THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AND ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH ON PURCHASE INTENTION MEDIATED BY BRAND EQUITY
(A CASE STUDY ON FASHION CONSUMERS FROM GENERATION Z IN SURAKARTA CITY)
Abstract
This study aims to examine the influence of social media usage and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on purchase intention, with brand equity serving as a mediating variable among Generation Z fashion consumers in Surakarta City. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 399 respondents selected using purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The findings indicate that both social media usage and eWOM have a positive and significant direct effect on purchase intention. Additionally, both variables indirectly influence purchase intention through brand equity. Brand equity itself plays a significant role in strengthening consumers’ intention to purchase. These results highlight the importance of building strong brand equity to maximize the effectiveness of social media marketing and electronic word of mouth strategies. However, this study is limited to Generation Z consumers in a single city, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research is recommended to include broader demographic groups and wider geographic areas to enhance the robustness and applicability of the results.
Keywords: Social Media Usage; Electronic Word of Mouth ; Brand Equity; Purchase Intention ; Generation Z ; Fashion
Downloads
References
Arda, M., & Andriany, D. (2019). Analisis faktor stimuli pemasaran dalam keputusan pembelian online produk fashion pada generasi Z. Prosiding FRIMA (Festival Riset Ilmiah Manajemen Dan https://doi.org/10.55916/frima.v0i2.66
Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. (2024). APJII jumlah pengguna internet Indonesia tembus 221 juta orang [Laporan survei]. Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. Diakses https://apjii.or.id/berita/d/apjii-jumlah-pengguna-internet-indonesia tembus-221-juta-orang
Augusto, M., & Torres, P. (2018a). Effects of brand attitude and eWOM on consumers’ willingness to pay for brands: A study in the fashion industry. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 44, 118–125.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.01.005
Augusto, M., & Torres, P. (2018b). Information usage and purchase intention in social media: The case of fashion products. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 45, 204–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.01.005
Bambauer-Sachse, S., & Mangold, S. (2011). Brand equity dilution through negative online word-of-mouth communication. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 18(1), 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2010.09.003
Badan Pusat Statistik Kota Surakarta. (2024). Kota Surakarta dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS No. 1102001.3372). Badan Pusat Statistik Kota Surakarta. https://surakartakota.bps.go.id/id/publication/2024/02/28/349be2091435020bbd 015a7a/kota-surakarta-dalam-angka-2024/
BİLGİN, Y. (2018). The effect of social media marketing activities on brand awareness, brand image and brand loyalty. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 6(1), 128–148. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v6i1.229
Boonghee, Y., Donthu, N., & Lee, S. (2000). Developing a scale to measure the perceived quality of an Internet shopping site (SITEQUAL). Quarterly Journal of Electronic Commerce, 2(1), 31–47.
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1177/0092070300282002.pdf
Botha, E., & Mills, A. J. (2012). Managing the new media: tools for brand management in social media. in a. close (ed.), online consumer behavior: theory and research in social media, advertising and e-tail (pp. 83–100). New York: Taylor & Francis
Bruhn, M., Schoenmueller, V., & Schäfer, D. B. (2012). Are social media replacing traditional media in terms of brand equity creation? Management Research Review, 35(9), 770–790. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211255948
Chen, Y.-S., & Chang, C.-H. (2008). Developing a green brand equity model. Journal of Business Ethics, 81(3), 531–543.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2007.11.003
Christodoulides, G., Jevons, C., & Bonhomme, J. (2012). Memo to marketers: Quantitative evidence for change. How user-generated content really affects brands. Journal of Advertising Research, 52(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-52-1-053-064
Erkan, I., & Evans, C. (2016). The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions: An extended approach to information adoption. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.003
Ghozali, I., & Latan, H. (2023). Partial least square: Konsep, teknik dan aplikasi menggunakan program SmartPLS 4.0 untuk penelitian empiris. Badan Penerbit Universitas Diponegoro.
