Literature Review

REVIEW
(FLOW: Theoretical foundations → Previous studies + recent studies → Analyze
research gaps exp. in the Vietnamese context → methods / analysis
approach?) + Bổ sung thêm source mới của Ngân

The internalization of beauty norms among adolescents has long been a

focus in psychological, sociological, and marketing literature. Festinger’s
theory of social comparison provides a foundational understanding of how
individuals, especially adolescents, evaluate themselves in relation to others.
This process becomes more intense within today’s digital landscape, where
idealized beauty standards are constantly reinforced through curated images
on social media and other platforms. Adolescents, in the midst of identity
development, are especially vulnerable to these representations. These
comparisons often lead to body dissatisfaction, lowered self-esteem, and a
perceived need to modify one’s appearance, which drives increasing
engagement with beauty and healthcare services and products promising
aesthetic improvement or social validation.

Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior offers a structured lens through which to

understand these consumption behaviors. According to this model, an
adolescent’s intention to engage in beauty-related behaviors is influenced by
their attitudes toward those behaviors, the subjective norms surrounding
them, and their perceived behavioral control. Attitudes often develop from
repeated exposure to media and peer reinforcement that glamorizes beauty-
enhancing products. Subjective norms, especially potent in collectivist
cultures like Vietnam, are shaped by familial expectations, peer opinions, and
cultural ideals, increasing the perceived necessity to conform. Perceived
behavioral control reflects the adolescent’s assessment of their ability to
achieve these beauty standards through available resources, such as
cosmetics, aesthetic treatments, or healthcare services.

In exploring how consumer behavior is shaped by broader societal forces,

media representation stands out as a primary influence. In the article titled
"Buying a Beauty Standard or Dreaming of a New Life," researchers illustrate
how media continuously projects beauty as symbolic of success, confidence,
and social ascension. This association fuels the belief that achieving external
beauty leads to personal fulfillment and social advantage. Dittmar and Brown
further emphasize how beauty becomes a central aspect of identity in
consumer culture, where individuals, especially youth, are not only influenced
by beauty ideals but also express their identities through the act of
consumption. The body and its transformation become tools for constructing
the self, and in doing so, adolescents become active participants in
reinforcing the very standards they are attempting to meet.

To contextualize these behaviors within a modern service environment, the

concept of value co-creation offers valuable insight. Vargo and Lusch shift
from a goods-dominant to a service-dominant logic argues that consumers
are no longer passive recipients of value but active contributors. This idea is
particularly relevant in the healthcare and beauty industries, where services
are not standardized but personalized, and where consumers' expectations,
feedback, and emotional involvement co-create the value of the experience.
Adolescent consumers engaging with beauty or wellness services, ranging
from dermatology consultations to fitness and self-care regimes, contribute
to shaping the service outcomes and the overall brand experience through
their behaviors, preferences, and expressions.

In examining how adolescents experience and co-create value in these

services, the multidimensional model by Gentile, Spiller, and Noci provides a
comprehensive framework. Their model outlines six dimensions of customer
experience: emotional, cognitive, sensorial, pragmatic, lifestyle, and relational.
Each of these dimensions contributes to the adolescent’s perception of value
and meaning. For example, the emotional dimension encompasses feelings
of excitement, hope, or insecurity experienced when engaging with beauty
services. The sensorial dimension relates to how appealing and immersive the
service environment is, from the aroma of skincare products to the soothing
design of wellness clinics. Pragmatic elements involve the perceived
usefulness and ease of service, while relational aspects capture how
connected or respected the adolescent feels by service providers. This holistic
view shows that consumer engagement is not just transactional but deeply
experiential and emotional, especially relevant for adolescents, who are
sensitive to their environments and highly driven by feelings of belonging
and self-worth.
Building on this, Lee, Grinevich, and Chipulu emphasize how value co-
creation is embedded in customer experience. They argue that consumer
participation should be assessed dynamically, reflecting not only how services
are received but how they evolve through feedback and engagement. Their
approach advocates for a continuous loop of experience evaluation, which
allows companies to adapt and innovate in response to real-time needs and
preferences. In the adolescent beauty market, where trends shift rapidly and
expectations are shaped by peer validation and social media influence, this
adaptive and co-creative framework allows brands to remain relevant and
resonate emotionally.

