64 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly.

HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78

Employing netnography approach to describe brand image from

customers’ perspectives - The case of The Cocoon Original Vietnam
Xuan Thi Thanh Le1*, Uyen Bao Ly1
1
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

DOI:10.46223/HCMCOUJS. The present study is proposed based on two important practical

econ.en.14.2.2538.2024 issues. First, brand image is one essential aspect of building the
brand of a business. Second, with the development of the internet,
social media has become a revolution for people worldwide to
communicate, connect, create, and share their content and opinions
in a dynamic and flexible way. Customers use their social networks
Received: October 02nd, 2022
to discuss online their reviews, and recommendations regarding
Revised: December 15th, 2022 product quality and customer service of a brand. Based on these two
Accepted: February 28th, 2023 practical issues, the present study employs Netnography as the
research method to explore aspects of the brand image of Cocoon
from customers’ perspectives, with the following objectives: (1)
explore aspects of Cocoon’s brand image, (2) describe customers’
perspective of these aspects, and (3) propose suggestions for
JEL classification code: Cocoon to improve its brand image from the viewpoint of
M00; M100; M300; M310 customers. The study is conducted by combining in-depth interview
data and Netnography data. Then the thematic analysis is
undertaken as an approach to Analysing data. The research findings
result from the interviews with 07 customers and Netnography data
from 49 posts on 08 communities on Facebook. Among 15 explored
aspects of Cocoon’s brand, there are 08 aspects of Cocoon, which
Keywords: are reviewed and discussed frequently, including quality,
brand image; in-depth reputation, price, packaging, brand aspects, usefulness, influencer
interview; Netnography; marketing, and seeding. Based on the research findings, several
thematic analysis; Vietnam solutions are proposed to improve its brand image for Cocoon.

1. Introduction
Statista states that the number of social media users, updated in April 2022, is 4.65 billion
(Statista, 2022). The reasons for using social media include staying connected with family and
friends, filling spare time, looking for inspiration, and reading news stories. They are also the
reason leading firms use social media as a marketing tool. Many firms are employing social media
as a channel to promote marketing campaigns to boost brand awareness. Among social media,
Facebook is a mostly-used platform, not only in Vietnam but also around the globe (Datareportal,
2022; Statista, 2022). The most updated data in January 2022 by Statista shows that Vietnam is
one of the ten leading countries based on Facebook users, with 70.4 million accounts. With such
a development in internet and social media uses, the online brand community is a platform that
brings many benefits to users. These allow customers to communicate with each other and share
their brand experiences with other customers. Studies have been conducted on consumers’
identification, participation, and communication in a brand community (Huang & Hsu, 2010, as
 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78 65

