Skin Care Purchase Behaviors and Marketing Recommendations for the Chinese, Indonesians, and Filipinos in Taiwan

Objective: Understanding the skin care purchase behaviors of Chinese (Republic of China or Taiwan), Indonesians, and Filipinos contributes to dermatology, pharmacy, and marketing. This research aims to study their skin care purchases in Taiwan to identify the right products, places, and promotions for the subcultures.

Study Design: Following the standard practice in cross-cultural consumer behavior studies, convenience non-probability sampling was used in the research. The survey form was distributed online through messaging apps and social media. Street survey was also conducted. The survey was done in May 2024, and the data of 180 Taiwan residents, a mix of Chinese (ROC), Indonesian, and Filipino respondents aged 22-56 (born 2002-1968), were analyzed.

Results: The research showed that the skin concerns addressed (acne, dryness, dark skin, unhealthy skin), skin care products purchased (sunscreens, lip care), purchase channels (online, drugstore), purchase influences (products addressing multiple problems, specializing in one problem, relieving stress and anxiety, environmentally friendly, local, or foreign; recommendations of skin care experts, brand advertisements, or celebrities), and purchase barriers (too expensive price, none of the products being effective) significantly varied between the subcultures.

Conclusion: Businesses or marketers must adjust the products, places, and promotions and consider the different purchase barriers when marketing skin care products to Chinese (ROC), Indonesians, and Filipinos. The paper discussed recommendations for marketing skin care products to the different subcultures in Taiwan.