BUILDING BRAND TRUST THROUGH DIGITAL STIMULI: ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCER CREDIBILITY AND USER-GENERATED CONTENT ON PURCHASING DECISIONS

Syakira Mentari; Ade Perdana Siregar; Musnaini

doi:10.22437/jbsmr.v9i2.54352

Authors

Syakira Mentari Jambi University
Ade Perdana
Musnaini

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22437/jbsmr.v9i2.54352

Keywords:

Influencer Marketing, user generated content, brand trust, purchase intention

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of digital stimuli, specifically Influencer Credibility and User-Generated Content (UGC), on the Purchase Decisions of Somethinc products, with Brand Trust serving as a mediating variable. Focusing on Generation Z, data were collected from 133 students at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Jambi University, using a purposive sampling method. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0. The results reveal a counterintuitive finding: Influencer Credibility has a negative and non-significant direct effect on Purchase Decisions (β = -0.162, p > 0.05). Conversely, User-Generated Content and Brand Trust exert a positive and significant influence. Crucially, Brand Trust is proven to fully mediate the relationship between Influencer Credibility and Purchase Decisions, as well as partially mediating the impact of UGC. These findings suggest that for educated and critical consumers like Generation Z, influencer presence alone is insufficient to trigger transactions; rather, it must be validated by authentic user experiences and established brand trust. The model demonstrates a substantial predictive power with an R-square value of 61.6% for Purchase Decisions.

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