Issue #2 (Volume 21 2025)

Consumer awareness of environmental issues is increasing, which impacts marketing efforts to encourage consumer buying interest. This study aims to determine the role of the image of green brands in intervening with the influence of green marketing and corporate social responsibility in increasing the purchase intention of green brands of personal care products in Indonesia. This study surveyed 200 adolescent and adult women using Google Forms. The sampling technique employed was regional sampling. The data analysis employed a structural equation model utilizing SMART-partial least square.
The study’s findings suggest that green marketing (β = 0.665, p = 0.000) and corporate social responsibility (β = 0.205, p = 0.000) are essential for establishing an image of a green brand. Additional findings indicate that green marketing (β = 0.399, p = 0.000) substantially enhances customer purchase intention, whereas corporate social responsibility (β = 0.177, p = 0.071) does not.
This study further reinforces the image of green brands as an intervening variable in the relationship between green marketing and customer purchase intention (β = 0.189, p = 0.001), while it does not serve as a mediator for corporate social responsibility (β = 0.058, p = 0.052). This research elucidates the significance of marketing managers in the effective creation of green marketing programs to enhance the image of green brands and consumer purchasing intentions.

Digital marketing has become a central driver in tourism promotion, reshaping how destinations engage with potential visitors. This study investigates the impact of digital marketing strategies ‒ social media marketing, electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), and online advertising ‒ on brand awareness and tourists’ intention to visit destinations in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region. The study utilized a sample size of 400 participants, with a 70% response rate, resulting in 280 completed surveys. The sample represented a diverse demographic, with 57.1% male, 42.9% female, 89.3% Saudi nationals, and 96.4% domestic tourists. Data were collected from tourists visiting key attractions such as the Al-Soudah Mountains and Abha, either in person or via digital channels. The survey assessed the effectiveness of digital marketing tools and their influence on brand awareness, intention to visit, and tourist satisfaction.
The results analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression, revealed that all three digital marketing strategies significantly influenced both brand awareness and the intention to visit. Social media marketing showed the strongest impact (β = 0.31**, p < 0.01), followed by online advertising (β = 0.30**, p < 0.01) and e-WOM (β = 0.25**, p < 0.01). These findings highlight the effectiveness of digital marketing in shaping tourist behavior and decision-making, with significant implications for tourism marketing in emerging destinations like Asir.

Acknowledgment
The authors are thankful to the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at University of Bisha for supporting this work through the Fast-Track Research Support Program.

The rapid expansion of social media has transformed marketing strategies, with influencer marketing emerging as a powerful tool for consumer engagement. Particularly in the cosmetics business, TikTok has become well-known as a major platform where influencers influence buying habits. Given the increasing reliance on influencer recommendations, understanding the key characteristics that drive purchase intentions is crucial for businesses aiming to optimize their marketing strategies. This study investigates the impact of TikTok influencers’ characteristics, such as physical attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, and interactivity, on Vietnamese consumers’ cosmetics purchase intentions. Grounded in social learning theory, the research explores how users observe and emulate influencers’ behaviors in their decision-making process. A mixed-method approach was adopted, beginning with qualitative interviews with 20 TikTok users to identify key influencer attributes affecting purchase decisions. This was followed by a quantitative survey of 312 Vietnamese TikTok users with prior experience purchasing cosmetics. The study employed statistical analyses, including correlation and regression tests, to determine the significance of influencer characteristics on purchase intention. The study revealed notable gender differences in cosmetics purchasing motivations, with women showing a higher propensity to purchase due to their greater engagement with these products. The attractiveness of influencers is the strongest predictor of purchase intention, followed by trustworthiness, and interactivity, whereas expertise does not play a critical role. These insights provide valuable implications for cosmetic brands, emphasizing the importance of selecting visually appealing influencers while maintaining credibility and audience engagement.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia have a strategic role in the national economy and face challenges in global competition. These challenges include limited access to capital, limitations in technology adoption, low innovation capacity, and the need for more human resource development. Many SMEs also operate informally, facing obstacles in obtaining policy support or broader market access. This study aims to analyze the effect of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and market orientation on SMEs’ performance, with innovation capabilities as a mediating variable. The study was conducted on 348 respondents who were SMEs business actors producing packaged food in North Sumatra. The method used is quantitative through surveys and data analysis using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results of the study indicate that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has a positive influence on SMEs performance (p=0.000) and innovation capabilities (p=0.011). Besides, market orientation also contributes significantly to SMEs’ performance (p=0.000) and innovation capabilities (p=0.000). Innovation capabilities have been proven to improve SMEs’ performance (p=0.000). In the indirect effect, innovation capabilities mediate between CRM and SMEs’ performance (p=0.013) and between market orientation and SMEs’ performance (p=0.000). These results indicate that CRM and market orientation not only have a direct effect on SMEs’ performance but also indirectly through increasing innovation capabilities.

