The Role of E-wom in TikTok Shop in Improving Purchase Decisions with Brand Awareness and Viral Trends as Intervening Variables

Adellia Amandasari (Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Agus Dwi Cahya (Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Bernadetta Diansepti Maharani (Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)

IIJSE
Vol 9 No 2 (2026): Sharia Economics

This study aims to analyze the effect of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) on Purchase Decision among TikTok Shop users, with Brand Awareness and Viral Trends as intervening variables. A quantitative approach was used with the SEM-PLS method on 120 active TikTok users who had made purchases through TikTok Shop. The results show that e-WOM has a positive and significant effect on purchase decisions, as well as a significant effect on Brand Awareness and Viral Trends. However, Brand Awareness was not found to have a direct effect on purchase decisions and did not mediate the relationship between e-WOM and purchase decisions. Conversely, Viral Trends acted as a significant mediating variable in strengthening the effect of e-WOM on purchase decisions. These findings indicate that in the context of TikTok Shop, viral phenomena and product popularity play a more dominant role in driving purchase decisions than mere brand awareness.