One of the technical innovations that has revolutionized how companies function and engage with their customers is digital marketing. One company that uses digital marketing on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok is Bakmi Akiu. According to an interview with the company's CEO, Bakmi Akiu's viral marketing efforts on social media did not significantly boost their customer base. A survey method was used to gather data, and 120 respondents were given online questionnaires. Path analysis in conjunction with the Sobel test was the analysis method employed. The analysis's findings demonstrated that viral marketing significantly and favorably influences purchase intention, that viral marketing significantly and favorably influences E-WOM, that E-WOM significantly and favorably influences purchase intention, and that E-WOM can mediate the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention. The research's theoretical implications include adding to the body of knowledge regarding the efficacy of viral marketing tactics and making a substantial theoretical contribution to the field of digital marketing, especially in relation to consumer behavior theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior. The research's practical implications indicate that in order to maximize the results of viral marketing initiatives and promote the propagation of positive E-WOM, business actors—Bakmi Akiu in particular—should continue to produce interactive and participatory viral content.
The development of technology has brought humanity into the digital era, offering convenience and efficiency in various aspects of life. In the business world, digitalization enables the management of information, communication, and product marketing processes to be carried out easily and efficiently, making interactions between consumers and sellers more practical (Rakhmawati et al., 2019). This drives business actors to always be responsive to changing trends, which in turn makes business competition increasingly complex. Consequently, all aspects of business must be strengthened, particularly in marketing, which is now required to be more creative, innovative, and technology-driven to reach consumers more effectively. The right marketing strategy not only helps businesses survive competition but also opens up opportunities for faster growth in this digital era (Andirwan et al., 2023).
Consumer reviews play a significant role in the sustainability of a business because they not only help build a strong reputation but also serve as a primary reference for potential customers when making decisions. This applies to all types of businesses, especially in the culinary industry, where reviews about taste, service, and restaurant atmosphere often become decisive factors for potential customers in deciding whether to try or avoid a dining place. One culinary business in Denpasar that sees opportunities from the impact of reviews and E-WOM is Bakmi Akiu.
Bakmi Akiu is a legendary noodle restaurant in Denpasar that has been operating since 1985 and is known for its signature chicken noodle dish. Initially, Bakmi Akiu was just a simple eatery without any specific marketing strategy, relying solely on Google Maps as its promotional platform. Over time, however, Bakmi Akiu’s popularity began to fade, and customers shifted to other trendy noodle restaurants. Since early 2023, under new management, Bakmi Akiu has revamped its promotional strategies and actively engaged in marketing. By leveraging social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, Bakmi Akiu has created engaging and interactive content that fosters communication and interaction with potential customers, thus generating electronic word of mouth (E-WOM). The restaurant also frequently invites food vloggers such as @deliciousbali to create review content, which is then distributed on social media platforms with the highest engagement rates, helping the content go viral.
Twenty respondents were given a temporary questionnaire as part of an initial survey that asked about purchase intention, viral marketing, and electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM). According to the preliminary survey results, social media was the primary source of information for all respondents about Bakmi Akiu items. However, after reading social media evaluations, seven out of twenty respondents did not select Bakmi Akiu over comparable products.
The fact that many respondents did not choose Bakmi Akiu over similar products after seeing reviews on social media could be due to reviews or comments posted by consumers tending to be negative. Customers felt that the service at Bakmi Akiu outlets was unsatisfactory. This could reduce the purchase intention of potential customers who read those comments.
According to the CEO, 60% of customer growth at Bakmi Akiu came from word-of-mouth referrals, and only 40% from social media followers. This suggests that trust is more influenced by personal experience and testimonials than promotional content. Hence, evaluating the mediating role of E-WOM in the effect of viral marketing on purchase intention is critical.
According to research on viral marketing by Broto et al. (2024), purchase intention is significantly positively impacted by viral marketing. Jovlin & Belgiawan (2024) obtained similar results and came to the conclusion that purchase intention is impacted by the use of viral marketing. Similarly, a study by Juliana et al. (2024) discovered that viral marketing significantly increases the intention to buy. Viral marketing did, however, have a favorable but not statistically significant impact on purchase intention, according to research by Fitri & Syaefulloh (2023).
