Abstract This study examines how background image (reality vs. virtuality) influences consumers’ perceptions of uncanniness toward virtual influencers (VIs) in social media advertisements. A between-subjects experiment (background image: reality vs. virtuality) was conducted to examine the effect of reality background image on uncanniness toward the VI, with a focus on the mediating role of perceived VI-background inconsistency. A total of 193 South Korean female Instagram users participated. The results indicated that consumers find VIs placed in reality (vs. virtuality) background images more uncanny because they experience inconsistency between the reality background and the virtual model. Moreover, this effect was negatively moderated by individuals’ categorization uncertainty about the VI’s non-human identity. The reality background image had a greater positive influence on the perceived uncanniness toward the VI via inconsistency when consumers could recognize the VI as a computer-generated non-human; the background image had no differential effects on inconsistency when consumers were less certain about the VI’s non-human identity.

This study assesses the effectiveness of social media advertising campaigns in the supermarket sector by combining managerial insights with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to support informed, sustainable decision-making. Considering the ever-increasing complexity of digital communication and the growing need for sustainable marketing resources, supermarkets require effective methods to evaluate social media platforms beyond isolated metrics. The study employs the Visual PROMETHEE program, an MCDA that incorporates qualitative insights from 27 supermarket managers in Northern Greece, along with the PROMETHEE II multi-criteria decision analysis method. At the outset, managers evaluated the importance of thirty-four social media performance factors with a five-point scale. Seven core evaluation criteria are identified by aggregating importance ratings and qualitative analysis: return on investment, revenue contribution, lead generation, engagement, cost efficiency, feedback, electronic word of mouth (eWoM), and reach. The use of these criteria later led to the evaluation of seven major social media platforms. A transparent ranking of platforms is presented, based on the results. The ranking highlights significant performance differences across financial, engagement, and reputational dimensions. The findings demonstrate the importance of integrating managerial guidance with multi-criteria analysis to inform long-lasting and evidence-based marketing decisions in retail.

In today’s digital landscape, the ability to adapt to technology plays a vital role in shaping how future business professionals engage with social media as a marketing tool. Understanding this adaptation sheds light on how prepared students are to transform their knowledge into practical strategies for real-world business environments. The research employed a survey-based approach, supported by a descriptive design, ensuring that student responses were systematically collected and provided a reliable depiction of how students perceive and adapt to technology in the context of social media marketing. The findings reveal that students who are well aware of technology adaptation also demonstrate a strong readiness to apply social media marketing in real business contexts. This connection shows that understanding digital tools plays an important role in building confidence and practical competence in marketing activities.

Purpose Online social media platforms offer valuable, low-cost marketing tools for acquiring, retaining and growing customers for micro and small enterprises (MSEs). However, MSEs have been slow to adopt social media marketing as part of their traditional marketing strategy. The purpose of this study is (1) to examine the process of social media marketing adoption by MSEs in an emerging market using the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and (2) to investigate the impact of social media marketing adoption on MSEs' marketing outcomes and overall firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study (n = 1,472) were collected directly from a registered list of MSEs operating in the country. Structural equation modeling was used to test all relationships identified in the conceptual model. Findings Our findings indicate that MSEs' perceptions of technological, organizational and environmental factors positively influence their adoption and use of social media marketing. Moreover, the adoption of social media marketing by MSEs significantly enhances overall firm performance, including total sales volume, profits, market share and return on investment by improving marketing outcomes such as customer service quality, perceived product value, customer retention and the ability to attract new customers. Originality/value This study contributes to the evolving research streams on MSEs' adoption of social media marketing and the role of relationship marketing practices on market and financial performance. By integrating these two research streams, it provides insights into how MSEs can enhance relationship marketing and firm performance by leveraging technological, organizational and micro-environmental (market) factors, consistent with resource-based view theory. Managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Online advertising increasingly relies on the integration of verbal and visual semiotic resources to create persuasive and engaging content. This study examines how metadiscourse functions across linguistic and visual modes in social media advertisements, highlighting the interdependence of text, imagery, color, typography, layout, and gaze direction in shaping meaning. Drawing on a corpus of fifty advertisements from Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, a mixed-methods approach was applied, combining quantitative frequency analysis of engagement markers, directives, boosters, and attitude expressions with qualitative multimodal discourse analysis of visual elements.

