The Role of Brand Awareness Mediating the Influence of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intention

Social media marketing can be utilized as a digital marketing channel to establish brand awareness, as a well-known brand provides a sense of security and makes it easier for potential customers to identify a brand. Strong brand awareness has a greater chance of being chosen, and therefore, it has the potential to increase purchase intention. This research attempts to explain the crucial role of brand awareness in mediating the impact of social media marketing on purchase intention among potential consumers of the online travel agent Traveloka. The study was conducted in the Badung Regency, which is the tourism hub of Bali Province. The sample size consisted of 104 respondents, selected using a non-probability sampling technique from the population of potential Traveloka consumers. The survey was distributed online through the Google Form platform. This research follows a quantitative associative approach, employing path analysis and the Sobel test for analysis. The findings of the study reveal that social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention; social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on brand awareness; brand awareness has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention; and brand awareness significantly mediates the effect of social media marketing on purchase intention

Social media marketing can be utilized as a digital marketing channel to establish brand awareness, as a well-known brand provides a sense of security and makes it easier for potential customers to identify a brand. Strong brand awareness has a greater chance of being chosen, and therefore, it has the potential to increase purchase intention. This research attempts to explain the crucial role of brand awareness in mediating the impact of social media marketing on purchase intention among potential consumers of the online travel agent Traveloka. The study was conducted in the Badung Regency, which is the tourism hub of Bali Province. The sample size consisted of 104 respondents, selected using a non-probability sampling technique from the population of potential Traveloka consumers. The survey was distributed online through the Google Form platform. This research follows a quantitative associative approach, employing path analysis and the Sobel test for analysis. The findings of the study reveal that social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention; social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on brand awareness; brand awareness has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention; and brand awareness significantly mediates the effect of social media marketing on purchase intention

INTRODUCTION
The development of the tourism industry goes hand in hand with the advancement of digital marketing. Digital marketing in the tourism business can assist providers of tourism products and services in promoting their business, brand, and destinations to the global market online (Sofronov, 2019). In the tourism industry, the evolution of e-commerce is evident through the emergence of online travel agents (OTAs). Talwar et al. (2020) define online travel agents (OTAs) as travel aggregators interfacing with potential travelers through the internet to sell travel-related products such as flight tickets, cruise ships, vacation packages, hotel rooms, and more.
The evolution of OTAs has become a global phenomenon in line with technological advancements and changing travel trends. This also applies to the development of OTAs in the tourism industry in Indonesia. This study focuses on one of the largest OTAs in Indonesia, namely Traveloka, as the research subject. Traveloka is a key player in the Indonesian OTA market, successfully acquiring over 80% of the flight market share in Indonesia (Tarigan, 2020). By selecting Traveloka as the research subject, it is anticipated that the study can depict the overall OTA market in Indonesia.
The millennial generation plays a pivotal role in shaping the shifting trends of using OTAs for travel. They are the new tourists seeking experiences by traveling to enticing destinations worldwide, with their primary sources of information being social media and the internet (Tarigan, 2020). Currently, social media serves as a reliable source of news and information. People rely on how swiftly they can obtain information about events both around them and across the globe (Putra et al., 2020). This phenomenon opens new opportunities for businesses to optimize social media for business development. Kotler and Keller (2016:642) define social media as tools or means used by companies or consumers to share information in the form of text, images, videos, and audio with others, or vice versa.
Establishing brand awareness through the implementation of social media marketing strategies is crucial, as a recognized brand can make consumers feel secure and better able to identify a brand among others (Upadana and Pramudana, 2020). A brand that is well-known to consumers is more likely to be chosen, thus increasing purchase intention (Sutariningsih and Widagda, 2021). Putra and Aristana (2020) define purchase intention as the desire to own and purchase products or services in the future; this desire is a result of consumer observation and learning about a product.
Previous research conducted by Sutariningsih and Widagda (2021) found that social media marketing has a positive impact on purchase intention. An increase in social media marketing leads to an increase in purchase intention. Similar results were demonstrated by Manzoor et al. (2020), Priatni et al. (2020), Almohaimmeed (2019), and Raharjo (2018). However, Putra and Aristana (2020) found different results, suggesting that social media marketing does not have a positive impact on purchase intention. It's worth noting that this study used a limited sample, highlighting the need for a larger sample in further research to comprehensively assess the influence of social media marketing on purchase 561 intention. Nonetheless, the study did show that social media marketing creates strong brand awareness, which affects purchase intention, and that social media marketing influences purchase intention through brand awareness.
Based on the background provided, the phenomena described, and the aforementioned previous research, this study aims to investigate the role of brand awareness in mediating the influence of social media marketing on purchase intention among potential customers of the online travel agent Traveloka.