According to Kotler and Keller (2022:79), consumer behavior
theory is the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations
select, purchase, use, and evaluate goods, services, ideas, or
experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. Consumer behavior
encompasses more than just the act of purchasing; it also involves
complex psychological and social processes underlying these
decisions.
The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) explains intentions, specifically how hard individuals try and expend effort in performing a task. Therefore, the basic concept of TPB is the prediction of intentions, which, if there are no serious problems, will manifest in actual behavior (Larasari, 2022). This theory assumes that people tend to behave rationally and intelligently utilize the information available to them when deciding whether to act or not to act (Ajzen, 1991:179).
According to Kotler and Keller (2022:195), viral marketing is a marketing strategy that utilizes social networks to spread content organically and quickly, creating a "ripple effect." Viral marketing utilizes word-of-mouth marketing strategies through electronic media, where consumers or companies share their opinions about a product or service with others (Alfifto et al., 2022). Viral marketing is currently considered an effective marketing tool (Razali et al., 2023). According to Alfifto et al. (2022), viral marketing is a marketing technique that utilizes social networks to achieve specific marketing objectives through a chain communication process. According to Prabowo & Harsoyo (2023), viral marketing is a promotion designed to spread like a virus, reaching a wide network and having a broad impact.
According to Kotler and Keller (2022:198), e-WOM is communication between consumers through online reviews, recommendations, or discussions on social media. The media used can include websites, social media, online videos, and the like. E-WOM communication can take the form of positive or negative statements about a product, distributed from one consumer to another via the internet (Arsyalan et al., 2019). Consumers will first seek information about a product before deciding to make a purchase (Arsyalan et al., 2019).
Purchase intention is a person's intention or tendency to purchase a product or service after seeing an advertisement, promotion, or review (Kotler & Keller, 2022:178). According to Krisyanti & Rahanatha (2019), purchase intention arises after receiving a stimulus from a product they see, then a potential consumer tends to try the product and a desire to buy and own it. Fitriani et al. (2022) state that purchase intention is a consumer's interest in a product or service by seeking information about the desired product.
In order to uncover, test, and explain the relationship between variables— specifically, the impact of viral marketing as an exogenous variable on purchase intention as an endogenous variable, with E-WOM acting as a mediating variable—this study uses a quantitative associative approach. It focuses on potential Bakmi Akiu product buyers in Denpasar City. The study focuses on Bakmi Akiu's active use of the Instagram account @bakmi.akiu for digital marketing. Residents of Denpasar City who are aware of the account but have never bought the product make up the target population.
A total of 120 respondents were included in the purposive sample technique, which is based on predetermined criteria. A questionnaire based on indicators from earlier research was used to gather data, and a Likert scale was used for measurement. Pearson's correlation and Cronbach's Alpha were used to assess the instrument's validity and reliability (Sugiyono, 2019; Sekaran & Bougie, 2016).
Three factors make up the study: purchase intention (Y), E-WOM (M), and viral marketing (X). The operationalization of each variable was based on modified dimensions from earlier studies. Innovation, insight, instantaneity, integration, and consumer contact were the dimensions used to measure viral marketing (Puriwat & Tripopsakul, 2021; Mulyaputri & Sanaji, 2021). Purchase intention was measured using perceptions of advertising, promotions, product fit, and further information seeking (Ho Nguyen et al., 2022; Ha T. M., 2021), whereas E-WOM was evaluated based on the quantity of reviews, the quality of the information, and positive reviews (Syuhada & Widodo, 2019; Immanuel & Maharia, 2020).
Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the data analysis. To make sure the regression model was feasible, traditional assumption tests encompassing heteroscedasticity, multicollinearity, and normality were carried out. Path analysis and the Sobel test were used to evaluate the relationships between variables and ascertain the mediating effect of E-WOM.
