Pengaruh Viral Marketing dan Electronic Word of Mouth Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Produk KULA di TikTok Shop (Studi Pada Generasi Z di Kota Medan)

Abstract

The beauty industry in Indonesia is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the lip product segment. One of the emerging local brands, KULA, leverages the TikTok Shop platform to market its products. KULA adopts marketing strategies such as viral marketing and electronic word of mouth, which actively capture consumer attention especially among Generation Z. However, the credibility of some reviews, particularly those created by paid influencers, raises concerns about the authenticity of these testimonials and their impact on purchasing decisions. This study aims to analyze the influence of viral marketing and electronic word of mouth on the purchase decision of KULA products on TikTok Shop among Generation Z in Medan. The research employs a quantitative method with an associative approach. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling, involving 96 respondents who are TikTok users and have previously purchased KULA products. Data were collected using questionnaires distributed via Google Forms, both online and offline, and analyzed using validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression analysis, and hypothesis testing. The results indicate that viral marketing significantly influences purchase decisions, with a t-value of 5.908 > 1.985. Likewise, electronic word of mouth has a significant impact, with a t-value of 3.821 > 1.985. Simultaneously, both variables significantly affect purchase decisions, as indicated by an F-value of 104.098 and an R Square value of 0.691. This means that 69.1% of the variance in purchase decisions can be explained by viral marketing and electronic word of mouth, while the remaining 30.9% is influenced by other factors not examined in this study.