Unpacking the Theoretical Pathways to Consumer Loyalty in Digital Environments: A Structural Model of Brand Engagement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55681/economina.v5i8.3688Keywords:
Social media marketing, brand trust, brand equity, brand loyalty, stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R)Abstract
Social media has rapidly changed marketing tactics, especially in cosmetics, where visual appeal and peer engagement affect consumer decisions. Somethinc and other cosmetic businesses use TikTok to reach Generation Z in Indonesia. Despite its growing use, little is known about how social media marketing (SMM) affects brand loyalty, particularly through psychological notions like brand trust and equity. This study uses the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and Social Information Processing (SIP) theory to examine how brand trust and equity mediate the influence of SMM on brand loyalty. Purposive sampling of 215 Yogyakarta Gen Z users who bought Somethinc products on TikTok was used to acquire quantitative data. In AMOS 22, SEM was used to evaluate the data. The results show that SMM boosts brand trust, equity, and loyalty. SMM and brand loyalty are partially mediated by brand trust and equity. By integrating Islamic-context customer behavior into the S-O-R and SIP frameworks, this study helps cosmetic firms increase loyalty through emotionally engaging and value-driven digital tactics. This study empirically validates the dual mediating effect of trust and equity in Gen Z beauty marketing on TikTok
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