Digital Marketing Communication, e-WOM Amplification, and Consumer Loyalty: A Mediation Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18326/inject.v11i2.6867Keywords:
Digital Marketing Communication, Consumer Loyalty, E-WOM Amplification, Mediation AnalysisAbstract
This study examines the mediating role of e-WOM amplification in the relationship between digital marketing communication strategies and consumer loyalty among Indonesian social media users. Using a quantitative explanatory survey design, data were collected from 180 purposively selected respondents with prior experience in online purchasing and e-WOM activities. The study employed multiple linear regression and mediation analysis using the PROCESS macro Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrapped samples. The findings reveal that digital marketing communication strategies significantly influence e-WOM amplification and consumer loyalty. Consumer engagement and user-generated content emerged as the strongest indicators within the digital communication and e-WOM dimensions. The mediation analysis confirmed that e-WOM amplification partially mediates the relationship between digital marketing communication and consumer loyalty, indicating that digital communication becomes more effective when consumers actively participate in disseminating brand-related information through social media interactions. These findings highlight the strategic importance of interactive communication, information credibility, and participatory digital engagement in strengthening long-term consumer loyalty. The study contributes theoretically by extending the conceptualization of e-WOM as an amplification mechanism within digital marketing communication and provides practical implications for companies seeking to optimize digital communication strategies in competitive online markets.
References
Alalwan, A. A. (2018). Investigating the impact of social media advertising features on customer purchase intention. International Journal of Information Management, 42, 65–77.
Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2015). Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement. Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), 15–27.
Bilgin, Y. (2018). The effect of social media marketing activities on brand awareness, brand image, and brand loyalty. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 6(1), 128–148.
Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing: Strategy, implementation and practice (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Cheung, C. M. K., & Thadani, D. R. (2012). The impact of electronic word-of-mouth communication: A literature analysis and integrative model. Decision Support Systems, 54(1), 461–470.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168.
Erkan, I., & Evans, C. (2016). The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(1), 47–65.
Farzin, M., & Fattahi, M. (2018). eWOM through social networking sites and its impact on purchase intention and brand image in Iran. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 15(2), 161–183.
Ghozali, I. (2021). Aplikasi analisis multivariate dengan program IBM SPSS 26 (10th ed.). Badan Penerbit Universitas Diponegoro.
Godey, B., Manthiou, A., Pederzoli, D., Rokka, J., Aiello, G., Donvito, R., & Singh, R. (2016). Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand equity and consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5833–5841.
Goyette, I., Ricard, L., Bergeron, J., & Marticotte, F. (2010). e-WOM scale: Word-of-mouth measurement scale for e-services context. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 27(1), 5–23.
Griffin, J. (2005). Customer loyalty: How to earn it, how to keep it. Jossey-Bass.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Harrigan, P., Daly, T. M., Coussement, K., Lee, J. A., Soutar, G. N., & Evers, U. (2021). Identifying influencers on social media. International Journal of Information Management, 56, 102246.
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38–52.
Ismagilova, E., Dwivedi, Y. K., Slade, E., & Williams, M. D. (2020). Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in the marketing context: A state-of-the-art analysis and future directions. Springer.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.
Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69–96.
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.
Oliver, R. L. (2014). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Rather, R. A., Tehseen, S., Parrey, S. H., & Rather, P. A. (2019). Promoting customer brand engagement and brand loyalty through customer brand identification and value congruity. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 23(3), 271–288.
Solihin, O., Anggreany, S., Rais, R., & Siregar, B. (2023). Komunikasi digital untuk motivasi generasi Z meningkatkan keterlibatan dalam bidang pertanian Indonesia. Forum Penelitian Agro Ekonomi, 41(2), 79–95.
Solihin, O., Rantona, S., & Abdullah, A. Z. (2024). Digitalisasi komunikasi: Dinamika teori dan transformasi di era digital. Mimbar Administrasi, 21(1), 407–419.
Statista. (2024). Social media users in Indonesia 2024. https://www.statista.com/
Tafesse, W., & Wood, B. P. (2021). Followers’ engagement with Instagram influencers: The role of influencers’ content and engagement strategy. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, 102303.
Tiago, M. T. P. M. B., & Veríssimo, J. M. C. (2014). Digital marketing and social media: Why bother? Business Horizons, 57(6), 703–708.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 INJECT (Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
