Fostering the purchasing interest of Gen Z through YouTube marketing communications: The mediating role of brand awareness and brand image

Abstract

The development of digital technology in Indonesia has brought significant changes to marketing communication, particularly through social media platforms such as YouTube, which is widely used by Generation Z. This study aims to analyze the effect of YouTube marketing communication on the purchase intention of Generation Z in East Java, with brand awareness and brand image as mediating variables. The research method employed is quantitative, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and involving 170 respondents. The results show that YouTube marketing communication has a positive and significant effect on brand awareness and brand image. This finding indicates that exposure to YouTube advertisements strengthens consumers’ recognition and positive perception of a brand. However, the study also reveals that YouTube marketing communication does not directly influence purchase intention. Instead, brand awareness and brand image act as key mediating variables linking YouTube marketing communication with purchase intention. Among the two mediating variables, brand image has the most dominant effect on purchase intention. These findings suggest that improving brand awareness and image through strategic YouTube marketing can effectively enhance purchase interest among Generation Z.