Social Media Marketing Strategy And Brand Image Towards The Purchase Decision Of Sports Shoes With Buying Interest As A Mediation In The Trizz Sport Store

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media marketing and brand image on the purchase decision of sports shoes at the Trizz Sport Karawang Store with buying interest as a mediating variable. The study applied a quantitative approach by utilizing a survey method on 120 participants selected by purposive sampling technique. Data processing was carried out using the Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method using SmartPLS 4.0 software. The findings of this study indicate that social media marketing and brand image are positively and significantly related to purchase decisions and buying interest. Buying interest also has a significant relationship with purchase decisions and acts as a mediating variable in the correlation between social media marketing and brand image on purchase decisions. These findings show that there is a relationship between buying interest in the consumer purchase decision process. In addition, the results of the research can serve as a consideration for business actors in developing digital marketing strategies and strengthening brand image, and can be useful as a reference for future research related to consumer behavior.

Keywords: social media marketing, brand image, buying interest, purchase decisions.