The Impact of Social Media Contents on Men's Purchasing Intention of Personal Care: Examining the Moderating Role of Social Media Usage with Special Reference to Gen Z In Western Province, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The emergence of social media has impacted consumer behaviors, especially when it comes to the Gen Z male demographics in the personal care sector. Global context reveals this is particularly relevant for men's grooming within the contemporary Sri Lankan market. It only highlights the deviation in purchase behavior that exists among male consumers that social media marketing tools have not covered. Moreover, those who focus on Gen Z marketing have not explored how this generation interacts with different social media pages dedicated to personal care-oriented information. These include firm-created content, e-WOM, and UGC targeting this demographic. Consequently, this study focuses on this loophole that exists in the context of Asian developing nations such as Sri Lanka, as well as focusing on the male consumers' purchasing behavior. Therefore, this study examines the effect of Firm-created content, user-generated content (UGC), and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) which are social media content elements on the purchasing intention of male Gen Z in the personal care industry. In addition, it examines the moderating effect of social media usage on behavior modifications, with particular interest in the intensity of engagement. This study contributes to the understanding of the unique purchasing patterns of male consumers who have a higher online engagement in Sri Lanka which is a developing economy. This study’s methodological approach is based on the positivist paradigm and a deductive approach is used to test the hypothesized relationships utilizing existing theories and models. Data collection was done by use of a structured questionnaire that was given to three hundred and eighty-five (385) respondents aged 18 to 26 years from the Western Province of Sri Lanka by the age cohort representation of Gen Z. The study employed convenience sampling as the main sampling method because it provides a fast and easy way of reaching many users who use social networks. This was especially relevant for the focus of the study which is on users of social networks, as it facilitated fast data collection among those who underwent the experience and exhibited the behavior. However, it is recognized that convenience sampling may affect the findings’ applicability to the larger population. It was established that there is a strong positive link between social media content and purchasing intentions of the young male cohorts within the Gen Z age bracket especially in terms of their social interactions. Then, engagement in positive purchasing behaviors is the need for authenticity, relatability, and consistency in content. Among all the types of content elements, UGC and e-WOM are regarded as the most influential and credible content as they elicit emotions better than content that has been created by firms. Social media usage has been registered to act as a moderator to this relationship and indeed push the effects of content on purchasing intention to a whole new level. Content that is liked, shared, and commented on by the target audience influences purchasing them in return pointing to the importance of active and engaging social media engagement. The study has both theoretical and practical implications. In terms of contributions, it adds scholarly attention to the role of social media consumption in linking content types and the purchasing intentions of customers. The findings make an important addition to social media marketing literature by highlighting the commercialization of the characteristics of Gen Z and their preferences for assimilating and engaging in the content. The study gives practical recommendations to personal care brands in Sri Lanka and other developing markets. To capture the attention of Gen Z males and females, marketers need to focus on embedding authenticity, trust, and strong emotion within the content through Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Engagement can be enhanced through interactive tools such as influencers, consumer campaigns, and exciting short videos. Last but not least, this study highlights the power of social media content in shaping Gen Z males' buying intention toward personal care products. Tackling an important issue in existing literature and providing practical recommendations, the study provides appropriate assistance for marketers who seek means to adapt to the challenges of rapidly changing digital space while effectively engaging the young audience. While the study delineated some important findings, it did possess scope for further studies. Respondents in the study relied on self-reported data, which could cause bias due to social desirability and recall errors. Furthermore, the analysis was restricted to a certain demographic group and geographic area, in this case, Gen Z male cohorts in Western Province, Sri Lanka, thereby limiting the extent to which the findings could be applied to other groups and areas. To deal with those limitations, future research can expand or even validate the findings through cross-cultural comparisons, longitudinal designs, and inclusion of behavioral data.