THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER STORIES TOWARD PURCHASE INTENTION: THE ROLE OF BRAND ENGAGEMENT AND BRAND TRUST AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE

Study in Instagram Stories @fadiljaidi as Influencer Marketing

Abstract

This study comprehensively examines the impact of Social Media Influencer Stories on Purchase Intention, specifically analyzing the mediating roles of Brand Engagement and Brand Trust. The research context focuses on Instagram Stories by @fadiljaidi as a form of Influencer Marketing. The investigation targets Generation Z consumers who actively view Fadil Jaidi’s content. Adopting a quantitative methodology, the study utilizes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4.0 to analyze data obtained from 146 respondents selected via purposive sampling through online questionnaires.The empirical findings reveal that Influencer Marketing exerts a positive and significant effect on both Brand Engagement and Brand Trust. However, the direct impact of Influencer Marketing on Purchase Intention was found to be negative and statistically insignificant. Conversely, the results demonstrate that Brand Engagement and Brand Trust significantly mediate the relationship, serving as essential bridges between Influencer Marketing and Purchase Intention. Additionally, the analysis indicates that Brand Reputation does not act as a moderator in the relationship between Brand Trust and Purchase Intention. This suggests that Purchase Intention is driven more by direct Brand Trust than by general Brand Reputation. Consequently, this study concludes that maximizing Purchase Intention requires strengthening the indirect pathways of engagement and trust rather than relying solely on direct promotion. Managerially, brands are advised to form strategic collaborations with influencers like Fadil Jaidi, particularly on Instagram Stories, as his strong personal branding and ability to provide engaging visual product experiences are proven to effectively cultivate the consumer trust needed to drive sales.