The Influence of Brand Ambassadors on Purchase Decisions With Brand Trust ss A Moderating Variabl

Atika Riasari; Samuel Indrayana; Bagus Ananda Kurniawan; Muhamad Irfan Florid; Dini Fitriyanthi

doi:10.31004/jerkin.v5i1.8036

Authors

Atika Riasari Universitas Islam Negeri Jurai Siwo Lampung
Samuel Indrayana Universitas Bhyayangkara Surabaya, Indonesia
Bagus Ananda Kurniawan Universitas Bhyayangkara Surabaya, Indonesia
Muhamad Irfan Florid Universitas Mohammad Natsir Bukittinggi, Indonesia
Dini Fitriyanthi Universitas Mohammad Natsir Bukittinggi, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31004/jerkin.v5i1.8036

Keywords:

Brand Ambassador, Brand Trust, Purchasing Decision, Moderating Variable, SEM-PLS.

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of brand ambassadors on product purchasing decisions and examine the role of brand trust as a moderating variable in this relationship. Amidst increasingly competitive industry competition, companies aggressively utilize public figures or brand ambassadors to attract market attention, build a positive image, and encourage consumer purchase intentions. However, the influence of public figure involvement does not always have a direct and consistent impact on purchasing decisions without a foundation of consumer trust in the brand ( brand trust ). This study uses a quantitative approach with an explanatory survey method . Data collection was carried out by distributing structured questionnaires to active consumers selected using a purposive sampling technique . The collected data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to test the hypothesis of a direct relationship and a moderating effect. The results of the analysis indicate that brand ambassadors have a positive and significant influence on purchasing decisions directly. Furthermore, the moderation analysis proves that brand trust significantly strengthens the positive relationship between brand ambassadors and purchasing decisions. These findings confirm that the popularity of brand ambassadors will have a maximum impact on consumer purchasing behavior when supported by a high level of brand trust . The practical implications of this research suggest that marketing management should not only focus on the attractiveness or fame of brand ambassadors , but also simultaneously build and maintain brand trust to optimize sales conversion.

References

Aaker, D. A. (2014). Aaker on branding: 20 principles that drive success. Morgan James Publishing.

Biswas, S., Hussain, M., & O'Donnell, K. (2006). Celebrity endorsements in advertisements and consumer perception: A technical review. Journal of Services Research, 6(2), 231–244.

Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: The role of brand equity. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 81–93.https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.65.2.81.18255

Chin, W.W. (2010). How to write up and report PLS analyses. In V. Esposito Vinzi, W. W. Chin, J. Henseler, & H. Wang (Eds.), Handbook of partial least squares: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 655–690). Springer.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32827-8_29

Delgado-Ballester, E., & Munuera-Alemán, J. L. (2005). Does brand trust matter to brand equity? Journal of Product & Brand Management, 14(3), 187–196.https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420510601058

Dwivedi, A., Johnson, L. W., & McDonald, R. E. (2015). Celebrity endorsement, customer-based brand equity and purchase intention. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(6), 449–461.https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-10-2014-1189

Erdogan, B. Z. (1999). Celebrity endorsements: A literature review. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(3), 291–314.https://doi.org/10.1362/026725799784870379

Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Addison-Wesley.

Ghozali, I., & Latan, H. (2015). Partial least squares: Concepts, techniques and applications using the SmartPLS 3.0 program (2nd edition). Diponegoro University Publishing Agency.

Gremler, D.D., Joireman, J., & Van Vaerenbergh, Y. (2020). Service recovery and brand trust dynamics in digital ecosystems. Journal of Service Research, 23(4), 412–429.

Ha, H.Y., & Perks, H. (2005). Effects of consumer perceptions of brand experience on the web: Brand familiarity, satisfaction and brand trust. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 4(6), 438–452.https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.29

Hair, J.F., Risher, J.J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C.M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24.https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203

Hennig-Thurau, T., Qwinner, 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

Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and persuasion: Psychological studies of opinion change. Yale University Press.

Keller, K. L. (2020). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K.L. (2016). Marketing management (15th edition). Pearson Education.

Lau, G. T., & Lee, S. H. (1999). Consumers' trust in a brand and the link to brand loyalty. Journal of Market-Focused Management , 4(4), 341–370.https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009886520142

Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302

Ohanian, R. (1990). Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endorsers' perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Journal of Advertising, 19(3), 39–52.https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1990.10673191

Pappu, R., Quester, P. G., & Cooksey, R. W. (2005). Consumer-based brand equity: Improving the measurement–empirical evidence. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 14(3), 143–154.https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420510601012

Peng, J., & Chen, X. (2019). The mechanism of celebrity endorsement on purchase intention: Moderating role of brand fit. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2485–2496.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02485

Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 123–205.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60214-2

Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Mitchell, R., & Gudergan, S. P. (2020). Partial least squares structural equation modeling in HRM research. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(12), 1617–1643.https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1416655

Royan, FM (2012). Marketing celebrities: Celebrities as a sales driver. Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Schiffman, LG, & Wisenblit, J. (2019). Consumer behavior (12th ed.). Pearson Education.

Shimp, T. A., & Andrews, J. C. (2018). Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated marketing communications (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Sugiyono. (2018). Quantitative, qualitative, and R&D research methods. Alfabeta.

Sweeney, J., & Swait, J. (2008). The effects of brand credibility on customer loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services , 15(3), 179–193.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2007.04.001