Pengaruh Brand Ambassador dan Brand Image terhadap Keputusan Pembelian di PT Gandum Mas Kencana

Abstract

The increasing competition in the food and beverage industry encourages companies to use effective marketing strategies through brand ambassadors and brand image to improve consumers' purchase decisions. Initial observations showed that the engagement rate of the brand ambassador's social media posts was higher than that of the company's official account; however, PT Gandum Mas Kencana experienced a decline in sales over several periods. Therefore, this research aims to examine the effect of brand ambassador and brand image on purchase decisions at PT Gandum Mas Kencana, both partially and simultaneously. This research used a quantitative approach with a purposive sampling technique. The sample consisted of 100 respondents who had purchased PT Gandum Mas Kencana products between January 2023 and June 2026 and lived in Malang City. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, including validity, reliability, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, t-test, F-test, and the coefficient of determination (R²). The results showed that brand ambassador and brand image each had a positive and significant effect on purchase decisions, both partially and simultaneously. The coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.751, meaning that brand ambassador and brand image explained 75.1% of the variation in purchase decisions, while the remaining 24.9% was influenced by other factors. Therefore, the company is advised to increase the presence of its brand ambassador on social media and strengthen its brand image by creating a more unique brand identity to improve consumers' purchase decisions.