The success of the viral Barbie movie in 2023 prompted various brands, both global and local, including ESQA Cosmetics from Indonesia, to participate in collaborative marketing campaigns. The campaign demonstrated increasing consumer engagement with pop culture trends and was reflected in consumer discussions about the Barbie X ESQA collaboration. This study focuses on analyzing consumer views on the collaboration, identifying elements that drive consumers to spread information about the product, and examining purchasing motivations by employing relevant communication theories. Using qualitative methods and netnography, data was obtained through in-depth interviews, digital observations, and linked documentation. The results show that ESQA Cosmetics strategically optimized digital marketing communications (DMC), which focused on three main interaction models: Business to Consumer (B2C), Consumer to Business (C2B), and Consumer to Consumer (C2C). These models are facilitated through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, where consumers interact with promotional content and share their personal experiences. The informants in this study were influenced by the nostalgic bond with the Barbie figure, which encouraged them to engage in product discussions and participate in viral content trends. Purchasing patterns among informants reflected varying levels of consumer needs: social needs were fulfilled through interaction with peers and participation in trending discussions; ego needs were addressed through public expression of self-image; and self-actualization was reflected in creative makeup expressions using Barbie-themed cosmetics. This study concluded that xenocentrism operationalized as consumer preference for products with foreign cultural elements plays a significant role in consumer preferences, where brands associated with global icons such as Barbie can enhance product appeal. The findings demonstrate how integrated marketing strategies based on cultural resonance and nostalgia have a strong influence on consumer purchasing decisions.

Ailawadi, K. L., Beauchamp, J. P., Donthu, N., Gauri, D., & Shankar, V. (2009). Customer Experience Management in Retailing: Communication and Promotion. Journal of Retailing, 85(1), 42–55.

Ajayi, V. O. (2017). Primary Sources of Data and Secondary Sources of Data. Benue State University, 1(1), 1–6.

Al Jabouri, A. A. N., & Al-Yasiri, N. (2020). Viral Marketing and its Role in Making a Global Economic Crisis: COVID Virus as a Model. Ishtar Journal of Economics and Business Studies (IJEBS), 2(4), 155–168.

Balabanis, G., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2016). Consumer Xenocentrism as Determinant of Foreign Product Preference: A System Justification Perspective. Journal of International Marketing, 24(3), 58–77. https://doi.org/10.1509/jim.15.0138

Broek, A. van den. (2013). Arts Participation and the Three Faces of Time: A Reflection on Disentangling the Impact of Life Stage, Period and Socialization on Arts Participation, Exemplified by an Analysis of the US Arts Audience. Cultural Trends, 22(1), 46–53.

Camacho, L. J., Salazar-Concha, C., & Ramírez-Correa, P. (2020). The Influence of Xenocentrism on Purchase Intentions of the Consumer: The Mediating Role of Product Attitudes. Sustainability, 12(4), 1647. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041647

Hendrayati, H., & Pamungkas, P. (2020). Viral Marketing and E-Word of Mouth Communication in Social Media Marketing. 3rd Global Conference On Business, Management, and Entrepreneurship (GCBME 2018), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.200131.010

Cleveland, M., Laroche, M., & Papadopoulos, N. (2009). Cosmopolitanism, consumer ethnocentrism, and materialism: An eight-country study of antecedents and outcomes. Journal of International Marketing, 17(1), 116–146.

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68.

Keller, M., Halkier, B., Wilska, T.-A., & Truninger, M. (2017). Routledge Handbook on Consumption. London: Routledge.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.

Kozinets, R. V. (2010). Netnography: Doing Ethnographic Research Online. SAGE Publications.

Larassaty, L. (2022). Kolaborasi Dengan Barbie, ESQA Rilis Koleksi “Strong Girls Make Waves” Dalam 6 Produk Super Eye Catching. Beauty Journal. https://www.beautyjournal.id/article/esqa-barbie-strong-girls-make-waves

Loisa, R., Candraningrum, D. A., Utami, L. S. S., & Irena, L. (2021). Cultural Participatory in Tourism Digital Marketing Communication Channel. Jurnal Komunikasi, 13(2), 314–332. https://doi.org/10.24912/jk.v13i2.13411

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.

Nuttavuthisit, K. (2019). Qualitative Consumer and Marketing Research: The Asian Perspectives and Practices. Berlin: Springer.

Reichstein, T., & Brusch, I. (2019). The Decision-Making Process in Viral Marketing A Review and Suggestions for Further Research. Psychology & Marketing, 36(11), 1062–1081. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21256

Ritzer, G. (2011). Globalization: The Essentials. Wiley-Blackwell.

Sayekti, I. M. S. (2023). Kisah Kolaborasi Brand Lokal di Tokopedia dengan Barbie Bikin Bangga Buatan Indonesia. Pressrelease.Id. https://pressrelease.kontan.co.id/news/kisah-kolaborasi-brand-lokal-di-tokopedia-dengan-barbie-bikin-bangga-buatan-indonesia

Schiffman, L. G., & Wisenblit, J. (2019). Consumer Behavior (12 Ed.). London: Pearson Educations.

Veling, L., & McGinn, C. (2021). Qualitative Research in HRI: A Review and Taxonomy. International Journal of Social Robotics, 13, 1689–1709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-020-00723-z