Journal of Business Studies and Management Review
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026): JBSMR, Vol 9 No.2 June 2026

BUILDING BRAND TRUST THROUGH DIGITAL STIMULI: ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCER CREDIBILITY AND USER-GENERATED CONTENT ON PURCHASING DECISIONS

Mentari, Syakira (Unknown)
Ade Perdana Siregar (Unknown)
Musnaini (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of digital stimuli, specifically Influencer Credibility and User-Generated Content (UGC), on the Purchase Decisions of Somethinc products, with Brand Trust serving as a mediating variable. Focusing on Generation Z, data were collected from 133 students at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Jambi University, using a purposive sampling method. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0. The results reveal a counterintuitive finding: Influencer Credibility has a negative and non-significant direct effect on Purchase Decisions (β = -0.162, p > 0.05). Conversely, User-Generated Content and Brand Trust exert a positive and significant influence. Crucially, Brand Trust is proven to fully mediate the relationship between Influencer Credibility and Purchase Decisions, as well as partially mediating the impact of UGC. These findings suggest that for educated and critical consumers like Generation Z, influencer presence alone is insufficient to trigger transactions; rather, it must be validated by authentic user experiences and established brand trust. The model demonstrates a substantial predictive power with an R-square value of 61.6% for Purchase Decisions.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jbsmr

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Social Sciences

Description

The aim of the Journal of Business Studies and Management Review (JBSMR)  is to be a unique journal in its provision of extraordinary services like quick and professional correspondence with authors, fair and comprehensive articles’ double-blind peer review, prompt results of reviews by our ...