The Impact of Online Reviews on Smartphone Sub-Brand Purchase Intentions for Gen Z in Indonesia

Even if Indonesia's smartphone market remains sluggish in 2023, the smartphone business is one area that contributes to the country's economy. This study seeks to examine purchase intensity using internet reviews as a predictor and trust as a moderator. This quantitative study used a survey of 111 Indonesian Generation Z individuals. This study specifically examines smartphone products that are sub-brands of a popular smartphone brand. The findings of this study, which used PLS-SEM modeling, show that influencers’ positions have a significant social influence on purchase intensity. Utilized as a reference, this strong influencer character can instill trust in his followers, thereby encouraging them to make purchases. The study's limitations stem from the participants’ background criteria for examining internet reviews, which may include their own interests or mistakes; the study solely focuses on Generation Z as the participant's generation, and it ignores the financial sources used to purchase smartphones. This study implicitly emphasizes the relevance of assumptions, perceptions, and attitudes in the brand resonance model theory, all of which are developed and strengthened by social influence, namely the figure of an influencer.