Guidelines for Promoting the Organic Cosmetics Industry through Social Media Consumers in Chonburi Province

Abstract

The rapid growth of the global beauty industry has brought increasing consumer attention to organic cosmetics, particularly among digital-age consumers seeking safe, sustainable, and eco-friendly products. This research aimed to (1) investigate the level of organic cosmetics industry promotion among social media consumers in Chonburi Province, Thailand; (2) examine causal factors influencing the industry’s promotion; and (3) propose strategic guidelines for sustainable industrial development under Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy framework. A mixed-methods research design was applied. The quantitative phase involved 420 social media consumers selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS to verify the relationships among marketing strategy, entrepreneur credibility, service standards, government policy, and industry promotion. The qualitative phase included 16 key informants—entrepreneurs, government officials, and consumers—whose insights were analyzed using thematic content analysis to enrich quantitative findings. The results revealed that marketing strategy (β = 0.79) and entrepreneur credibility (β = 0.67) had the strongest positive effects on the promotion of the organic cosmetics industry. Service standards (β = 0.50) and government policy (β = 0.42) exerted indirect but significant effects by fostering consumer trust and industry reliability. The SEM model demonstrated excellent fit indices (χ²/df = 1.27, GFI = 0.96, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.031), confirming empirical consistency. The study concludes that enhancing marketing innovation, entrepreneurial ethics, and government support is crucial for advancing Thailand’s organic cosmetics sector. The proposed framework highlights the need for integrated collaboration among entrepreneurs, policymakers, and consumers to promote sustainable industry growth through transparency, trust, and technology-based marketing.