SPSS version 25 was used for all computations. In order to evaluate direct and indirect effects and ascertain whether E-WOM acts as a complete, partial, or non-mediator, significance testing was carried out both partially and simultaneously (Hair et al., 2017; Sugiyono, 2019).
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Substructure 1 |
0.200 |
| Substructure 2 |
0.41 |
Source: Appendix 8, 2025
The Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) Kolmogorov-Smirnov values are 0.200 and 0.41, according to the normality test using the One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, which is displayed in Table 4.6. These values show that the data used in this study are normally distributed because they are higher than the alpha value of 0.05. It follows that the regression model satisfies the normalcy assumption.
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|
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|---|---|---|
| Substructure 2 | Viral Marketing |
0.882 |
| E-WOM |
0.882 |
Source: Appendix 9, 2025
According to Table 4.7, no independent variable has a VIF value higher than 10 or a tolerance value less than 0.10. Consequently, multicollinearity is absent from the regression model.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Substructure 1 | Viral Marketing | -0.093 | 0.926 |
| Substructure 2 | Viral Marketing | -0.093 | 0.926 |
| E-WOM | -0.495 | 0.621 |
Source: Appendix 10, 2025
Every model has a significance value higher than 0.05, as shown in Table 4.8. This suggests that the study's independent variables have no discernible impact on the absolute residuals. Consequently, there is no heteroscedasticity in the study.
To investigate the causal linkages between each independent variable and the dependent variable, this study uses the path analysis technique.
The first step in path analysis is to formulate hypotheses and model equations based on existing theory:
Viral marketing (X) has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Intention (Y).
Viral marketing (X) has a positive and significant effect on E-WOM (M).
E-WOM (M) has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Intention (Y).
Viral marketing (X) has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Intention (Y) through E-WOM (M).
Based on the formulated hypotheses, the substructural equation 1 can be expressed as follows:
M=β2X+e1M = β_2X + e_1M=β2X+e1
Substructural equation 2 can be expressed as follows:
Y=β1X+β3M+e2Y = β_1X + β_3M + e_2Y=β1X+β3M+e2
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Std. Error |
Beta |
||
| (Constant) | 9.758 | 0.173 | ||
| Viral marketing | 0.952 | 0.044 |
0.343 |
3.964 |
R² = 0.118
Source: Appendix 11, processed primary data, 2025
Table 4.6 shows the results of the regression analysis, from which the structural equation can be formulated as follows:
M=β2X+e1M = β_2X + e_1M=β2X+e1 M=0.343XM = 0.343XM=0.343X
Viral marketing has a positive impact on E-WOM, as indicated by the structural equation's coefficient value of 0.343 for the viral marketing variable. In other words, E-WOM will rise in tandem with viral marketing.
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|
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
B |
Std. Error | Beta | ||
| (Constant) |
3.810 |
0.537 | ||
| Viral Marketing |
0.772 |
0.027 | 0.847 |
19.599 |
| E-WOM |
0.159 |
0.064 | 0.127 |
2.932 |
R² = 0.807
Source: Appendix 11, processed primary data, 2025
From the results in Table 4.10, the structural equation can be formulated as follows:
The following is an interpretation of this structural equation: With a coefficient value of 0.847, the variable viral marketing shows that it positively affects buy intention, implying that as viral marketing grows, so will purchase intention. With a coefficient value of 0.127, the E-WOM variable shows that it also positively affects buy intention, suggesting that as E-WOM rises, so will purchase intention.
Direct effects occur when a variable influences another variable without a mediating variable.
The effect of viral marketing (X) on purchase intention (Y) is β₁ = 0.847
The effect of viral marketing (X) on E-WOM (M) is β₂ = 0.343
The effect of E-WOM (M) on purchase intention (Y) is β₃ = 0.127
Indirect effects occur when another variable mediates the relationship between two variables. The indirect effect of viral marketing on purchase intention through E-WOM is:
β₂ × β₃ = 0.343 × 0.127 = 0.043
The total effect can be calculated by adding the direct effect of viral marketing on purchase intention (0.847) to the indirect effect through E-WOM (0.043):
β₁ + (β₂ × β₃) = 0.847 + 0.043 = 0.89
In order to build the final path diagram model, this test looks at the error variables in each structure as well as the coefficient of determination for substructures 1 and 2. The following formula is used to determine the error variable values:
From the calculation, the error influence for substructure 1 (e₁) is 0.939, and for substructure 2 (e₂) is 0.439.
