Building Consumer Purchase Intention through Social Media and eWOM: The Role of Brand Image

Yanuar Sandyatama; Fredianaika Istanti

doi:10.55227/ijhess.v5i2.1923

Authors

Yanuar Sandyatama Universitas Negeri Semarang
Fredianaika Istanti

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v5i2.1923

Abstract

In today’s competitive digital market, consumer purchasing decisions are heavily shaped by online platforms, particularly for high-involvement products such as laptops. This study investigates the effects of social media marketing and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on purchase intention, with brand image as a mediating variable. A quantitative approach with deductive reasoning was employed, collecting survey data from 112 respondents in Semarang (18+ years old, active social media users with exposure to Acer content). Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that social media marketing and eWOM both significantly enhance brand image (β = 0.152, p = 0.034 and β = 0.803, p < 0.001, respectively). Social media marketing also has a strong direct effect on purchase intention (β = 0.537, p < 0.001), whereas the direct effect of eWOM on purchase intention is not significant (β = 0.229, p = 0.085). However, eWOM significantly increases purchase intention indirectly via brand image (indirect effect = 0.178, p = 0.014). Brand image itself positively influences purchase intention (β = 0.222, p = 0.012). These findings indicate that brand image fully mediates the impact of eWOM on buying decisions, while social media marketing drives purchase intention both directly and through image. The model explains a substantial portion of variance in both brand image and purchase intention. This study contributes to digital marketing literature by highlighting the mediating role of brand image and confirming the direct impact of social media marketing. Practically, the results suggest that laptop companies should strengthen social media strategies and encourage positive eWOM to reinforce brand image and thereby boost consumer purchase intention.

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