The Role of Social Media and Community in Purchasing Decisions  Via Customer Equity

Gregorios Delbert; Muhammad Khevin Martinier Wisudyanto; Sarah Azalia Putri Harla; Asnan Furinto

doi:10.59261/jbt.v7i2.656

Authors

Gregorios Delbert Universitas Bina Nusantara
Muhammad Khevin Martinier Wisudyanto Universitas Bina Nusantara
Sarah Azalia Putri Harla Universitas Bina Nusantara
Asnan Furinto Universitas Bina Nusantara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59261/jbt.v7i2.656

Keywords:

community engagement, customer equity, padel, purchasing decision, social media marketing

Abstract

Background: The rapid growth of digital communication platforms has significantly reshaped how premium sports brands interact with consumers. In emerging lifestyle sports such as padel, purchasing decisions are no longer influenced solely by product specifications or brand reputation but also by digital engagement and community participation.

Objective: This study examines how Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Community Engagement (COM) affect Purchasing Decisions (PD) through the mediating role of Customer Equity dimensions: Value Equity, Brand Equity, and Relationship Equity.

Methods: A quantitative survey was conducted among 123 consumers of premium padel equipment across major Indonesian cities. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).

Results: The results indicate that although SMM and community participation significantly enhance all dimensions of customer equity, they do not directly influence purchasing decisions. This finding is attributable to the high-involvement nature of premium padel equipment, which requires extensive cognitive evaluation and physical trials before purchase. Instead, purchasing behavior is driven primarily by Value Equity and Relationship Equity. Relationship Equity emerges as the most influential determinant. Brand Equity, contrary to conventional branding assumptions, does not significantly predict purchasing decisions in this context.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that, in performance-driven sports markets, consumers prioritize perceived functional value and relational trust over symbolic brand prestige. The study extends Customer Equity Theory to the niche padel equipment market and provides practical implications for brands seeking to convert digital engagement into tangible sales outcomes.

References

Aaker, D. A. (2012). Building strong brands. Simon and schuster.

Algesheimer, R., Dholakia, U. M., & Herrmann, A. (2005). The social influence of brand community: Evidence from European car clubs. Journal of Marketing, 69(3), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.69.3.19.66363

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Funk, D. C., Alexandris, K., & McDonald, H. (2018). Sport consumer behaviour: Marketing strategies (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315103440

García-Unanue, J., Felipe, J. L., & Gallardo, L. (2021). The growth of padel as a racket sport: Analysis of structural and economic factors. Sport in Society, 24(5), 889–905. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2020.1749864

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 behaviour. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5833–5841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.016

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203

Hair, J. F., Howard, M. C., & Nitzl, C. (2021). Assessing measurement model quality in PLS-SEM using confirmatory composite analysis. Journal of Business Research, 109, 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.012

Hapsari, R., Hussein, A. S., & Handrito, R. P. (2020). Being fair to customers: A strategy in enhancing customer engagement and loyalty in the Indonesian mobile telecommunication industry. Services Marketing Quarterly, 41(1), 49–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332969.2019.1707375

Harrigan, P., Evers, U., Miles, M. P., & Daly, T. (2018). Customer engagement and the relationship between involvement, engagement, self-brand connection and brand usage intent. Journal of Business Research, 88, 388–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.11.046

Haryono, S. (2016). Metode SEM untuk penelitian Manajemen dengan AMOS, LISREL. PLS. PT. Intermedia Personalia Utama.

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003

Keller, K. L. (2003). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.

Kim, A. J., & Ko, E. (2012). Do social media marketing activities enhance customer equity? An empirical study of luxury fashion brand. Journal of Business Research, 65(10), 1480–1486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.10.014

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (15th ed.). Pearson.

Lemon, K. N., Rust, R. T., & Zeithaml, V. A. (2001). What drives customer equity? Marketing Management, 10(1), 20–25.

Leung, X. Y., Bai, B., & Stahura, K. (2022). The marketing effectiveness of social media in the tourism industry: A meta-analytic review. Tourism Management, 78, 104–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104071

Liu, X., Shin, H., & Burns, A. C. (2022). Examining the impact of luxury brand's social media marketing on customer engagement: Using big data analytics and natural language processing. Journal of Business Research, 125, 815–826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.04.042

Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizons, 52(4), 357–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.03.002

McAlexander, J. H., Schouten, J. W., & Koenig, H. F. (2002). Building brand community. Journal of Marketing, 66(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.66.1.38.18451

Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302

Muniz, A. M., Jr., & O’Guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412–432. https://doi.org/10.1086/319618

Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. McGraw-Hill.

Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879

Putri, A. R., & Lestari, D. (2021). Pengaruh social media marketing terhadap keputusan pembelian peralatan olahraga di Indonesia [The influence of social media marketing on sports equipment purchasing decisions in Indonesia]. Jurnal Manajemen Pemasaran, 15(2), 67–78. https://doi.org/10.9744/pemasaran.15.2.67-78

Reverter-Masía, J., Legaz-Arrese, A., Muóguerza, J. E., & Muñoz-Martínez, J. (2020). Padel: An emerging sport with a great public health potential. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 4837. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134837

Rust, R. T., Zeithaml, V. A., & Lemon, K. N. (2004). Return on marketing: Using customer equity to focus marketing strategy. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.1.109.24030

Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling. In C. Homburg, M. Klarmann, & A. Vomberg (Eds.), Handbook of market research (pp. 587–632). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57413-4_15

Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2019). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (8th ed.). Wiley.

Statista. (2023). Global social media users and consumer purchasing influence statistics 2023. Statista Inc. https://www.statista.com/statistics/social-media-influence-purchase

Tjahjono, A., & Wibowo, S. (2023). Customer equity dimensions as mediators between digital marketing and purchase decision in Indonesian e-commerce. Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, 16(1), 145–172. https://doi.org/10.22452/ajba.vol16no1.6

Tuten, T. L., & Solomon, M. R. (2017). Social media marketing (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Yoo, B., & Donthu, N. (2001). Developing and validating a multidimensional consumer-based brand equity scale. Journal of Business Research, 52(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(99)00098-3

Yoshida, M., James, J. D., & Cronin, J. J., Jr. (2014). Sport event experience and sponsorship evaluation: A case of spectator-based brand equity. Journal of Sport Management, 28(6), 686–700. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2013-0214

Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 31–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299606000203

Zeithaml, V. A., Lemon, K. N., & Rust, R. T. (2001). Driving customer equity: How customer lifetime value is reshaping corporate strategy. Simon and Schuster.