Purpose: The cosmeceutical industry in emerging markets faces a dual challenge: rapid digital transformation and severe macroeconomic volatility. This study investigates the structural relationships between product quality, digital beauty marketing, dermatologist trust, and their impact on marketing and organizational performance within the Iranian cosmeceutical context.
Design/methodology/approach: Grounded in signaling and institutional theories, a conceptual model was tested using PLS-SEM on a three-layer stratified sample (N=750, effective sample size after weighting=511) comprising supply-side managers, medical experts, and end-users.
Findings: The model explains 66.1% of organizational performance variance. Digital Beauty Marketing most strongly drives Brand Awareness (β=0.448, p<0.001), while Dermatologist Trust most directly impacts Marketing Performance (β=0.524, p<0.001), acting as a credibility shield against market uncertainty. Economic Instability exerts a significant negative effect (β=-0.284), yet trust-based mechanisms remain resilient.
Practical implications: To navigate volatile emerging markets, firms must transition from celebrity-led to expert-led digital strategies, investing in medical influencers and clinical evidence in digital storytelling.
Originality/value: This is among the first studies to integrate medical trust structures with digital ecosystem drivers in an unstable economic context using a three-layer weighted design incorporating managers, dermatologists, and consumers simultaneously.