cited in Goh, Heng, & Lin, 2013). In particular, online communication provides customers with
new forms of interactions (e.g., many-to-many) communications (Brodie, Ilic, Juric, & Hollebeek,
2013). With these communications via many platforms, such as electronic discussion forums,
bulletin boards, chat rooms, social networks, blogs, and webpages, customers are enabled and
facilitated new and extended forms of their experiences. From these communications, aspects of a
brand image are discussed and reviewed by customers. From the consumer’s perspective, brand
image is one of the critical aspects of brand development that businesses need to pay attention to
(Wijaya, 2013). Brand image could be conveyed positively or negatively, even both (Wijaya,
2013). Therefore, if a brand does not pay much attention to the issue of brand image in the minds
of consumers through communication in the online community, it will easily lead to customers
turning away if the image is conveyed negatively.
Similar to other types of products and services, cosmetics are products that customers
usually search for information before purchasing. According to a survey conducted by Q&Me
(2020) - a market research service in 2020, information sources that customers find about
cosmetics include Facebook (69%), friends (48%), websites (36%), Youtube (30%), Web
community (23%), TVC and Instagram (19%). It can be seen that most of the information sources
for cosmetic information are from social media. The cosmetic market in Vietnam is potentially
developing, with revenue reaching 2.3 billion USD in 2018 (Thai Trang, 2019). In this report, even
though the market has potential, local cosmetic brands are not so competitive, with 10% of the
market share only. The Cocoon Original Vietnam is one of the domestic brands that has left many
imprints when continuously launching vegan products taking advantage of natural ingredients.
This has created a unique brand in the market. Cocoon is usually mentioned through reviews on
social networking sites, especially Facebook. Therefore, brand image is a big concern for Cocoon’s
effective marketing campaigns to retain existing customers and attract potential customers.
To explore the brand image of one specific cosmetic brand (Cocoon) from customers’
perceptions and reviews on online communities, the present study is undertaken with the following
objectives. The first objective is to explore aspects of Cocoon’s brand image from customers’
perceptions based on their reviews and discussions on online cosmetic communities. The second
objective is to describe these aspects in detail. Last but not least, from the findings, implications
are suggested for cosmetic firms to improve their brand image in customers’ minds. Netnography
is the research method employed to conduct the present study. Data collected include Netnographic
and in-depth interviews. The study focused on social media sites, and data was collected from 07
Vietnamese beauty communities and 02 Vietnamese review communities on Facebook.
Interviewees are the ones who know about cosmetic brands, especially Cocoon.
2. Literature review
2.1. Brand and brand image
The brand is defined by many scholars and practitioners. According to the American
Marketing Association, “a brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies
one seller’s goods or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” (American Marketing
Association, 2023). Scholars also mention brands as “good brand”, “brand communication”, etc.
From those studies, brand can be considered as initial views to identify products by Kotler (2000)
(as cited in Wijaya, 2013), a relationship involving trust by McNally and Speak (2004) (as cited
in Wijaya, 2013), added values by Post (2005) (as cited in Wijaya, 2013), a mark left on the minds
and hearts of consumers by Wijaya (2011) (as cited in Wijaya, 2013). Išoraitė (2018, p. 121)
defines a brand as “a word, or a symbol, a letter, a digit, a design, an emblem, a slogan, spatial
characteristics of the product itself (image, packaging, shape, color), etc.” Even though a brand is
66 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78

defined in different ways, it is in memory of customers as a brand image, which is understood as

part of the process, as the information disseminated by the organization (Išoraitė, 2018).
Similarly, many scholars also study and define brand image in brand literature. Wijaya
(2013) explains brand image relates to customers’ perception to form a certain image of the brand
in their mind with two involved factors: time and intensive communication. A review by Išoraitė
(2018) shows that brand image is differently explained in the literature, including part of the
process is associated with emotions and the information disseminated by the organization. Even
though brand image is defined differently in studies, these definitions have common issues. Firstly,
brand image is the perception of the brands customers perceive in their minds and memories.
Secondly, brand image can be any part(s) of a product or service. These parts are product attributes,
which are descriptions of the traits of a product or service. These attributes include product/service-
related qualities, such as physical compositions or the type of service, and non-product/service
qualities, such as price information, packaging and product design, and information about users,
community, or celebrity users of the product. In short, brand image can be considered a consumer-
generated perspective and an intangible asset of the firm (Išoraitė, 2018; Wijaya, 2013).
The review of the literature on brand image shows that the aspects of brand image in studies
are not similar. In a study conducted by Riaz (2015), brand image includes the Uniqueness of
brand association, Strength of brand association, and Favorability of brand association. In his
study, Wijaya (2013) lists brand image, including brand identity, brand personality, brand
association, brand behavior and attitudes, brand competence, and benefits. Because of different
descriptions of brand image in the literature, the present study employs qualitative methods to
explore Cocoon’s customers’ perceptions of brand image.
2.2. Brand communities and online brand communities
Brand community was introduced by Albert and O’Guinn (2001) based on the concept of
“community”, then “consumption community.” Their study defines brand community as “a
specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured site of social relations
among admirers of a brand” (Albert & O’Guinn 2001, p. 412). They also stated some critical
implications for the brand community. One of these implications is that a strong community can
result in consumer loyalty and brand commitment. There are three elements of brand community,
including (1) the brand (the source of a community’s development), (2) the members (based on
their relationship with the brand), and (3) the communities ( Lee, Lee, Taylor, & Lee, 2011).
Because of “non-geographically bound communities,” brand communities can be offline
or online. Through online outlets such as websites, chat rooms, forums, and, most recently, social
media, consumers may build connections with other consumers to satisfy their feeling of
community (Huang & Hsu, 2010, as cited in Sloan, Bodey, & Gyrd-Jones, 2015). More
specifically, an online brand community is defined as “specialised brand communities that take
place in a virtual setting where members’ interaction is primarily Internet-mediated” (Brogi,
Calabrese, Campisi, Capece, Costa, & Pillo, 2013, p. 2). The viewpoints of the online brand
community are very different, from passive to active participation of members. For example, it is
considered “a forum where customers consume content passively” (Kamboj & Rahman, 2017, p.
306). However, Brogi et al. (2013, p. 2) mention that online brand communities give members
abilities “to interact with each other, to exchange information and knowledge on the brand or
simply to express their passion for it, then influencing their relationship with the brand.” From
a marketing perspective, an online brand community supports a new product launch, enables
social interactions, and facilitates brand relationships and long-term loyalty (Hanson, Jiang, &
Dahl, 2018).
 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78 67

