The Role of External Stimulation on the Relationship between Mental Imagery and Purchase Intentions: Case Study of Vietnamese Gen Z

Online shopping is the current trend, and to accelerate their decision-making process, marketers must use a stimulating tool that can give customers an experience in all senses. Currently, product presentation videos can help marketers do that when videos provide a view of the product in images, text, sound, and lively interactions. However, brand familiarity makes the recall process in the consumer's mind faster and easier, and relevant information about the product is also displayed to strengthen trust. This study is supported by the SOR theory of the stimulus model, which considers the influence of external stimuli on mental imagery and purchase intention. The sample was collected from June to September 2023, resulting in 375 responses. The research subjects are Generation Z (born from 1997 to 2012). The data was analyzed using the PLS-SEM method with SmartPLS 4. The results revealed that processing fluency and product presentation videos have the most decisive impact on mental imagery. Besides, predicted happiness has a significantly strong effect on purchase intention. Additionally, happiness forecasting mediates the relationship between mental imagery and purchase intention.