INFLUENCER IMPACT ON VIETNAMESE SKINCARE BRAND AWARENESS

Influencer marketing — it’s been a massive trend in the last few years, and shows no sign of slowing down, especially within Vietnam’s rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. Traditionally dominated by celebrity influencers, this field has transformed into the come one where micro-influencers are now making a big impact. Leveraging the country’s young, digitally engaged population and the dominance of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and others online platforms, this study explores how micro-influencerscreators with 10000 to 100000 followers known for their authentic and niche connections-contrast with celebrity influencers, who offer broader reach but often lower engagement rates and higher collaboration costs. Drawing on recent data and market trends, the research highlights that micro-influencers tend to generate higher engagement, stronger community trust, and more cost-effective outcomes for skincare brands targeting Vietnamese consumers, particularly among Generation Z. They increasingly prioritizing transparency and personal connectivity when making skin care product purchasing decisions. Campaigns can be customized to target specific small communities with high engagement potential. Furthermore, data collected from pilot campaigns showed significantly higher conversion rates when partnering with people with little influence due to the trust built over time. This also provides brands with deeper insights into their customers, supporting the continuous refinement of marketing messages to suit each audience segment. Thus, how we choose and relate to influencers is seeing a major shift. The findings suggest that skincare brands in Vietnam can optimize brand awareness and market share growth by strategically balancing collaborations between micro-influencers and celebrities to foster meaningful consumer relationships and drive purchasing decisions in the market.