2.3. A brief of Netnography

The method to study online cultures and communities was first employed by American
scholars in 1995 (Morais, Santos, & Goncalves, 2020). After that, in 1996, the term “virtual
ethnography” was used by Mason to conduct studies on virtual interactions. Then, in 1997,
Kozinets published the first article, which was conducted by “Netnography”, which is an entirely
online approach (as cited in Kozinets, 2015). Costello, McDermott, and Wallace (2017, p. 4) as
cited the definition by Kozinets in 2002 as follows: “a new qualitative research method that adapts
ethnographic research techniques to the study of cultures and communities emerging through
electronic networks.” Data collected in Netnography is from a human being’s perspective. Hence
it requires researcher’s cultural understanding and online experience, such as identity, language,
values, etc. and especially meaning (Morais et al., 2020).
In general, it classifies Netnography into 04 types, including auto-Netnography, symbolic
Netnography, digital Netnography, and humanist Netnography. Data for auto-Netnography is from
a particular “local” site: one’s own identity and story. Symbolic Netnography is helpful for
marketing managers, and data is from decoding the everyday words of people/consumers. Digital
Netnography helps to understand cultures based on data analytic techniques from social media.
Finally, humanist Netnography focuses on the changing nature of human social existence and is
guided by social issues of great importance. Based on the types of Netnography classified by
Kozinets (2015), it can be seen that firms can employ symbolic Netnography to understand
customers. Moreover, Netnography is useful for getting to know a customer’s needs and wants,
choices, symbolic meanings, and more (Xun & Reynolds, 2010). It can be employed in many
fields, such as customer research, marketing, and branding through discussions from blogs, social
media, websites, and virtual communities (Heinonen & Medberg, 2018). In particular, Heinonen
and Medberg (2018) stated that Netnography is a popular method commonly used in market
research to study and understand brand-related phenomena to gain customers’ insights through
online communities. In short, Netnography is a thick description of the lived experience of
consumers (Langer & Beckman, 2005).
Employing Netnography to conduct a study can have some advantages. First, Netnography
is suitable for approaching sensitive topics discussed in online communities, which cannot be
easily collected by surveys or other approaches (Costello et al., 2017). Second, the Netnographic
method is faster and more affordable with computer aid (Toledano, 2017) while also being natural
and unobtrusive (Heinonen & Medberg, 2018). Last but not least, Netnography can be the only
method in a study or combined with other methods (Costello et al., 2017). For example, in their
study, Brodie et al. (2013) performed Netnography combined with qualitative in-depth interviews
with community members (as cited in Costello et al., 2017). Besides these advantages,
Netnography also makes researchers face some challenges (Morais et al., 2020). One challenge is
that a lack of control over the sampling and structure of the study population could lead to some
sources of bias in the results. Another one is that the boundaries of the study are determined based
on researchers’ perceptions of what to include and not to include (Kulavuz-Onal, 2015, as cited in
Morais et al., 2020). One more challenge of Netnography should be considered in conducting
ethical research with the agreement of the online community (Morais et al., 2020).
In recent years, there have been several studies employing Netnography to examine
experiences/perceptions of customers/public/related stakeholders through collecting information
in online communities on social media and virtual forums in different sectors, such as political,
educational, fashion, etc. For example, in their study, Mehta, Sarvaiya, and Chandani (2022),
Netnography is employed to examine how community engagement can be influenced by the
68 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78

