Impact of Message Appeal on Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty through Social Media Engagement
-
Muhammad Syauqi Kahfi Sin
*
Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya,
Indonesia
- Nadia Nur Thahirrah Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
- Hafid Kholidi Hadi Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia (*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
This study examines how marketing message appeal affects brand trust and brand loyalty, focusing on the mediating role of social media engagement in the Indonesian telecommunication sector. The research specifically evaluates Telkomsel Branch Surabaya's digital marketing through its Instagram community account for youth, @inlife.surabaya. Using a quantitative survey method, data was collected from 111 university students in Surabaya who actively follow the account. The data was gathered through online questionnaires and analyzed using regression and bootstrapping methods via the Macro PROCESS Model 4. The findings show that message appeal has a direct and positive effect on social media engagement. Interestingly, social media engagement does not mediate the relationship between message appeal and brand trust. This means that Generation Z audiences can instantly build trust in a brand just by seeing clear and high-quality promotional content, without needing further interaction. On the other hand, social media engagement significantly mediates the effect of message appeal on brand loyalty. In conclusion, while an attractive message can build initial trust on its own, creating long-term customer loyalty requires active two-way communication and consumer involvement on social media.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Syauqi Kahfi Sin, Nadia Nur Thahirrah, Hafid Kholidi Hadi
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