Rₘ² = 1 − (e₁² × e₂²)
= 1 − (0.939² × 0.439²)
= 1 − (0.881 × 0.192)
= 1 − 0.169
= 0.831
The total coefficient of determination value is 0.831, which suggests that 83.1% of the variance in purchase intention can be described by viral marketing with E-WOM as the mediating variable, while the remaining 16.9% is influenced by other variables not included in or outside the research model.
The test findings showed that the variables viral marketing and E-WOM have a simultaneous effect on purchase intention, with an F-significance level of 0.000 < 0.05.
The criteria for testing to explain the interpretation of the effect between each variable are as follows:
If sig ≤ 0.05, then H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted.
If sig > 0.05, then H0 is accepted and Ha is rejected.
H0: Viral marketing has no positive and significant effect on purchase intention. H1: Viral marketing has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention.
Viral marketing on purchase intention has a beta coefficient value of 0.847 and a sig. value of 0.000, according to the analysis results in Table 4.7.
Consequently, since the Sig. value of 0.000 < 0.05, H1 is acceptable. According to these findings, purchase intention is positively and significantly impacted by viral marketing; in other words, the more viral marketing, the more likely customers are to make a purchase.
The Effect of Viral Marketing on E-WOM
H0: Viral marketing has no positive and significant effect on E-WOM.
H2: Viral marketing has a positive and significant effect on E-WOM. The analysis results in Table 4.7 show that viral marketing on E-WOM has a Beta coefficient value of 0.343 and a Sig. value of 0.000. This means that viral marketing has a positive and significant effect on E-WOM; in other words, the higher the viral marketing, the higher the E-WOM.
H0: E-WOM has no positive and significant effect on purchase intention.
H3: E-WOM has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. E-WOM on purchase intention has a beta coefficient value of 0.127 and a sig. value of 0.004, according to the study results in Table 4.7. Consequently, since the Sig. value of 0.004 is less than 0.05, H3 is acceptable. These findings suggest that E-WOM significantly and favorably influences purchase intention; in other words, as E-WOM rises, so will purchase intention.
The direct, indirect, and total effects of each structural equation can be summed up as shown in Table 4.11 based on the earlier computations.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X -> M |
0.343 |
0.343 | 0.000 |
Significant |
|
| M -> Y |
0.127 |
0.127 | 0.004 |
Significant |
|
| X -> Y |
0.847 |
0.043 | 0.89 | 0.000 |
Significant |
Source: Primary data processed, 2025
Each direct and indirect influence between variables, as well as the overall effect for each structural equation produced from the route analysis technique, are summarized in Table 4.11. The following explains the meanings of the values in Table 4.8:
The study on the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention
at Bakmi Akiu in Denpasar City discovered that there is a direct
correlation between the two variables of 0.847
The study on Bakmi Akiu in Denpasar City that looked at how viral marketing affected E-WOM discovered that it had a direct impact of 0.343.
The study on Bakmi Akiu in Denpasar City that looked at the relationship between E-WOM and purchasing intention discovered that it had a direct effect of 0.127.
With coefficient values of 0.847 and 0.043, respectively, the study on Bakmi Akiu in Denpasar City that examined the mediating role of E-WOM in the relationship between viral marketing and purchase intention discovered that viral marketing influences purchase intention directly as well as indirectly through E-WOM, for a total effect of 0.89.
An analytical technique called the Sobel test is used to assess the significance of an indirect link that is mediated by a mediating variable between an independent and dependent variable. Microsoft Excel can be used to calculate the Sobel test, which is formulated using the following equation. The mediating variable is thought to significantly mediate the link between the independent and dependent variables if the computed M value is higher than 1.96 (at a 95 percent confidence level).