Covid-19 pandemic. In the fashion sector, Loureiro, Serra, and Guerreiro (2019) employed
Netnography to analyze and compare how fashion brands (Zara, H&M, Prada, Gucci, Nike, and
Adidas) communicate on Instagram. In another study conducted in the educational sector by Fujita,
Harrigan, and Soutar (2017), Netnography is used to analyze the Facebook fan page of a leading
Australian university to explore the co-creation process between relevant social actors, such
as page administrators (marketers), students, and staff; and to identify key tactics used to help
co-creation value and university brand meanings. It can be seen that Netnography can be used
to explore “customers” opinions/perceptions of products/services in virtual platforms. The
present study also employs Netnography to explore Cocoon’s customers’ perceptions of its
brand image, consequently.
3. Methodology
This study employs symbolic Netnography (Kozinets, 2015) as the method of combining
Netnographic data with in-depth interview data. Firstly, semi-structured interviews with members
of selected communities were undertaken to explore the aspects of Cocoon. There are 07 members
aged between 20 to 31 from the selected communities interviewed. Each in-person conversation
lasted around 30 - 45 minutes. All interviewees have known well about Cocoon brand. The purpose
of these in-depth interviews is to let the participants have a chance freely talk about the Cocoon
brand. Therefore, questions are always about “What (aspect) comes to your mind when the Cocoon
is mentioned?” and then “Could you please describe/explain this aspect?” All answers were
analyzed by following the thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998). The result of analyzing interview
data has found 11 themes (with 55 sub-themes) of Cocoon image, including Quality (with 07 sub-
themes), Price (with 02 sub-themes), Reputation (with 10 sub-themes), Packaging (with 12 sub-
themes), Promotion (with 01 sub-theme), Usefulness (with 03 sub-themes), CSR activities (with
01 sub-theme), Distribution (with 01 sub-theme), Influencers marketing (with 02 sub-themes),
Scent (with 02 sub-themes), and Brand aspects (with 14 sub-themes). Then, based on these 11
themes of Cocoon’s brand image, Netnographic data is collected from online beauty communities.
According to Kozinets (2002), one online community, which can be selected in
Netnography, should have (1) a segment, topic, or group which are relevant to research questions;
(2) higher “traffic” of postings, (3) larger numbers of discrete message posters; (4) more detailed
or descriptively rich data; (5) more between-member interactions of the type required by the
research question. These are five (5) criteria employed to choose online beauty communities to
conduct Netnography. There are nine (9) beauty communities (with 49 postings, and 450
comments of Cocoon users) selected in total (Table 1).
Table 1
The selected beauty communities
No. Communities name Code No. of Duration No. of No. of
Members posts comments
1 Skincare - review mỹ phẩm có P1 861,000 6 17 184
tâm (authentic VN)
2 Beauty house-skincare holic P2 164,000 4 04 24
3 Beauty tips & review P3 211,000 3 02 93
(Vietnam)
4 Đẹp chanh sả P4 1,225,000 2 02 14
 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78 69

