Social Media Marketing Capability, e-WOM, and Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust among Culinary SMEs

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the mediating role of Brand Trust in the relationship between Social Media Marketing Capability (SMMC), Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM), and Purchase Intention among culinary Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bekasi City, Indonesia.

A quantitative causal-explanatory approach was employed. Data were collected from 185 respondents who are consumers of culinary SMEs in Bekasi, using a purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 3.0.

The results confirm all seven hypotheses. SMMC and e-WOM have a positive and significant effect on Brand Trust. SMMC, e-WOM, and Brand Trust positively and significantly affect Purchase Intention. Furthermore, Brand Trust significantly mediates the effects of both SMMC and e-WOM on Purchase Intention, indicating a partial mediation mechanism.

This study integrates SMMC and e-WOM within a single model and positions Brand Trust as a mediator in the context of culinary SMEs in a developing country's urban setting (Bekasi), an area that has received limited attention.

Culinary SMEs should focus not only on creating engaging content and encouraging e-WOM but also on consistently building brand trust through reliability, honesty, and safety to convert online activities into actual purchase intentions.