Godey, B., Manthiou, A., Pederzoli, D., Rokka, J., Aiello, G., Donvito, R., & Singh, R. (2016). Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand equity and consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5833–5841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.181
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the Internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.10073
Hu, Y., & Zhu, J. (2022). How social media usage affects consumers’ purchase intention: The role of perceived trust and usefulness. Asian Journal of Business Research, 12(1), 58–75. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.837752
Hutter, K., Hautz, J., Dennhardt, S., & Füller, J. (2013). The impact of user interactions in social media on brand awareness and purchase intention: The case of MINI on Facebook. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 22(5/6), 342–351. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-05-2013-0299
Mustika, I. W. W., & Maulidah, S. B. J. (2023). Analisis penggunaan media sosial sebagai sarana pemasaran pada usaha kecil menengah. Jurnal Riset Manajemen Komunikasi, 3(1), 7–12. https://doi.org/10.29313/jrmk.v3i1.1716
Jashari, F., & Rrustemi, V. (2017). The impact of social media on consumer behavior. Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Infor mation Technology, 7(1), 1–14
Jholanda, J., & Anwar, A. (2025). Sustainable Fashion: Fenomena Thrifting Dan Peran Subsektor Fashion Terhadap Perekonomian Indonesia. Jurnal Manajemen dan Bisnis (JMB), 6(1).
Jia, Y., Liu, Y., & Zhang, J. (2020). The influence of fashion social media on consumer decision-making: A theoretical framework and empirical study. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, 102126.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120728
Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital. (2024). Kemkomdigi identifikasi 1.923 konten hoaks sepanjang 2024 [Rilis pers]. Antara News.
Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif. (2024). Nilai tambah ekonomi kreatif capai Rp 749,58 triliun pada semester I-2024 [Siaran pers]. Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif / Badan Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif. https://pemasaranekraf.kemenparekraf.go.id/berita/nilai-tambah ekonomi-kreatif-capai-5565-persen-dari-target-tahun-2024/
Kementerian Perdagangan Republik Indonesia. (2024). Statistik pengguna e-commerce di Indonesia 2020–2024 [Laporan tahunan]. Pusat Data dan Sistem Informasi, Kementerian Perdagangan RI.
Khan, R., Khan, M. A., & Alolayan, A. (2024). Impact of social media usage and eWOM on purchase intention: Mediating role of brand equity. Journal of Retail and Consumer Research, 30(1), 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEAS-05-2023-0102
Khairi, M., Rianto, B., Jalil, M., Juita, H., & Sudeska, E. (2025). Pengaruh teknologi dalam transformasi ekonomi dan bisnis di era digital. Jurnal Perangkat Lunak, 7(1), 71-78.
Kholifah, N., Darma, D. C., & Arifin, Z. (2021). The impact of e-WOM on brand equity and purchase intention: The case of millennial generation. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 5(4), 591–600.
Kotler, P. (2008). Manajemen Pemasaran (13th ed.). Jakarta: Erlangga.
Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., Ang, S. H., Leong, S. M., & Tan, C. T. (2014). Marketing management: An Asian perspective (6th ed.). Pearson Education.
Lassar, W. M., Mittal, B., & Sharma, A. (1995). Measuring customer-based brand equity. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 12(4), 11–19.
Limarta, J., & Fahlevi, M. (2023). The influence of brand trust and brand experience on repurchase intention through brand love. Journal of Distribution Science, 21(3), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.36778/jesya.v6i1.791
Maoyan, L., Qiong, Z., & Wen, Z. (2014). Consumer purchase intention research based on social media marketing. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(10), 92–97. Diakses
http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_5_No_10_1_September_2014/11.pdf
Maulana, M. (2021). Pemasaran digital: Teori dan praktik. Jakarta: Prenadamedia Group.
Maria, R., & Widayati, R. (2020). Teknologi sebagai kebutuhan pokok dalam era digital. Jurnal Teknologi dan Bisnis, 12(1), 23–31.
https://doi.org/10.31289/jkbm.v6i2.3801
Mranani, N. M., & Lastianti, I. N. (2022). Analisis minat beli konsumen pada produk lokal. Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen, 10(1), 52–63.
https://ojs.stiemahardhika.ac.id/index.php/mahardika/article/view/393.
