The Effect of Brand Ambassadors, Brand Image and Social Media Marketing on Purchase Decisions, Mediated by Brand Awareness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijfbm.v4i4.19Keywords:
Brand Ambassador, Brand Image, Social Media Marketing, Purchase Decision, Brand AwarenessAbstract
The beauty industry in Indonesia is expanding rapidly, driving fierce competition and forcing cosmetic brands like Skintific to adopt adaptive marketing strategies. This study aims to analyze the effects of Brand Ambassador, Brand Image, and Social Media Marketing on Purchase Decisions, with Brand Awareness serving as a mediating variable among Skintific Cushion consumers. Utilizing an explanatory quantitative design with a survey method, data were collected via purposive sampling from 200 female university students (predominantly aged 20–29) at Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University and UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. The data were then analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS. Hypothesis testing indicates that Brand Ambassador and Social Media Marketing have a positive and significant effect on Purchase Decisions. However, the study reveals a key anomaly: Brand Image has a negative and significant effect on Purchase Decisions, highlighting a gap between brand image expectations and actual consumer experiences. Consequently, this study concludes that to improve sales conversion, companies must align their brand image with perceived product quality while continuing to optimize social media content effectiveness and brand ambassador credibility.
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