No. Communities name Code No. of Duration No. of No. of

Members posts comments
5 Bí kiếp dưỡng nhan P5 288,000 2 03 11
6 Review chân thật + beauty tips P6 975,000 1 03 16
7 Chị em mần đẹp P7 163,000 1 08 30
8 Supporting communities P8 1,800,000 >3 10 78
(Thánh riviu)
9 Supporting communities (Badi P9 618,000
Nulo)
Total 49 450
Source: The researcher’s data analysis
In terms of Netnographic data, Kozinets (2015) classified into three types, including (a)
archival data, which can be found from social media communities, (b) elicited/co-created data,
which can be created through the researcher’s own social interaction, and (c) produced data, which
is created by the researcher, such as fieldnotes, recording, or video files. In this study, archival
data and produced data are used. This study aims to explore the brand image aspect of Cocoon and
describe the customer’s perceptions of these aspects, so that thematic analysis is selected to
proceed. The thematic analysis processes qualitative information and can be generated from raw
information or from theory (Boyatzis, 1998).
4. Aspects of Cocoon’s brand image from Netnography
The data collected from in-depth interviews (11 themes with 55 sub-themes) plays as the
frame for collecting Netnographic data. Data from Netnography is also thematically analyzed.
There are some new sub-themes found in online communities (see Table 2). More importantly,
04 new themes were found in discussions on online communities, including: Conformity (with
06 sub-themes), Customer service (with 04 sub-themes), Value (with 02 sub-themes) and
Seeding. The research findings show 15 aspects (themes) of the Cocoon brand. Table 2
summarises all aspects of the Cocoon brand from customers’ perceptions (from both in-depth
interview and Netnography).
Table 2
Aspects of Cocoon’s brand from customers’ perceptions
Theme Interview Netnography
No. Code Sub-theme
(Aspects) frequency frequency
Q1 Effectiveness 1 67
Q2 Benign 3 61
Q3 Natural ingredients 4 28
1 Quality Q4 Safety for skin 7 21
Q5 Ingredients list 3 12
Q6 Inconsistency 10
Q7 Adapting product function 3 7
70 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78

Theme Interview Netnography

No. Code Sub-theme
(Aspects) frequency frequency
Q8 Appropriate concentration 3
Q9 Fresh ingredients 3 1
Q10 Generality 29
R1 Country of origin (Vietnam) 6 120
R2 Vegan cosmetic 3 80
R3 Coffee body polish 3 35
R4 Vietnam high quality good 2 29
R5 Popular brand 3 18
R6 Reviewing on social media 3 14
2 Reputation Environmentally friendly
R7 14
brand
R8 Local ingredients 2 10
R9 Favorable 6 4
R10 Diverse product line 3
R11 Ethical business 2 2
R12 Awards 2
U1 Useless 2 49
U2 Improvement 1 13
3 Usefulness U3 Skin gets worse 5
U4 Acceptance 1
U5 Advertisement and quality 3 1
P1 Cheap 2 37
4 Price P2 Affordable price 5 35
P3 High price 9
PK1 Beautiful packaging design 4 25
PK2 Simple packaging 1 9
PK3 Firmly 1 7
PK4 Attractive packaging 3 6
5 Packaging PK5 Clear information 4
PK6 Careful packaging 2 3
PK7 Luxury packaging 3
PK8 Bad packaging 1
PK9 Environmentally friendly 4 1
 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78 71

Theme Interview Netnography

No. Code Sub-theme
(Aspects) frequency frequency
packaging
PK10 Excess paper craft 1
PK11 Reuse 4
PK12 Impressive label 2
PK13 Enduring packaging 2
PK14 Convenience 1
PK15 Meaning of colour 1
PM1 E-Voucher 8
6 Promotion PM2 Advertising 3
PM3 Coupons 4 1
SC1 Natural 1 6
SC2 Relax 1 6
SC3 Herbal 5
7 Scent
SC4 Fresh 4
SC5 Comfortable 2
SC6 Generality 14
D1 Retail 3 4
8 Distribution
D2 Ecommerce 2
B1 Cruelty free 6 17
B2 Non harmful preservatives 3
B3 100% vegan ingredients 2 2
B4 Clear origin of materials 2 2
B5 Environmental protection 1
B6 Pretty brand name 1
Brand B7 Creativity brand name 1
9
aspects B8 Memorable brand name 2
B9 Honest brand 1
B10 Social brand 3
B11 Nature brand 1
B12 Slogan 1 1
B13 Culture 2
B14 Uniqueness 2
72 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78