Acknowledgment
Gratitude to the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia, Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi, Riset, Dan Teknologi) for providing financial support through funding for Regular Fundamental Research in 2024 with contract number 103/E5/PG.02.00.PL/2024; 16/LL1/AL.04.03/2024; 10/II.3-AU/UMSU-LP2M/C/2024. Gratitude to the Leaders of the University and the Leaders of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) [University of Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara] for their support and provision of facilities during the research process. Thank you to all parties who have contributed directly and indirectly to supporting and assisting this research. The assistance, time, and attention given are significant in completing this research.

This study aims to investigate how green marketing practices influence product success through the mediating effects of green corporate image and green innovation. This study utilizes survey data collected from employees in large and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Saudi Arabia, focusing on industries such as petrochemicals, construction materials, and food processing. The sample includes employees in managerial, operational, and technical roles, ensuring relevance to green practices and their impact on product success (totaling 297 individuals). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used for analysis. The results indicated that green marketing practices have a significant positive influence on green corporate image (β = 0.908, p = 0.000) and green innovation (β = 0.858, p = 0.000). However, their impact on product success was not statistically significant (β = 0.224, p = 0.216). Green innovation significantly influenced product success (β = 0.389, p = 0.001), whereas the direct influence of green corporate image on product success (β = 0.357, p = 0.050) and the indirect effects of green marketing practices on product success via green corporate image (β = 0.324, p = 0.059) were not supported. Conversely, the indirect effects of green marketing practices on product success via green innovation were significant (β = 0.334, p = 0.001). Moreover, the study underscores the importance of holistic sustainability approaches, emphasizing the integration of green practices across marketing strategies, corporate branding, innovation endeavors, and product development initiatives.

Acknowledgment
The author extends the appreciation to the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research at Majmaah University for funding this research work through the project number (R-2025-1667).

Tourism has become one of the most important activities, contributing significantly to national development. That is why understanding tourist behavior is essential but also very complex, as each tourist manifests different motivations when making a tourist trip. The objective of this research has been to evaluate the psychometric perspectives and invariance of the tourist behavior scale in the Peruvian context. The study focuses on the positivist paradigm with a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional methodological perspective. The data collection was carried out with a non-probabilistic sampling by convenience to tourists who visited the tourist destinations of the Peruvian jungle as Laguna Azul, Ahuashiyacu, Alto Mayo, Lamas, obtaining as a sample 778 valid responses. The results show a two-dimensional scale (intention to revisit α=0.819; intention to recommend α=0.882) with adequate internal consistency indices. On the other hand, the convergent and discriminant validation indices (CR=0.825; 0.850; AVE=0.612; 0.654) guarantee a valid and representative scale. Furthermore, the scale’s factor structure was shown to be strictly invariant in the groups of men and women, which suggests that both genders share a similar conception of the tourist behavior scale and have a similar interpretation of the items of each factor. In conclusion, the factorial invariance indicates that the scale can be reliably applied in mixed samples (men and women), guaranteeing its validity and reliability in the measurement of tourism behavior. Furthermore, it is suggested to consider its use in future research and in the evaluation of tourism marketing strategies, since it is an accurate and robust tool for understanding tourists’ intentions.

Changes in consumer behavior are influenced by green marketing and brand equity dimensions. Green marketing places high concerns on consumers’ environmental attitudes as a determinant of purchases and word of mouth. Green marketing increases brand awareness, fosters consumer loyalty and enhances reputation. The study aims to assess the influence of green marketing on consumers’ word of mouth through the mediating effect of brand equity dimensions. This descriptive causal research establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between variables, employing a quantitative research method. The questionnaire was deployed to collect the data and was pre-tested using a pilot test. 495 Lebanese consumers were included in the sample, which was collected using the convenience sampling technique. The results validated that green marketing reinforces consumers’ word of mouth (β = 0.663). It has a strong influence on brand equity (β = 0.899), brand loyalty (β = 0.772), brand trust (β = 0.663) and perceived quality (β = 0.353). The results corroborated that brand trust has the strongest mediating in this study (SE: 0.950; CR: 6.602; p < 0.01). Brand loyalty, while not a significant mediator in this relationship (SE: 0.012, CR: 0.872, p: 0.383 > 0.005), still plays a crucial role in brand management. This study concludes that giving brands a voice will appeal to the target audience and keep them committed. It highlighted the need for managers to review their loyalty strategies.