Consumer reluctance to repurchase branded fashion products remains a critical challenge for manufacturers, prompting the need for effective strategies to strengthen repurchase intention. This study investigates the influence of Social Media Marketing, Celebrity Endorsement, and Perceived Risk on Repurchase Intention, with Trust serving as a mediating variable among branded fashion consumers in Surabaya. Using a causal research design, data were collected from 210 respondents through accidental sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS). The findings reveal that Social Media Marketing has a significant positive effect on Trust, whereas Celebrity Endorsement and Perceived Risk exert significant negative influences on Trust. Additionally, Celebrity Endorsement, Perceived Risk, and Trust positively and significantly affect Repurchase Intention, while Social Media Marketing unexpectedly shows a significant negative impact on Repurchase Intention. Further analysis indicates that Trust mediates the relationship between Social Media Marketing and Repurchase Intention in a positive manner, yet Trust demonstrates a negative mediating effect on the relationships between Celebrity Endorsement and Perceived Risk toward Repurchase Intention. Overall, these results highlight the complex interplay between digital marketing strategies, consumer perceptions, and trust formation in shaping repurchase intentions within the branded fashion industry.

ABSTRACT Social media has become a vital tool for masstige brands in the rapidly changing world of digital marketing. We examine how social media marketing (SMM) affects customer involvement based on the sensory, emotive, behavioral, and intellectual aspects of brand experience. Using a mixed-method approach, critical engagement dimensions unique to masstige companies were identified through a netnography. A conceptual model that connected SMM to different types of engagement – purchase, influential value, co-creational, social media, and knowledge – was then tested through a survey. The results show that brand experiences highly influence these engagement outcomes, underscoring the significance of experiential techniques in improving consumer-brand interactions. In addition to providing helpful information for marketers looking to maximize their social media tactics for a range of engagement outcomes, this research advances the theoretical understanding of masstige branding.

Abstract: Social media has emerged as a vital communication and marketing tool for small businesses, providing both paid and organic routes to achieve brand visibility and customer engagement. This study explores how small businesses in Malappuram District employ these two strategies, social media advertising and organic growth, and which contributes more significantly to sustainable brand development. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 businesses. We used a number of statistical tools to look at the answers, such as Cronbach's Alpha for reliability, KMO and Bartlett's tests for data adequacy, and factor analysis. The results show that paid ads work well for getting quick attention, but organic methods build stronger relationships with customers over time. At the end of the study, there are useful tips for small businesses on how to use both strategies together.

This study explores the influence of Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) on Umrah ticket purchasing decisions through the Instagram account @umrohbarengyuk.id. In today’s digital era, social media serves as a primary channel in shaping consumer perceptions of services, particularly in religious travel industries like Umrah. E-WOM, consisting of interaction intensity, opinion valence, and content quality, plays a vital role in providing trustworthy information and building consumer confidence. Using a quantitative method involving surveys and simple linear regression analysis, the study finds that digital reviews and testimonials strongly influence prospective pilgrims’ decisions. The @umrohbarengyuk.id account is perceived as providing transparent, responsive, and relevant communication, making it a key reference in users’ information-seeking and service evaluation processes. These findings reinforce E-WOM as a powerful digital marketing communication strategy that not only increases service appeal but also enhances customer trust and purchasing confidence. The study offers practical insights for Umrah service providers in developing personalized, credible digital content and strategies to reach broader audiences effectively.