Theme Interview Netnography

No. Code Sub-theme
(Aspects) frequency frequency
B15 Elegant 1
B16 Colour 5
Influencer I1 Reviewing 1 10
10
marketing I2 Limited edition 3 1
CSR C1 Environmental campaign 3 7
11
activities C2 Animal protection campaign 1
CF1 Normal skintype 7
CF2 Gentle skintype 2
CF3 All age 2
12 Conformity
CF4 Vietnamese skin 2
CF5 Environment 1
CF6 Sensitive skin 1
CS1 Fast feedback 2
Customer CS2 Supportiveness 1
13
service CS3 Empathy 1
CS4 Unsupportive 1
Price consistency with
V1 9
14 Value quality
V2 Waste money 3
15 Seeding N/A 48
Source: The researcher’s data analysis
After analyzing the data from in-depth interviews, there are 11 aspects stated by
respondents (from aspects No. 01 to 11 in Table 2). Data from postings on online beauty
communities are collected based on these aspects. The result shows that there are 04 more aspects
found on Netnography that respondents do not mention, including Conformity, Customer service,
Value, and Seeding (from aspects No. 12 to 15 in Table 2). Netnography frequency is calculated
based on the number of comments. The higher the frequency mentioned, the more prominent the
brand image is.
4.1. Quality
Quality is the most-mentioned aspect of in-depth interviews and in communities. There are
05 main items of quality, which can be counted over 20 times, including Effectiveness (67), Benign
(61), Generality (29), Natural ingredients (28), and Safety for skin (21). Cocoon is famous as a
popular vegan cosmetic brand in Vietnam. Therefore, besides Effectiveness - mostly mentioned,
Natural Ingredients are highly recognized by consumers. Cosmetics with natural extracts contain
a full range of nutrients from nature, so Benignity is almost absolute. One user commented
that “All Cocoon products are benign and highly effective” (Netno, P3.2, 2022). Many opinions
 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78 73

