Abstract:
Purpose – The recent advancements in smartphone technology and social media platforms have increased the
popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) color cosmetics. Meanwhile, China is a lucrative market for various
foreign beauty products and technological innovations. This research aims to investigate the adoption of AI
color cosmetics applications and their electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) intention among Chinese social
media influencers. Several key concepts have been proposed in this research, namely body esteem, price
sensitivity, social media addiction and actual purchase.
Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire design was used in this research. A combination
of purposive sampling and snowball sampling of AI color cosmetics users who are also social media influencers
in China yields 221 respondents. To analyze the data, this research employs Structural Equation Modelling
(SEM) method via SPSS and AMOS software. A 2-step approach, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), is implemented to prove the hypotheses and generate the results.
Findings – 1) Social media addiction is a positive predictor of AI color cosmetics usage, (2) AI color cosmetics
usage is a positive predictor of actual purchase, (3) actual purchase is a positive predictor of e-WOM intention
and lastly, (4) there is a full mediation effect of actual purchase.
Originality/value – This research draws on the uses and gratification (U&G) theory to investigate how
specific user characteristics affect Chinese social media influencers’ adoption of AI color cosmetics, as well as
how this may affect their decision to purchase branded color cosmetics and their e-WOM.