LITERATURE REVIEW Consumer Behaviour Theory
Consumer behavior encompasses all actions, activities, and psychological processes that lead to actions prior to purchase. Purchase intention arises after receiving stimuli from something seen and related to a pleasant feeling toward the object. Subsequently, a convincing desire emerges that the product will be beneficial to the individual (Sutariningsih and Widagda, 2021).
Consumer behavior is essential in the marketing process as a competitive force in determining the intensity of competition and opportunities for a company. Consumer behavior allows a company to study individuals, groups, and organizations in selecting, using services, ideas, or experiences they need to fulfill their needs and satisfy their desires (Asra and Suyanto, 2019).
According to Kotler and Keller (2016), there are fundamental psychological processes that play a crucial role in actual consumer purchase decisions and must be understood by companies. These psychological processes consist of five stages: Problem recognition, Information search, Alternative evaluation, Purchase decision, Post-purchase behavior.

Purchase Intention (Y)
Purchase intention is something that arises within potential consumers after they receive stimuli from the products they see. It captures the interest of potential consumers to try the product, eventually leading to a desire to purchase it (Raharjo, 2018). Putra and Aristana (2020) define purchase intention as the desire to own and purchase products or services in the future. This desire is a result of consumer observation and learning about a product.
The indicators used as the basis for measuring the purchase intention variable refer to Kotler and Keller (2009) as cited in Putra and Aristana (2020), which are: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Social Media Marketing (X) Kotler and Keller (2016) state that social media is a vital component of digital marketing, wherein it serves as a means for companies to share information in the form of text, images, videos, and audio with others, including their customers, and vice versa. According to Upadana and Pramudana (2020), social media is a significant part of a broader and more comprehensive sales, service, communication, and marketing strategy that reflects and adapts to the market and the people who interpret it. Given the intensifying business competition, the execution of social media marketing must be creative and appealing to establish brand awareness.
Social media marketing is defined as all forms of direct or indirect marketing used to build awareness, recognition, recall, and action for brands, businesses, products, individuals, or other entities. This is carried out using social web tools such as blogging, microblogging, social networking, social bookmarking, and content sharing.
The indicators for social media marketing, as explored in the research conducted by As'ad (2014) and Priatni et al. (2020), include: Online Communities, Interaction, Sharing of Content, Accessibility, Credibility.

Brand Awareness (M)
Brand awareness is the extent to which potential consumers can recognize and become aware of the existence of a brand for the first time compared to other brands in a specific product category (Sutariningsih and Widagda, 2021). Brand awareness is the consumers' ability to recognize or recall a product's component known as a brand. Strong brand awareness is established through social media marketing via interactions between the brand and consumers (Putra and Aristana, 2020). Seo and Park (2018) mention that brand awareness refers to consumers' ability to identify a brand in different situations or to remember the brand. The presence of brand awareness indicates that consumers are aware of the brand name, which increases the likelihood of the brand being included in the list of potential candidates and, ultimately, the likelihood of the brand being chosen.
Indicators in measuring brand awareness, as outlined by Kartajaya (2010)  The effective utilization of social media marketing will have a positive influence on the purchase intention of potential consumers. Through focused and measurable marketing strategies on social media, it is anticipated that consumer interest and motivation to purchase the offered products or services will increase. Previous research conducted by Gautam and Sharma (2017) Brand awareness influences purchase intention. This means that the higher the level of prospective consumers' awareness of a brand, the greater the likelihood that they intend to purchase products or services from that brand. Previous research by Shahid et al. (2017), Raharjo (2018), Wedayanti and Ardani (2020), Priatni et al. (2020), Putra and Aristana (2020), Dabbous and Barakat (2020), Sutariningsih and Widagda (2021), Cleo and Sopiah (2021), Patmawati and Miswanto (2022), and Riyadini and Krisnawati (2022) all found results suggesting that brand awareness has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention.
H4: Brand Awareness Positively and Significantly Mediates the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intention Brand awareness plays a role as a mediating variable in this study. The impact of social media marketing on purchase intention will be stronger if brand awareness acts as a mediating variable. Previous research by Priatni et al. (2020), Putra and Aristana (2020), Sutariningsih and Widagda (2021), Cleo and Sopiah (2021), Dindasari and Sukawati (2022), and Mikhael and Susan (2022) found results suggesting that brand awareness positively and significantly mediates the impact of social media marketing on purchase intention.
The relationship between variables in this study can be illustrated through the following conceptual framework:

METHODOLOGY
This study is classified as associative research, which provides a comprehensive picture of the relationship between the variables of brand awareness mediating the impact of social media marketing on purchase intention. The research is conducted in Badung Regency, which is a tourism center in the province of Bali. Non-probability sampling is used to determine the research sample due to the unlimited population of the study and characteristics that cannot be defined. The purposive sampling method is employed for sample selection, with a total sample size of 104 respondents. Criteria for sample selection include respondents being tourists in Badung Regency, possessing social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, and belonging to the millennial generation aged 20 to 39 with a minimum education level of high school or equivalent.
Data is collected through an online survey distributed via Google Form, and the survey questions are pre-determined to support the research instrument. The survey instrument employs a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. Validity and reliability tests are conducted to ensure the suitability of the research instrument for distribution. Data will be tested using classical assumption tests, including normality test, multicollinearity test, and heteroskedasticity test, to determine if the research sample adequately represents the existing population.
Path analysis will be utilized to determine regression coefficients for each variable relationship. The Sobel test will be applied to examine the indirect influence of social media marketing (X) on purchase intention (Y) through brand awareness (M). Other 2

Total 104
The description of respondents provides a profile of the 104 participants who took part in this study. The description of the respondents in this study is presented in Table 1. The respondents were predominantly male, accounting for 63 respondents (60.6 percent). The age group of 20-24 years was the dominant category, comprising 49 respondents (47.1 percent). This result aligns with the research conducted by Yusuf and Veranita (2021), who found that the younger generation, commonly known as millennials, exhibited the highest interest in traveling. The majority of respondents had a Bachelor's degree, with 43 respondents (41.3 percent), and private employees constituted the majority of respondents' occupations, totaling 64 respondents (61.5 percent).
The validity test indicates that all indicators have correlation coefficients greater than 0.361. This result demonstrates that the indicators in this study are proven to be valid. The reliability test shows that all instruments have Cronbach's Alpha values greater than 0.6, indicating that all variables in this study can be used as they meet the reliability criteria. The highest average response was obtained for the statement "The content shared by Traveloka on social media provides valuable information" with an average score of 4.13. Traveloka has demonstrated that the content shared on their social media platforms provides useful information. The lowest average response was obtained for the statement "There is good interaction between Traveloka and their audience on social media" with an average score of 3.85. This generally indicates that respondents feel that Traveloka's interaction on their social media is not particularly strong. The average value of the social media marketing variable is 3.98, suggesting that respondents perceive Traveloka's social media to be good, particularly due to the valuable information provided through its content.
The highest average response was obtained for the statement "Traveloka comes to mind when I want to travel" with an average score of 4.01. This indicates that the level of brand awareness possessed by Traveloka is good, as the brand has managed to become top of mind for prospective Traveloka consumers. The lowest average response was obtained for the statement "I have knowledge about the products offered by Traveloka" with an average score of 3.79. This suggests that respondents have a limited understanding of Traveloka's products. The average value of the brand awareness variable is 3.92, indicating that respondents perceive Traveloka's brand awareness to be good and trusted by potential consumers. However, there is room for improvement in terms of sharing more information about their products to further enhance brand awareness. The highest average response was obtained for the statement "The content on Traveloka's social media captures my attention" with an average score of 3.97. Traveloka has successfully captured the attention of potential consumers with its social media content. The lowest average response was obtained for two statements: "Advertisements for Traveloka products on social media arouse my desire to make a purchase or reservation" and "I feel confident in making a purchase from Traveloka after seeing their content on social media," both with the same average score of 3.84. This suggests that Traveloka may struggle to evoke the final stages of purchase intention in their potential consumers, namely, the stages of generating desire and confidence for the purchase action. The average value of the purchase intention variable is 3.90, indicating that the purchase intention of potential Traveloka consumers is high due to attentiongrabbing content. This average value could increase if Traveloka can effectively stimulate desire and confidence among their potential consumers to make purchases.
The calculation of path coefficients is performed through path analysis using the SPSS software. Based on Table 7, the structural equation can be explained as follows: M = 0,815 X + e1 ……………(1) Equation (1) explains that social media marketing has a coefficient of 0.815 on brand awareness, indicating that social media marketing has a positive effect on brand awareness. This equation explains that if social media marketing is increased, brand awareness will also increase by 0.815. Sig.F 0,000 Based on Table 8, the structural equation can be explained as follows: Y = 0,496 X + 0,347 M + e2……………(2) The equation explains that social media marketing has a coefficient of 0.496 on purchase intention, and brand awareness has a coefficient of 0.347 on purchase intention. This indicates that both variables have a positive influence on purchase intention. This equation explains that if social media marketing increases, purchase intention will increase by 0.496, and if brand awareness increases, purchase intention will increase by 0.347.
The final path diagram model can be constructed based on equations 1 and 2. To measure the final path diagram, it's necessary to calculate the standard error (e) as follows: Pe 1 = √1 − 2 2 = √ 1 − 0,696 = 0,551 Based on the calculation of error effects (Pe i ), the result of error effect 1 (Pe 1 ) is 0.592, and the result of error effect 2 (Pe2) is 0.551. Therefore, the total determination coefficient is: R 2 m = 1 -(Pe1) 2 (Pe2) 2 ……………(4) = 1 -(0,592) 2 (0,551) 2 = 1 -(0,350) (0,304) = 1 -0,106 = 0,894 The total determination coefficient value of 0.894 means that 89.4% of the variation in purchase intention is influenced by the variation in social media marketing and brand awareness, and the remaining 10.6% can be explained by other factors not included in the research model. Based on the path analysis results, the direct and indirect effects can be represented in Table 9. The results of Path Analysis I in Table 7 and Path Analysis II in Table 8 indicate that all indirect effects and direct effects of variables are significant, and the direct effect coefficient of the variable "social media marketing" is greater than the indirect effect coefficient. This finding suggests that brand awareness is capable of partially mediating the effect of social media marketing on purchase intention.