say that Cocoon is a brand with many quality products, but not specifically mentioned. For
example, as commented by consumers on this aspect “Cocoon is a very quality cosmetic
brand” (Netno, P3.2, 2022), or as another commented “It is a Vietnamese branded product, but
the quality makes users want to continue using” (Netno, P3.2, 2022) or “This brand is good,
cheap, and safe” (Netno, P5.3, 2022).
4.2. Reputation
Reputation is the next aspect that is mentioned frequently. It can be understood that a
brand’s Reputation is significant to customers. There are 04 main items in this aspect,
including Country of origin (Vietnam) (120), Vegan cosmetic (80), Coffee body polish (35),
and Vietnam high-quality goods (29). Cocoon is famous as a vegan cosmetic brand from
Vietnam. A review of the customer found in one beauty community is “I am very proud
because the Cocoon is a Vietnamese cosmetic brand” (Netno, P1.13, 2022), Cocoon was also
mentioned in other consumer’s comment “Cocoon has been and is asserting that made in
Vietnam” (Netno, P3.2, 2022).
Cocoon has built its impressive reputation among consumers with the image of Vegan
cosmetics, which was mentioned by one commenter, “I am impressed with the brand because
it is vegan” (Netno, P3.2, 2022). Another comment supporting this Reputation is “Cocoon is
the best vegan cosmetic I have ever seen” (Netno, P8.8, 2022). Moreover, Coffee body polish
has successfully brought fame to Cocoon. Customers mentioned this: “The coffee line body
polish is the best line of Cocoon because thanks to this line, I knew the Cocoon brand” (Netno,
P1.4, 2022). Other commented “When Cocoon is mentioned, everyone would think of a coffee
scrub (Coffee scrub is one product type in coffee body polish)” (Netno, P1.17, 2022). Finally,
the Reputation of High-quality Vietnamese goods is perceived by consumers when referring to
the brand; for example, “Cocoon is a good brand to use. It is a high-quality Vietnamese
product” (Netno, P6.2, 2022).
4.3. Usefulness
Although there are some positive items mentioned in this aspect, 49 comments in two
postings complained products of Cocoon do not work. Many people think that the product does
not help them to improve their current condition. This item is Useless from both in-depth
interviews and Netnography. For example, one interviewer said, “I think Cocoon brand has many
useless products, it does not work for me, especially facial products” (Interview 3, 2022).
Similarly, one of 49 comments on this issue states, “In general, I think the Cocoon product is
useless. Some are fine. Some … frankly, are boring to mention to” (Netno, P1.3,2022).
Even though the Usefulness aspect of the brand is based on the difference of each
customer, especially in cosmetic products, Cocoon must pay attention to these comments to
improve its quality.
4.4. Price
Price is also an item reviewed by beauty communities’ members, even though customer’s
perceptions of Price are very different, such as High price, Cheap price, and Affordable price.
However, most of the comments from Netnography or opinions from in-depth interviews state that
Prices of Cocoon products are accepted by customers with 37 comments mentioning Cheap price,
and 35 comments mentioning Affordable price.
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4.5. Packaging
The mostly-mentioned item in Packaging is Beautiful packaging design. This item is
mentioned by 4 per 7 interviewees and 25 times in postings. There are many more items to describe
this aspect, such as Clear information, Careful packaging, Impressive label, Reuseetc. It can be
seen that Cocoon pays great attention to the product’s external appearance. This is recognized by
an interviewee’s response, “The brand takes great care and invests in packaging
design” (Interview 4, 2022). Similarly, a consumer commented on a post about Cocoon, “I
recognize the packaging of Cocoon is beautiful and flawless from inside out” (Netno, P1.5, 2022).
Cocoon brand also receives the trust of customers thanks to the use of Environmentally friendly
packaging, which is less harmful to the environment. This aspect helps to enhance Cocoon’s
reputation for showing great concern for the health and environment of its customers.
4.6. Seeding
Seeding is an aspect which is not found in in-depth interviews but in online beauty
communities. From the data collected, customers think that Cocoon has too many interactive
seeders to protect the brand on postings to discuss this brand product. There are 48 mentions and
discussions in online communities. The opinions of communities members are different in this
aspect. On the one hand, some people think that Seeding is normal and does not affect customers
too much. For example, a customer commented, “If Cocoon does not do seeding, why is the brand
known by many people? You have to promote whatever you sell” (Netno, P1.11, 2022). On the
other hand, one of the most typical comments from a customer is, “Cocoon’s seeding is too much.
I hate it, so I do not buy it”. Another customer also left one comment “Seeding is too much, so
frustrating with this brand, so this is the reason why I hate the brand”. From the data collected, it
can be seen that Seeding is creating negative influences on customers rather than positive ones.
This is one issue that should be considered by Cocoon.
4.7. Discussion
Brand image is everything in customers’ reflections when they recall a brand. The research
findings show 15 aspects of Cocoon, including 11 and 04, from both in-depth interviews and
Netnography, and from Netnography only, respectively. From the data collected, some crucial
issues can be recognized.
Firstly, the mostly-mentioned/reviewed item is Country of origin with 120 mentions. Many
comments in postings mention and highlight this item as one main characteristic of Cocoon.
Obviously, it can be seen that Cocoon won the hearts of consumers because raw materials have
taken a right in the provinces of Vietnam. By prioritizing ingredients from Vietnam, the company
has created more output for farmers and built a good image in the minds of customers. One more
item, which is also mentioned many times (80) is Vegan cosmetic. This interest shows that
nowadays, Vietnamese customers have increased their animal protection concerns. Using
ingredients that are not only from Vietnam but also vegan to produce cosmetics can be considered
as an ethical business. Moreover, this can be supported by customers. These items are also reported
in many reports conducted by MarketingAI, Q&ME, GMP Consulting Co., etc. to present the
tendency of cosmetic consumption.
Secondly, like any other type of product, Effectiveness and Benign (pleasant feeling when
using) are two items, which are also mentioned frequently. In particular, in the context of
cosmetics, these two items are essential to consumers. Many experts in the industry, such as GMP
Consulting Co., or Q&ME, etc. have pointed out the tendency of cosmetic consumption. For
 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78 75

