marketing consists of measures and activities to promote products and services and build relationships with customers over the Internet (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012; Kotler et al., 2010).
This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
In the last few years, there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal skincare and cosmetic products and they are gaining popularity both in developing and developed countries. Given the inherent economic potential in the exploitation of natural resources in ecosystems, plant extracts, essential oils, vegetable oils and bioactive complexes exhibit a huge potential to be used in skincare and cosmetic products in order to beautify and maintain the physiological and biochemical balance and healthy condition of the human skin.
The Cosmetic product category remains the largest category in the beauty business and its global value sales will reach $630 billion by 2017. The general market demand growth rate for natural and organic skincare products alone is growing faster than the overall market growth rate. The global demand for organic Cosmetic products is expected to reach $13.2 billion by 2018. Health awareness around the globe drives the natural and organic Cosmetic product market, igniting a major shift from synthetic to organic Cosmetic products.
Organic Cosmetic skin care products in North America represented about 35% of the global organic personal market in 2014 and the natural cosmetics market hit $30 billion last year, predicted to have an annual growth rate of 10% until 2019.
Since herbal Cosmetic products are a growing business in Nigeria, it would be worthy to study consumers’ value of herbal Cosmetic products in Nigeria. Thus, this paper aims to study the buying motives of herbal Cosmetic products in Nigeria and the roles of that consumer value and marketing mix variables have on consumers’ buying motives of herbal Cosmetic products in Nigeria. Cosmetics and Cosmetic products have played many varied and important roles in human history. Colored cosmetics have been used to prepare for entry into battle, to heighten the excitement surrounding courtship, and to adorn the dead before burial. Cosmetic products have influenced everything from religious practices to the health of the general population.
Observations made on advertisements of Cosmetic products will always use beautiful models or famous celebrities as a natural draw. Photos or videos are carefully scripted and beautifully presented. Captions added to them are carefully worded sentences to awe and inspire the potential buyers, and if it is a television commercial, narration is done in the most provocative and attractive oration to invoke the potential customers’ interest. Claims are made of the many benefits or advantages of using such products and reinforced by the beautiful image presented by the models representing or promoting such skincare products.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Influence of Social Media on Online Marketing of Cosmetic Products in Nigeria.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that online marketing has changed and is still changing the way business is conducted around the world. The commercialization of the Internet has driven online marketing to become one of the most promising channels for inter-organizational business processes. Online marketing evolved in various means of relationship within the business processes.
Research studies showed that skin is a physical barrier to withstand pressure and trauma, recognize sensations and pain, protects the body from the external environment such as pollution and radiation, sunlight, keeping out harmful microbes and chemicals, and helps to regulate temperature, fluid balance and excretion, involved in endocrine function through the production of Cholecalciferol (D3) by epidermis.
Sundarsan (2007) asserts that the role of advertising through social media is essentially to fulfill the traditional desire of firms to reach the ever-increasing population so that their products may receive optimum exposure. However, the specific role advertising plays in brand patronage, increased sales, revenue and profits for local firms and has continued to generate fierce debates among advertisers, practitioners and marketing communications scholars.
Suffice to say that online advertising or marketing in the major sites in Nigeria occupy prominent position, the effectiveness of online advertising comes from whether consumers are willing to click and watch, but the reality is that most net consumers ignore online advertising. How to attract the attention of consumers has become a very important issue. In practice, different forms of advertising can be designed to attract consumers, such as pop-up ads, button ads, advertising couplet, floating ads, full-page, and advertising. Thus, this study investigates relationship between online marketing and small and medium sized businesses performance in Nigeria.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Influence of Social Media on Online Marketing of Cosmetic Products in Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine if an online marketing application through social media has a significant and positive impact on cosmetic products;
- To investigate the nature of the relationship between social media online marketing and cosmetic products promotion;
- To ascertain whether online marketing of cosmetic products purchase and delivery has positive impact on business performance in the study area;
- To determine whether online marketing customer support service has a significant impact on cosmetic products performance in the area under study;
- To investigate the effect of cosmetic products online advertisement through social media platform; and
- To find out whether online payment system has relevance on cosmetic products procurement in the area under study.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Will online marketing applications have a significant and positive impact on cosmetic products?
- Is online marketing customer support service has a significant impact on cosmetic products performance in the area under study?
- Does online advertisement through social media platform have effect on cosmetic products?
- Is online payment system has a positive impact on business performance in the study area?
- Does online marketing of cosmetic products purchase and delivery has positive impact on business performance in the study area?
- What is the nature of the relationship between social media online marketing and cosmetic products promotion?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: Online marketing applications have negative impact on cosmetic products.
- H1: Online marketing applications have positive impact on cosmetic products.
Hypothesis Two
- H0: There is no significant relationship between social media online marketing and cosmetic products promotion.
- H1: There is significant relationship between social media online marketing and cosmetic products promotion.
Hypothesis Three
- H0: Online marketing of cosmetic products purchase and delivery has negative impact on business performance in the study area.
- H1: Online marketing of cosmetic products purchase and delivery has positive impact on business performance in the study area.
Hypothesis Four
- H0: Online marketing customer support service has no significant impact on cosmetic products performance in the area under study.
- H1: Online marketing customer support service has significant impact on cosmetic products performance in the area under study.
1.7 Significance of Study
The results of the study will provide cosmetic manufacturing firms with important insights into the factors that affect the purchasing behavior of consumers within their target market. These consumers select cosmetic products based on various factors and this study will help industry players to understand how they come about making decisions pertaining to beauty product purchasing.
Additionally, this study will help marketers, particularly in beauty specific firms, to understand the important aspects of consumer behavior in the cosmetics industry. By understanding consumer behavior, marketers can tailor their marketing strategies based on consumer needs thereby meeting their needs more effectively.
Furthermore, the findings of this study may be utilized by non-researchers to expand on their own research endeavours and will be of great use to fellow researchers seeking to learn more about this topic. This work advances knowledge and may function as a model for future research.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Influence of Social Media on Online Marketing of Cosmetic Products in Nigeria using Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Online Marketing:
This refers to all forms of internet advertising, internet payment system, internet marketing, internet customer support service and internet order and delivery.
Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing is the component of marketing that utilizes internet and online based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services.
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