With the widespread adoption of social media, consumer reviews posted on these platforms have become a crucial source of information for brand marketing and product improvement. However, existing sentiment analysis methods exhibit limitations when processing complex emotional patterns and long texts. This study proposes a deep learning model that integrates Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM), and Multi-Head Self-Attention (MHSA) mechanisms. This model can accurately analyze sentiment orientation and key attributes in user-generated reviews. Experimental validation on the online_shopping_10_cats dataset demonstrates that the proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in accuracy, recall, and F1 score. Specifically, the model achieves 94.5% accuracy, 93.8% recall, and 93.2% F1 score, significantly surpassing comparative methods. Furthermore, comprehensive ablation studies reveal that the MHSA mechanism is pivotal in enhancing model performance. By incorporating MHSA, the model dynamically focuses on the most critical sentiment-related information in the text, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of sentiment analysis. This study also investigates the relationship between sentiment analysis results and consumer decision processes, finding that the results remarkably influence purchase intention and brand loyalty. For instance, product features associated with high sentiment scores often correlate with stronger purchase intention, whereas low sentiment scores may indicate areas requiring improvement. Additionally, sentiment analysis results can guide enterprises in making more informed decisions regarding product development and marketing strategies, ultimately enhancing market competitiveness. These advancements achieve technical innovation while providing theoretical support and practical guidance for formulating social media marketing strategies.

The development of digital technology has transformed consumer behavior in the purchasing decision-making process, particularly through social media. This study aims to analyze the influence of Social Media Marketing and Electronic Word of Mouth on purchasing decisions for Wardah cosmetic products, with Brand Image as an intervening variable among Management students of the 2022 cohort at Universitas Putra Indonesia (UPI) YPTK Padang. This research employed a quantitative approach using accidental sampling, involving 100 respondents from a total population of 900 students. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results indicate that Social Media Marketing has a significant effect on purchasing decisions and Brand Image. Electronic Word of Mouth does not have a significant direct effect on purchasing decisions but significantly influences Brand Image. However, Brand Image does not significantly affect purchasing decisions and does not mediate the influence of Social Media Marketing and Electronic Word of Mouth on purchasing decisions. These findings suggest that purchasing decisions are more directly influenced by digital marketing activities rather than through Brand Image.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify zero-waste activities that drive zero-waste behaviour frequency among South African consumers, using the 5R (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot) framework and from a motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) framework perspective. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted among South African adults, using an online self-administered questionnaire distributed via a paid social media advertisement, which resulted in 486 respondents. Discriminant analysis was used to determine which zero-waste activities effectively distinguish consumers in relation to how often they engage in zero-waste behaviours as a whole. Findings Three components of the 5R framework were classifiers of zero-waste behaviour, namely, reduce, reuse and recycle. The findings of this study indicate a significant difference between the groups, based on 5 (of the 30) zero-waste activities in the 5R framework, which included avoiding using paper unnecessarily, separating recycling into different containers, using reusable products rather than disposable ones, repurposing items for alternative uses and buying smart (e.g. reusable, refillable and rechargeable products). Originality/value This study mainly contributes to understanding zero-waste behaviours among consumers from a 5R perspective. The findings also contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible production and consumption) by focusing on the implementation of zero-waste practices. By applying the MOA framework, this study provides targeted strategies to guide policymakers, businesses, and marketing practitioners on the appropriate zero-waste activities to focus on to achieve maximum impact. This study also offers practical ideas for promoting zero-waste behaviours, ultimately creating positive brand perceptions and tapping into the growing demand for sustainable product alternatives.

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى استكشاف الآلية المعقدة التي يؤثر بها التسويق عبر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي على نية الشراء، مع التركيز على الدور الوسيط للوعي بالعلامة التجارية والدور المعدِّل لمنشأ العلامة التجارية. اعتمدت الدراسة على مسح إلكتروني عشوائي شمل 461 مستخدمًا لوسائل التواصل الاجتماعي ممن سبق لهم التفاعل مع علامات تجارية عبر صفحات التسويق الخاصة بها. وتم تحليل البيانات باستخدام نمذجة المعادلات الهيكلية بالمربعات الصغرى الجزئية (PLS-SEM) مع أسلوب إعادة المعاينة (Bootstrapping). وبالاستناد إلى إطار نظري متكامل يجمع بين نظرية المثير–الكائن الحي–الاستجابة (S-O-R) ونماذج التأثير التسلسلي، أظهرت النتائج وجود تأثير غير مباشر للتسويق عبر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي على نية الشراء، بالإضافة إلى وجود تأثير وسيط جزئي للوعي بالعلامة التجارية في نقل تأثير كلٍّ من التسويق عبر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي والثقة في العلامة التجارية على نية الشراء. كما كشفت النتائج عن دور معدِّل معنوي لمنشأ العلامة التجارية، حيث يعزز العلاقة بين الوعي بالعلامة التجارية ونية الشراء. تسهم هذه النتائج في إثراء المعرفة النظرية من خلال تقديم نموذج ديناميكي لفهم سلوك المستهلك الرقمي، كما توفر دلالات تطبيقية مهمة للمسوقين تؤكد ضرورة تصميم استراتيجيات متكاملة تسهم في تعزيز الوعي وبناء الثقة، مع مراعاة هوية وأصل العلامة التجارية. وعلى الرغم من وجود بعض القيود المنهجية، تفتح الدراسة آفاقًا بحثية جديدة لاستكشاف مزيد من العوامل الوسيطة والمعدِّلة في سياقات مختلفة.

Developments in digital marketing have encouraged furniture entrepreneurs in Jepara to utilize social media platforms as promotional tools in responding to increasingly intense market competition. Nevertheless, fluctuations in Jepara furniture sales and export performance indicate that digital marketing efforts have not yet achieved optimal outcomes. This study aims to examine the effect of social media marketing and brand image on purchase intention, with trust positioned as an intervening variable in the context of Jepara furniture products. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey method by distributing structured questionnaires to 204 respondents who had viewed or searched for information related to Jepara furniture products through social media platforms. Purposive sampling was applied, while data were analysed using the Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings reveal that social media marketing and brand image have a positive and significant influence on consumer trust. Furthermore, trust, social media marketing, and brand image are proven to have a positive and significant impact on purchase intention, highlighting the critical role of trust in strengthening digital marketing effectiveness.

Intensifying competition in the culinary industry has encouraged business actors to develop experience-based and digital content–driven marketing strategies capable of capturing consumer attention, in line with the rise of viral marketing phenomena that combine creative on-site service with the dissemination of content via social media. This study aimed to analyze the influence of Performative Name Calling Service and Credibility Content on visiting decisions, with Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) as an intervening variable at Kedai Pinara Semarang. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey of 100 respondents who were social media users and had previously viewed Kedai Pinara’s promotional content, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. The results showed that Performative Name Calling Service and Credibility Content had a positive and significant effect on E-WOM and visiting decisions. In addition, E-WOM had a positive and significant effect on visiting decisions and was able to mediate the influence of Performative Name Calling Service and Credibility Content on visiting decisions. These findings indicate that performative forms of service and credible digital content can strengthen online consumer-to-consumer communication, thereby increasing consumers’ interest in and decisions to visit. This study provides practical implications for culinary business actors to integrate unique service experiences with trustworthy digital content strategies to enhance consumer appeal and visitation.

Digital transformation is driving changes in marketing strategies, particularly through the use of visual content marketing and electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) in shaping consumer perceptions. In the context of online jasa titip services, visual content and consumer reviews are crucial factors in building perceived quality, which subsequently influences intention to recommend. This study aimed to analyze the effect of visual content marketing and e-WOM on perceived quality and its impact on intention to recommend among users of the @syazaofficial jasa titip service among university students in Semarang City. The study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational research design, with data collected through an online questionnaire administered to 100 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using the Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The results showed that visual content marketing and e-WOM had a positive and significant effect on perceived quality. In addition, perceived quality was found to have a positive effect on intention to recommend and to function as a mediating variable in the relationship between visual content marketing and e-WOM and intention to recommend. These findings underscore the importance of managing engaging visual content and fostering positive e-WOM to enhance perceived quality and encourage consumers to provide recommendations. The practical implications of this study offer guidance for jasa titip service providers in designing effective digital marketing strategies based on visual content and consumer interactions.

