e-WOM, brand image, and e-purchase intention on Shopee: Reassessing e-trust as mediator

TikTok is increasingly influential in promoting brand awareness and boosting purchase intention. From a social media marketing perspective, brand awareness significantly influences consumers’ purchasing decisions. The primary objective of this study is to investigate and measure the factors influencing the brand awareness of TikTok users through social media marketing communications. The paper employs exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha test, and regression analysis to test the hypotheses. 24 observed variables were divided into six groups. Each variable was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. The sample size includes 240 valid responses from TikTok users collected via convenience sampling. The questionnaire was distributed to TikTok users from Vietnam via the link on Google Forms. The collected data were processed by SPSS 20 software. The results suggest that six independent variables positively affect brand recognition via social media marketing on TikTok, with a 95% confidence interval at Sig. = 0.000 (0.05). Each of the six variables positively impacts initial expectations and is statistically significant at 1%. The results show that trends (Beta = 0.299) are the most decisive factors impacting brand awareness of TikTok users. Besides, electronic word of mouth (Beta = 0.242), influencer (Beta = 0.220), entertainment (Beta = 0.206), interaction (Beta = 0.200), and storytelling (Beta = 0.179) also positively affect the brand awareness of TikTok users. Limitations and further research suggest that marketers should investigate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the consumer’s brand awareness-constructing process.

Social media has revolutionized how businesses connect with consumers, going beyond product promotion to understanding consumer preferences. It is undeniable that social media plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer purchase decisions, as more individuals turn to these platforms to seek advice and opinions from peers. The current study engaged 410 Indian consumers, employing a quantitative approach backed by rigorous statistical methods, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS software. The goal was to unravel the intricate dynamics between social media marketing, brand image, and purchase intentions. The findings highlight a significant and positive relationship between social media marketing efforts and brand image perception. Moreover, it was discovered that brand image significantly influences consumers’ purchase intentions. Surprisingly, it did not find a direct and significant impact of social media marketing on purchase intentions.
Notably, the study revealed a crucial insight: the influence of social media marketing on purchase intentions is fully mediated by the perception of brand image. In light of these results, businesses are encouraged to establish a strong presence on social media platforms to effectively promote their products and services. Organizations can effectively steer consumer purchase intentions by harnessing the synergy between social media marketing and brand image.

Acknowledgment
This study is supported via funding from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University project number (PSAU/2023/R/1444).

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.