DISCUSSION
Social media marketing has been proven to have a positive and significant impact on purchase intention. The better the implementation of social media marketing, the higher the purchase intention. The results of this study support previous research conducted by Gautam and Sharma (2017), Raharjo (2018), Laksamana (2018), Pandey et al. (2018), Almohaimmeed (2019), Manzoor et al. (2020), Priatni et al. (2020), Sutariningsih and Widagda (2021), Anggrenita and Sander (2022), and Satya et al. (2022), all of whom found similar results that social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention.
Social media marketing has been proven to have a positive and significant impact on brand awareness. The use of social media to promote the Traveloka brand will increase potential consumers' awareness of the Traveloka brand, making them more familiar with the services offered by Traveloka. The results of this study support previous research conducted by Raharjo (2018) Brand awareness has been proven to have a positive and significant impact on purchase intention. This means that the higher the level of awareness among potential consumers about the Traveloka brand, the greater the likelihood that they will intend to purchase products or services from Traveloka. The results of this study support previous research conducted by Shahid et al. (2017), Raharjo (2018), Wedayanti and Ardani (2020), Priatni et al. (2020), Putra and Aristana (2020), Dabbous and Barakat (2020), Sutariningsih and Widagda (2021), Cleo and Sopiah (2021), Patmawati and Miswanto (2022), and Riyadini and Krisnawati (2022), all of whom found similar results that brand awareness has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention. Brand awareness has been proven to mediate the relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention. The impact of social media marketing on purchase intention becomes stronger when there is brand awareness as a mediating variable. The results of this study support previous research conducted by Priatni et al. (2020), Putra and Aristana (2020), Sutariningsih and Widagda (2021), Cleo and Sopiah (2021), Dindasari and Sukawati (2022), and Mikhael and Susan (2022), all of whom found similar results that brand awareness mediates the positive and significant impact of social media marketing on purchase intention.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Several conclusions can be drawn based on the results of this study, including Social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention in the behavior of prospective Traveloka consumers in Badung Regency. The increasing implementation of social media marketing by Traveloka positively affects the enhancement of purchase intention among potential consumers, Social media marketing has a positive and significant impact on brand awareness in the behavior of prospective Traveloka consumers in Badung Regency. The intensified activities of social media marketing carried out by Traveloka contribute positively to enhancing the level of brand awareness for the Traveloka brand, Brand awareness has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention in the behavior of prospective Traveloka consumers in Badung Regency. The effective increase in brand awareness for the Traveloka brand contributes to enhancing the purchase intention among potential consumers, Brand awareness partially mediates the relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention among prospective Traveloka consumers in Badung Regency. Brand awareness acts as a supporting factor in increasing the purchase intention of potential tourists when Traveloka implements social media marketing strategies.
Based on the results of the study, some recommendations that the researchers can provide include Considering the respondents feedback indicating that the interaction between Traveloka and its audience on social media is still lacking, Traveloka could improve their communication intensity with their audience on social media, Respondents feedback also highlights a lack of understanding about Traveloka's products. Thus, it is suggested that Traveloka enhance efforts to increase brand awareness through more informative social media marketing strategies to convey more in-depth information about their products, Traveloka's effectiveness in stimulating the "action" phase or confidence for purchasing is still suboptimal. This could be a concern for Traveloka to undertake strategic steps to enhance the effectiveness of purchase intention. These recommendations provide insights for Traveloka to enhance its social media marketing efforts, strengthen brand awareness, and improve the overall purchase intention of potential consumers.

SUGGESTION
For future researchers, it is recommended to enhance the quality of the study by expanding the scope of research and considering the addition of other variables. Moreover, researchers could explore this model in different companies or industries. By doing so, a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between social media marketing, brand awareness, and purchase intention can be obtained. This could lead to valuable insights for various contexts and contribute to a broader understanding of consumer behavior and marketing strategies.