The research was conducted from February to July 2026 among Somethinc consumers in the Jabodetabek area who had purchased products through e-commerce platforms. The findings, published in the International Journal of Sustainable Applied Sciences (IJSAS), highlight the growing importance of environmental perceptions and brand strength in Indonesia’s increasingly competitive skincare market.
The study is particularly relevant as consumers increasingly consider more than product quality when choosing skincare products. Environmental impact, sustainability claims, brand reputation, and trust can also influence how consumers perceive and interact with a brand.
Sustainability Becomes Part of Skincare Competition
Green marketing has become an increasingly visible strategy in consumer industries. In skincare, environmental considerations can include product materials, production processes, packaging, distribution, waste reduction, and communication about sustainability.
For consumers, however, environmental claims need to translate into a recognizable and credible brand identity. This is where Green Brand Image becomes important. It refers to consumers’ perceptions of a brand's commitment to environmental sustainability.
The study also examines Brand Equity, which represents the value associated with a brand through factors such as brand awareness, perceived quality, brand associations, and consumer loyalty.
The researchers place these factors within the broader competition among Indonesian skincare brands. The article cites Top Brand Index data showing that Somethinc ranked sixth in 2022, moved to seventh in 2023, and remained seventh in 2024.
The article also reports a preliminary survey of 22 consumers. Among them, 81.8% said they were aware of Somethinc's environmentally friendly promotions, 77.3% viewed Somethinc as a brand that cares about the environment, and 86.4% expressed loyalty based on the brand's quality and image.
How the Study Was Conducted
Aini and Marlapa used a quantitative survey involving 130 Somethinc consumers selected through purposive sampling. The respondents had experience purchasing Somethinc products through e-commerce platforms including Shopee, Tokopedia, and Sociolla.
The questionnaire was distributed online using Google Forms and measured responses with a five-point Likert scale. The researchers examined three main factors—Green Marketing Strategy, Green Brand Image, and Brand Equity—and their relationship with Sustainable Competitive Advantage.
The collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0.
After the initial validity assessment, three indicators with low outer-loading values were removed from the model. The remaining indicators met the researchers' validity criteria.
The resulting model explained 34.1% of the variance in Sustainable Competitive Advantage. This means that 65.9% was associated with other factors outside the variables examined in the study.
Green Marketing Alone Was Not a Significant Predictor
The analysis found that Green Marketing Strategy had a positive relationship with Sustainable Competitive Advantage, but the relationship was not statistically significant.
The path coefficient was 0.113, with a t-statistic of 1.412 and a p-value of 0.158. Because the p-value was above the 0.05 significance threshold used by the researchers, the first hypothesis was not supported.
The effect size of Green Marketing Strategy was also relatively small, with an f-square value of 0.015.
The researchers therefore argue that green marketing activities may need to be communicated more consistently and connected with other aspects of brand development. Importantly, the result does not mean that green marketing has no value. Rather, within this sample and research model, it did not demonstrate a statistically significant direct effect on sustainable competitive advantage.
Green Brand Image Shows a Significant Effect
Green Brand Image produced a statistically significant positive relationship with Sustainable Competitive Advantage.
The path coefficient was 0.324, with a t-statistic of 3.929 and a p-value of 0.000. Its f-square value was 0.126.
One of the strongest descriptive responses for Green Brand Image was the statement that consumers viewed Somethinc as a brand that cares about the environment, which recorded an average score of 2.900.
According to Aini and Marlapa of Universitas Mercu Buana, a positive environmental image can contribute to consumer trust and loyalty while helping a brand differentiate itself in a competitive market.
Brand Equity Has the Strongest Statistical Contribution
Brand Equity also had a positive and statistically significant relationship with Sustainable Competitive Advantage.
The path coefficient reached 0.327, slightly higher than the 0.324 coefficient recorded for Green Brand Image. The t-statistic was 3.925, with a p-value of 0.000.
Brand Equity also recorded the largest f-square value among the three independent variables at 0.141.
The highest descriptive score within the Brand Equity variable came from the statement, “I can easily recognize Somethinc products compared to other brands,” which recorded an average score of 3.108.
These results indicate that brand recognition and other elements of Brand Equity were closely associated with Somethinc’s sustainable competitive advantage among the consumers surveyed.
Implications for the Skincare Industry
The findings suggest that environmental marketing messages may be more effective when they are supported by a strong and credible brand identity.
For skincare businesses, sustainability communication can therefore be connected with broader brand-building activities. Clear information about environmental practices, consistent communication across social media and e-commerce channels, and a strong perception of product quality can help consumers connect sustainability claims with the overall identity of a brand.
Aini and Marlapa also recommend strengthening Green Marketing Strategy so that environmental commitments are communicated in a more tangible, transparent, and consistent way.
The study's results should nevertheless be interpreted within its research scope. The sample consisted of 130 Somethinc consumers in Jabodetabek, so the findings do not automatically represent all skincare consumers in Indonesia. The researchers recommend future studies involving wider geographic coverage, different age groups, consumer characteristics, and comparisons among local skincare brands.
About the Authors
Sifa Fitria Aini is affiliated with Universitas Mercu Buana and is the corresponding author of the study. Her research in this article focuses on Green Marketing Strategy, Green Brand Image, Brand Equity, and Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the skincare industry.
Eri Marlapa is also affiliated with Universitas Mercu Buana and co-authored the research examining sustainability-related marketing and brand factors in the Indonesian skincare market.
Source
Article: “The Influence of Green Marketing Strategy, Green Brand Image, and Brand Equity on Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Somethinc Skincare Products”
Authors: Sifa Fitria Aini and Eri Marlapa
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Applied Sciences (IJSAS)
Publication: Vol. 4, No. 9, 2026, pp. 1149–1166
DOI: 10.59890/ijsas.v4i9.56
Journal: http://ijsasjournal.my.id/index.php/ijsas
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