The Effect of Marketing on Pesticide Purchasing Decisions Through Brand Image Among Shallot Farmers in Brebes Regency

Agung Wicaksono (Airlangga University)
Ulfah Purwaningsih (Oxford University)

Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen dan Bisnis (JIMB)
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2026): Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen dan Bisnis

This study examines the influence of product quality, price, place, and promotion on purchasing decisions, with brand image positioned as a mediating variable that reflects farmers' psychological evaluation of trust, perceived quality, and risk reduction toward pesticide brands. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), all measurement indicators were confirmed to meet the required standards of convergent and discriminant validity, while composite reliability values exceeded 0.7, indicating strong construct reliability. The structural model demonstrates substantial explanatory power, with product quality, price, place, and promotion collectively accounting for 61.9% of the variance in brand image, and all independent variables explaining 69.5% of the variance in purchasing decisions. The hypothesis testing results reveal that brand image significantly mediates the relationship between product quality and purchasing decisions, suggesting that farmers' long-term trust in pesticide brands strengthens the effect of perceived product quality on their buying behavior. Brand image also significantly mediates the relationship between price and purchasing decisions, indicating that farmers' willingness to pay is shaped by brand-related trust built up through repeated experience, rather than by price considered in isolation. Theoretically, the study extends the Customer-Based Brand Equity and Stimulus-Organism-Response frameworks into an agribusiness input-purchasing context, showing that among risk-bearing agricultural producers, brand image operates primarily as a trust- and risk-reduction heuristic rather than as an identity- or status-signaling device, as is typically theorized in general consumer markets. The findings also show that farmers tend to remain loyal to familiar brands and prefer outlets that offer accessibility and consistent product availability. Promotional activities alone are insufficient unless supported by clear evidence of product superiority. Overall, the study highlights the importance of maintaining product performance, strengthening distribution channels, and building long-term brand trust to effectively influence purchasing decisions, while extending brand image theory into the underexplored context of agricultural input markets.