Noviandi, A. (2021). Pengaruh E-WOM (Electronic Word of Mouth) terhadap keputusan pembelian produk food & beverage secara online pada marketplace tokopedia. Business and Enterpreneurship https://doi.org/10.57084/bej.v2i1.652 Journal (BEJ), 2(1).
Ramadhan, M. I., & Daulay, M. (2024). Pengaruh penggunaan media sosial dan eWOM terhadap minat beli: Studi pada mahasiswa. Jurnal Manajemen Digital Indonesia, 4(1), 65–74.
Rapp, A., Beitelspacher, L. S., Grewal, D., & Hughes, D. E. (2013). Understanding social media effects across seller, retailer, and consumer interactions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(5), 547–566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-013-0326-9
Rucita, G. N. (2023). Teknologi informasi dan perilaku konsumen generasi Z. Bandung: Alfabeta. https://doi.org/10.47134/jees.v1i1.63
Setiani, M., Widiastuti, T., & Hermawan, A. (2021). Purchase intention in online shopping: Evidence from Indonesian millennial. Jurnal Manajemen Pemasaran, 15(2), 99–108.
Skiefer, K., Lee, J., & Park, C. W. (2023). The credibility of word of mouth: How consumer expertise influences brand perception. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 33(1), 78–92. https://doi.org/10.21632/kbi.5.1.67-83
Smith, B. G., & Gallicano, T. D. (2015). Terms of engagement: Analyzing public engagement with organizations through social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 82–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.05.060
Stojanovic, I., Andreu, L., & Curras-Perez, R. (2018). Effects of the intensity of use of social media on brand equity. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 27(1), 83–100. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-11-2017-0049
Srisusilawati, P., Prasetyo, S. N., Hamidah, S. A. N., Rihhadatull'Aisy, R. A., & Oktavia, R. (2024). Tren dan Perkembangan Fashion Syariah Pada Era Modern di Kota Bandung. Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi Islam, 10(1), 953-961.
Sugiyono. (2020). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta.
Taliwuna, J., Siahaan, A., & Tobing, D. S. (2024). Generasi Z dalam era digital: Peluang dan tantangan. Jurnal Teknologi dan Pendidikan, 8(2), 74–85. https://ejournal.stt-yerusalembaru.ac.id/index.php/SHAMAYIM
Tawaqal, R. A., Susanti, D., & Siregar, E. (2024). Word of mouth dan keputusan pembelian: Studi pada konsumen e-commerce. Jurnal Manajemen dan Pemasaran Jasa, 17(1), 42–58. https://doi.org/10.56956/jdcs.v2i1.290
Ulya, R., Sari, D., & Febriani, A. (2023). The mediating role of brand equity in purchase decisions. Jurnal Bisnis dan Ekonomi, 30(1), 61–73.
Utami, M. M., & Hanum, A. N. (2010, January). Analisis faktor faktor yang mempengaruhi word of mouth mahasiswa Unimus. In Prosiding Seminar Nasional & Internasional (Vol. 3, No. 1).
Vahdati, H., Mousavi Nejad, F., & Taghinezhad, F. (2016). Brand equity and purchase intention with a focus on product involvement. Business and Economic Research, 6(2), 248–266.
Viana, O., Yunita, N., & Nirawati, L. (2022). Pengaruh Kualitas Pelayanan dan Ekuitas Merek terhadap Keputusan Konsumen dalam Membeli Produk H & M di Kota Surabaya dengan Electronic Word of Mouth Sebagai Variabel Moderator Abstrak. 5(2), 563–572. https://doi.org/10.37531/sejaman.v5i2.2491
Yadav, M., & Rahman, Z. (2018). The influence of social media marketing activities on customer loyalty: A study of e-commerce industry. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(9), 2272–2288. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-05-2017-0092
Zhafira, A. Y., & Rachmawati, I. (2020). Pengaruh Ekuitas Merek Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Smartphone Samsung Di Kota Bandung. Jurnal Mitra Manajemen, 4(9), 1287–1297. https://doi.org/10.52160/ejmm.v4i9.453
Devanda Martianta Sabeliana(1*)

