HUBUNGANTERPAANINFORMASISKINCAREOVERCLAIMDITIKTOK @DOKTERDETEKTIFDANELECTRONICWORDOFMOUTHDENGAN MINATBELISKINCAREAZARINE

Abstract

The beauty industry in Indonesia has experienced rapid growth along with the increasing public interest in skincare products. This development has also been accompanied by the emergence of the overclaim phenomenon, referring to product claims that do not accurately reflect their actual content. The issue gained public attention after the TikTok account @dokterdetektif revealed alleged discrepancies in the active ingredient content of Azarine products. This information triggered various reactions among social media users and raised consumer doubts about a brand that had previously been trusted. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between exposure to skincare overclaim information and electronic word of mouth (e WOM) on consumers’ purchase intention toward Azarine products. This study employed a quantitative explanatory approach within a positivist paradigm. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 60 Indonesian TikTok users who had been exposed to content from @dokterdetektif and were familiar with Azarine products. The sampling technique used was non-probability sampling with an incidental sampling method. Data were analyzed using Kendall’s Tau-b correlation test. The results indicate that exposure to skincare overclaim information has a weak relationship with the decline in purchase intention, as some respondents still considered purchasing Azarine products despite being exposed to information regarding the overclaim issue. Meanwhile, electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) demonstrates a moderate relationship with the decline in purchase intention because comments, reviews, and experiences shared by other users encourage consumers to become more selective and only purchase certain products. These findings support Cognitive Dissonance Theory, which explains that information contradicting consumers’ prior beliefs can influence their evaluations and purchasing decisions. Future research is recommended to include variables such as brand image, brand trust, or brand loyalty to provide a more comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior.