<![CDATA[The rapid growth of Indonesia’s coffee industry in major urban areas has shifted coffee consumption from a purely functional activity toward an experiential practice shaped by brand identity and social media communication. This study aims to elucidate the psychological mechanisms linking social media marketing (SMM) and brand image (BI) to purchasing decisions (PD) for Kopi Kenangan on Instagram by positioning emotional attachment (EA) as a mediating variable. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected through an online survey of Kopi Kenangan consumers who actively use Instagram and have been exposed to the brand’s digital content. The data were measured using a Likert scale and analyzed using SEM-PLS to examine the structural relationships among the constructs. The findings reveal that SMM → EA is not significant, SMM → PD is not significant, BI → EA is significant, EA → PD is significant, and BI → EA → PD is significant. Conceptually, the findings highlight that digital marketing exposure does not automatically translate into purchasing behavior without the support of a strong brand image and meaningful emotional attachment. Managerial implications emphasize the importance of maintaining product quality consistency, managing digital reputation, and developing storytelling and experience-based content to strengthen emotional bonding. The study is limited by its focus on a single brand and platform, as well as the use of cross-sectional survey data. Future research is encouraged to extend the analysis to multiple platforms, incorporate additional psychological constructs, and adopt longitudinal or mixed-method approaches to better capture emotional dynamics and the impact of viral campaigns. This study contributes to consumer behavior literature by clarifying conditions under which engagement remains at the awareness level and offering practical insights into converting digital interaction into loyalty and repeat purchasing behavior.]]>