Shaw extends this conversation by focusing on emotional connection as a

critical element in designing great customer experiences. In the context of
beauty and wellness services, emotional engagement can be the decisive
factor in brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. Adolescents are not only
seeking appearance enhancement but also emotional reassurance, self-
expression, and community belonging. Service providers that prioritize
emotional intelligence through empathetic staff, affirming messaging, or
uplifting environments are more likely to forge strong connections with
young clients. Similarly, Pine and Gilmore’s concept of the experience
economy underlines that services must offer memorable and immersive
experiences that go beyond mere product or result. For adolescents, this may
mean integrating storytelling, personalization, and lifestyle alignment into
the service journey, thereby transforming beauty into an aspirational and
experiential domain.

Meyer and Schwager contribute to this discussion by emphasizing the need

for detailed customer journey mapping to capture every interaction that
shapes the overall experience. From appointment booking to post-service
feedback, each touchpoint offers an opportunity to enhance or diminish
perceived value. In adolescent contexts, where emotional sensitivity and
impressionability are high, the smallest positive or negative cue can
significantly alter their perception of a brand. Capturing these nuances
enables service providers to deliver more consistent and resonant
experiences that foster long-term relationships.

This becomes especially relevant in Vietnam, where adolescents are

navigating a unique intersection of traditional values and global beauty
influences. The adoption of Korean beauty trends, the pressure from social
media influencers, and growing access to wellness services are all reshaping
how Vietnamese youth perceive and pursue beauty. However, few studies
have examined how these shifts influence consumer experience and co-
creation within a culturally specific context. The experience-centric
frameworks offered by Gentile, Lee, Shaw, and Meyer thus provide an
important lens for examining how Vietnamese adolescents engage with
beauty and healthcare services not just as customers but as emotional, social,
and cultural actors.

Innovation also plays a key role in enhancing customer experience. Den

Hertog's model of service innovation outlines both technological and
organizational dimensions that contribute to creating new value. In the
beauty industry, innovations may include app-based skincare diagnostics,
virtual consultations, or subscription-based wellness programs, all of which
appeal to digital-native adolescents. These innovations enhance accessibility
and personalization, enabling young consumers to feel more in control of
their self-care journeys. Den Hertog emphasizes that innovation is not limited
to technology but includes the redesign of service delivery, human resource
practices, and even customer roles.

Gallouj and Weinstein further advocate for a comprehensive approach to

service innovation that incorporates the interplay between provider
knowledge, client competencies, and technological capabilities. In adolescent
beauty markets, this means recognizing the role of the consumer as both
informed and influential. Adolescents bring their own knowledge from social
media, online reviews, and peer networks, challenging brands to deliver not
only results but experiences that align with their expectations and values.
Innovation therefore must be dialogic, reflecting both provider expertise and
consumer insight.

As service experiences become more complex and emotionally driven, the

need for robust customer relationship management becomes paramount.
Buttle’s model of customer relationship management highlights the
importance of personal data, trust, and loyalty-building in managing long-
term consumer engagement. Adolescent consumers may be early in their
brand loyalty journeys, but their decisions are often emotionally charged and
socially influenced, making them both highly volatile and highly valuable.
Personalized recommendations, transparent communication, and follow-up
care can strengthen these relationships and position brands as trusted
partners in the adolescent self-improvement journey.

Payne and Frow expand on this by offering a strategic customer relationship

management framework that emphasizes integration across departments
and alignment with customer value. Their model supports the idea that
customer relationship management should not be a siloed function but a
cross-functional strategy that informs marketing, service design, and
innovation. For adolescents seeking beauty and healthcare services, this
integrated approach ensures that their needs are met not just once but
consistently, across platforms and over time. When customer relationship
strategies are aligned with experiential and emotional insights, they enable
companies to cultivate relationships built on trust, responsiveness, and
mutual growth.

While global studies have examined the relationship between beauty norms
and consumer behavior, there is a lack of research focused on Vietnamese
adolescents. Their experiences are shaped by a unique intersection of
traditional cultural values and increasing exposure to global beauty
standards, particularly through social media. Confucian ideals, family
influence, and the importance of social harmony may influence how beauty
expectations are internalized and acted upon, particularly in the context of
healthcare-related consumption.

Vietnam’s rising middle class and digitally connected youth further

complicate this picture, as international beauty trends become embedded in
local consumer culture. However, current academic literature has not yet
addressed how these social and psychological pressures interact with
adolescent healthcare choices, nor how businesses in Vietnam respond
through branding, product development, and customer experience
strategies. This review aims to bridge that gap by integrating theoretical
frameworks and empirical studies to explore how beauty ideals affect
healthcare consumption, how demographic and psychological factors
moderate these effects, and how companies adapt their marketing to align
with adolescent perceptions of beauty.