This study explores the influence of Social Media Marketing, Customer Experience, and Customer Trust on Repurchase Intention of Skintific skincare products. Utilizing a quantitative approach, data was collected from 160 users of Skintific products through questionnaires. The results of multiple linear regression analysis show that Customer Experience and Customer Trust have a positive and significant influence on Repurchase Intention. Based on this, Customer Experience and Customer Trust have an important role in increasing repurchase intentions. In addition, Customer Trust also has a positive and significant effect on Repurchase Intention, emphasizing that the level of consumer confidence in Skintific products can increase repurchase intentions. The findings provide practical implications for marketing managers in developing more effective strategies as well as for Skintific product managers in improving consumer satisfaction and trust to achieve higher repurchase goals. This study also makes a theoretical contribution in enriching the literature on factors that influence repurchase intentions in the context of the skincare industry.

The rapid development of technology and communication has encouraged many business actors in Indonesia to continuously innovate in advancing their businesses. One strategy that is now commonly implemented by various institutions is creating advertisements that are attractive and relevant to current technological trends. One effective way to make products more widely recognized by the public is through promotion on social media platforms and the use of celebrity endorsers. This study aims to examine the influence of social media advertising and celebrity endorsers on the Instagram account @jiniso.id on brand image in building followers’ trust. The research method used is a quantitative approach. The population of this study consists of followers of the Instagram account @jiniso.id, with purposive sampling using the Slovin formula, resulting in 400 respondents as the sample. Data were collected through online questionnaires using Google Forms and analyzed using the SPSS program version 29. The theory applied in this study is social cognitive theory, which states that individuals learn through observation and by imitating the behavior of others, especially those presented through mass media. The results of the study indicate that social media advertising and celebrity endorsers on the Instagram account @jiniso.id have a significant influence on brand image in building followers’ trust.

Social media has emerged as a powerful marketing channel for smallholder farmers, reshaping how they engage with consumers through direct online interactions and content sharing, while also facilitating the communication of sustainable agricultural practices. This study investigates social media marketing usage among smallholder farmers in Saudi Arabia and examines its impact on marketing capabilities through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), sustainability orientation (SO), and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). Survey data collected from 300 farmers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that perceived usefulness (β = 0.195, p < 0.001) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.511, p < 0.001) significantly influence social media marketing usage, with perceived ease of use exerting the strongest influence, while perceived usefulness remains a significant enabler. Social media marketing usage also positively affects sustainability orientation (β = 0.525, p < 0.001) and enhances marketing capabilities both directly and indirectly through sustainability orientation, which acts as a significant mediator. Entrepreneurial orientation further exerts a positive influence on social media usage, marketing capabilities, and financial performance. The model explains 53.6% of the variance in social media marketing usage, 40.3% in marketing capabilities, and 73.5% in financial performance. The study extends TAM by conceptualizing sustainability orientation as a value-creation mechanism through which social media marketing use is transformed into enhanced marketing capabilities, rather than as a mere outcome of digital adoption. The findings offer practical and policy-relevant insights for strengthening digital literacy, sustainability-driven marketing strategies, and agricultural digital infrastructure.

This study investigates the influence of social media marketing on Generation Z consumers’ purchase intention toward online shopping in Anambra State, Nigeria. Five social media marketing dimensions (trendiness, interaction, entertainment, customization, and electronic word of mouth) were examined to determine their effect on Gen Z purchase intention. A structured questionnaire was administered, and the data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences, version 25. The findings reveal that trendiness, interaction, customization, and e-WOM significantly and positively influence purchase intention, with trendiness and interaction emerging as the strongest predictors. However, entertainment was found to have no significant effect, indicating that enjoyable content alone does not drive Gen Z purchasing decisions in this context. The study concludes that marketers targeting Gen Z in Anambra State must prioritize relevance, engagement, personalization, and credible peer influence to effectively drive online purchase intention. Recommendations were made for marketers to prioritize relevance, engagement, personalization, and social proof to enhance online purchase intention.