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nowadays will trust another customer review more than what firm has claimed in the social media. Thus, HERMS should create more
interesting and accurate information regarding the products and services. The products reality need to align with its picture-perfect appearance
in the social media in order to increase the trustworthiness.
H3: Electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) has a positive and direct impact on brand equity.
03
H : Electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) has a negative and direct impact on brand equity.
According to the result on Table 4.8, H3 is supported and accepted with the P-value is 0.000 and the T-value is 17.866. The result
showed that β value is 0.702 where it indicates that e-WOM has a significant relationship with brand equity. Therefore, electronic word of
mouth (e-WOM) has a positive and direct impact on brand equity. The null hypothesis rejected. According to Babic et al. (2015), eWOM is
one of the most important changes in modern consumer behaviour, transforming consumers into informed decision makers. In this study, the
customers more inclined to change their mind about the brand after reading a positive or negative review on HERMS C Enterprise on social
media. Furthermore, people would like to go for the brand suggested by friends on Instagram rather than a brand they do not recommend as
they are swayed by the opinions of others when it comes to making decisions. In terms of the subordinate brand equity aspects, e-WOM
positivity has a high impact on the consumer perception of brand, while also having a considerable impact on brand awareness, brand
associations, brand loyalty, and perceived quality. According to Murtiasih, Sucherly, & Siringoringo (2013), word- of-mouth can influence
several forms of brand perceptions, and this in turn can significantly influence brand equity. Hence, e-WOM of HERMS need to be improved
to increase and sustain it brand equity on social media.
H4: Brand equity has a positive and direct impact on repurchase intention.
04
H : Brand equity has a negative and direct impact on repurchase intention.
The hypothesis testing results shows that the beta value and P-value (β= 0.726, t-value= 16.412, p-value= 0.000). This indicates
that there has a positive relationship between brand equity and repurchase intention are supported. Thus, the null hypothesis rejected.
Repurchase intention is positively influenced by brand equity (Lee, 2017). Firms need face intense competition if they expect to maintain a
following of loyal customers. Increasingly, companies recognize the brand as a competitive advantage and a valuable organizational asset.
In this study, HERMS customers are willing to repurchase HERMS products in the future as provides high-quality of products. Perceived
quality is one of the main elements in brand equity in order to increase the repurchase intention of customers. Once customers feel that the
company provides high quality of products, they will repurchase again and even will recommend the brand to others. Furthermore, the
followers of HERMS are aware of the brand and easily recognize the brand among the other activewear brands in social media. Brand
awareness and brand association also important to encourage customers to repurchase it brand. Customer repurchase decisions influenced
by brand awareness, where brand awareness fosters a sense of familiarity that drives purchasing decisions. While brand association appears
to have a beneficial effect on the recall of a brand and it would encourage customers to repurchase on the brand. According to Yee and Sidek
(2008), customers who are loyal to a certain brand are more likely to make well-informed purchases without conducting any further research.
Customers are more likely to stay loyal to a particular brand if they feel a sense of ownership and pride in it, especially in an increasingly
competitive market. Brand equity have a favorable and significant effect on repurchase intention (Pitaloka & Gumanti, 2019). Hence, all the
dimensions of brand equity have positively effect on repurchase intention toward a brand.
5.2 MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
The outcomes of this study provide a framework for evaluating the impact of e-WOM and brand equity on repurchase intention
toward HERSM C Enterprise from a practical standpoint. Additionally, this study aims to educate marketers regarding the important of e-
WOM and brand equity when they use social media in order to increase and encourage customer to repurchase toward the brand. E-WOM
significantly influences brand equity characteristics, including customers' perceptions of brand quality and their brand choice, according to
this study. When users post negative comments about a brand online, other people's perception of that brand affects, which in turn reduces
their desire to buy from that brand. Because of this, marketers must pay attention on consumer feedback on social media platforms. E- WOM
has a significant impact on how customers evaluate a product and also can persuade them to make a purchase based on that evaluation
(Kudeshia & Kumar, 2017). Management should always be aware of this type of information and devise solutions to mitigate the negative
content. In addition, HERMS can actively encourage e-WOM by initiating consumer word-of-mouth communication. In order to encourage
positive e-WOM, HERMS need to develop an environment that encourages customers to assist other customers, or online brand communities,
in which brand representatives and voluntary customers offer information and support to customers in need (Kumar et al., 2010). In addition,
marketers may take into account the interactive aspects of social media, such as building a strong connection between the brand and its
existing customers through social media interactions. HERMS can encourages user generated content about its brand by offering a special
giveaway for customers who had follow its social media pages and share the particular promotion post on their personal profile and friends.
Apart from that, HERMS should develop and post more interesting and accurate information regarding the products and services. The
products reality need to align with its picture-perfect appearance in the social media in order to increase the trustworthiness. In order to
maintain customers loyal, marketers may require a good and interesting loyalty program for their current customers. Repurchase intention
not only is influenced by the present use of the brand, but also by the brand equity dimensions, which in turn influences repurchase intention.
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