example, consumers have the requirement for “on-demand” beauty. With this requirement, they
are required to see the result at the soonest time when using cosmetics.
Thirdly, one aspect which has been reviewed in much details is Packaging. There are 15
items discussed in this aspect with 59 mentions, and the mostly-mentioned detail is Beautiful
packaging design with 25 times. Some other items are also similar to this, such as Attractive
packaging, Luxury packaging, etc. According to Tomorrow Marketer (2022), customers tend to
have more specific requirements relating to Packaging and they also pay more attention to any
improvements in Packaging from firms. Or on the webpage of GMP Consulting Co, this firm uses
the term “more than just skincare” to refer to customers’ requirement for Packaging, which is
friendly-environmental and sustainable.
Lastly, Seeding is a tool in Digital marketing nowadays. There are many reasons to explain
employing Seeding in marketing. One of them is to “help with branding,” or “get real feedback”
(IMP Digital, 2019). However, over-using this tool can become a “double-edged sword.” The
analysis of Netnographic data shows that the viewpoints of online communities’ members are very
different with support and not-supports. The fact is that the content of Cocoon Seeding is not
perceived correctly by customers. They even make customers feel bored because of
poorlyanswered comments/reviews.
5. Conclusion and managerial implications
The purpose of this paper is to explore aspects of the brand image of Cocoon by employing
Netnography as the main research method. The study is conducted in a combination of in-depth
interviews and Netnography. The research findings identify 15 aspects of Cocoon’s brand image,
including 11 from both in-depth interviews and Netnography and 04 from Netnography only. 06
significant aspects are mentioned/reviewed many times in online beauty communities, including
Quality, Reputation, Usefulness, Price, Packaging, and Seeding. From these aspects, some
managerial implications for cosmetic brands are proposed as follows:
Firstly, cosmetics are a type of product that is perceived as expensive. Price is always a
consideration of customers. Moreover, with the current tendency in cosmetics consumption, which
is mentioned above, if firms combine two items, Country of origin and Price, they can reduce the
price and make customers more satisfied with local cosmetic products.
Secondly, Effectiveness of cosmetic products depends much on the types of persons. This
is also an issue that firms need to pay attention to advertisements. A clear message should be
delivered to make customers understand the use of products correctly. In particular, the uses of
different product lines should be instructed carefully to customers.
Finally, Seeders of brands should employ the AISAS (Attention-Interest-Search-Action-
Share) model to improve digital marketing activities. Cosmetic brands can select Influencers that
match the campaign’s goals and existing budget, the choice of Influencers also needs to consider
their images (good image and few scandals, trusted by many customers/fans), and the content of
Influencers needs to be consistent with the message of the marketing campaign. The choice of
channels to promote these contents should also be considered carefully. Moreover, brands should
have specific guidelines on interactions as well as messages conveyed to selected influencers to
avoid misinterpreted information transmission.
6. Limitations and future research
Although it successfully addresses research objectives, the study has some limitations.
Firstly, most of the respondents in in-depth interviews are young (between the age of 20 - 31) and
76 Xuan T. T. Le, Uyen B. Ly. HCMCOUJS-Economics and Business Administration, 14(2), 64-78

living in Hochiminh City. Obviously, they have more chances to approach many sources of
information/channels. This can explain why they have more knowledge of cosmetic products.
Therefore, further study should extend to many ranges of respondents to have a better image of
the brand.
Secondly, as mentioned in the section on Netnography, the structure of sampling cannot
be controlled and cannot distinguish between reviews/comments of seeders and those of
communities members. This limitation can be avoided if the firm can send someone from the
marketing department to participate in the study.
Thirdly, although themes from Netnographic data are revised in some rounds to describe
more precisely the meanings of comments on postings, some images and short comments are hard
to interpret. Hence, future studies should validate the explored aspects in the present study in other
formats, such as surveys and focus groups, to have a better explanation of brand image.
Finally, data collected from both in-depth interviews and Netnography is qualitative hence
the research findings cannot be generalized. Based on the themes found from the present study,
future research should be employed a quantitative method to approach the large number of
respondents, so that the research finding can be tested in the larger sample size.

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