Z=abb2Sa2+a2Sb2+Sa2Sb2Z = \frac{ab}{\sqrt{b^2 S_a^2 + a^2 S_b^2 + S_a^2 S_b^2}}Z=b2Sa2+a2Sb2+Sa2Sb2ab
a = 0.173
b = 0.159
Sa = 0.044
Sb = 0.054 Z=(0.173)(0.159)(0.159)2(0.044)2+(0.173)2(0.054)2+(0.044)2(0.054)2Z=\frac{(0.173)(0.159)}{\sqrt{(0.159)^2 (0.044)^2 + (0.173)^2 (0.054)^2 + (0.044)^2 (0.054)^2}}Z=(0.159)2(0.044)2+(0.173)2(0.054)2+(0.044)2(0.054)2(0.173)(0.159) Z=0.0270.0119Z = \frac{0.027}{0.0119}Z=0.01190.027 Z=2.26Z = 2.26Z=2.26
The results of the Sobel test indicate that Z = 2.26 > 1.96. The E-WOM variable is therefore thought to be able to mediate the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention, as evidenced by the rejection of H0 and acceptance of Ha.
The findings of the hypothesis test regarding the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention demonstrate that viral marketing significantly and favorably influences purchase intention. In other words, buyers are more likely to buy Bakmi Akiu's items if the company conducts effective viral marketing campaigns. This is consistent with consumer behavior theory, which holds that preferences, perceived value, and information received by consumers can all affect purchase decisions. This means that successful viral marketing can enhance consumer preferences and foster favorable opinions of Bakmi Akiu's products, which in turn can encourage purchase intentions.
Furthermore, the theory of planned behavior, which holds that widely shared viral content that elicits favorable reactions from the social environment can promote positive attitudes, establish helpful social norms, and offer useful information that improves perceived behavioral control, can also explain these results. Therefore, Bakmi Akiu's viral marketing serves as a psychological and social aspect that influences consumers' purchase intentions in addition to being a promotional tool.
The findings of this study's path analysis align with those of a study by Broto et al. (2024), which found that viral marketing significantly and favorably influences purchase intention. Similar findings were also made by Jovlin & Belgiawan (2024), who discovered that purchase intention is positively and considerably impacted by viral marketing. Additionally, Juliana et al. (2024) came to the conclusion that viral marketing effectively shapes consumers' intentions to make a purchase.
The impact of viral marketing on E-WOM is positively and significantly impacted, according to test results. This suggests that viral marketing campaigns can boost customers' propensity to tell others about Bakmi Akiu's products online or to share their thoughts or experiences. customer behavior theory, which holds that social factors including other people's opinions and relationships within a community can impact customer behavior, can explain this conclusion. Bakmi Akiu's viral marketing promotes consumer communication, which in the digital sphere takes the form of E-WOM, which is a manifestation of social influence and personal preferences.
According to the theory of planned behavior, E-WOM could develop from a favorable attitude toward information sharing, the availability of social support for information dissemination, and the simplicity of sharing content on social media.
Komariah et al. (2022), Syuhada & Widodo (2019), and Hapsari et al. (2024) all discovered similar results, concluding that viral marketing has a favorable and significant impact on E-WOM.
E-WOM has a favorable and considerable impact on purchase intention, according to test results on the relationship between the two. This implies that favorable E-WOM can raise a customer's propensity to buy a product. This is consistent with the theory of consumer behavior, which holds that outside influences, such information from the social environment, can affect judgments about what to buy.
In this instance, E-WOM acts as an outside influence that molds customers' opinions and views regarding a product. Positive E-WOM can, according to the theory of planned behavior, help consumers feel more capable of achieving their purchase intentions by promoting positive attitudes toward the product, generating social pressure that pushes them to buy in order to follow trends, and giving them control over the information they receive about things like price, ease of access, or methods of purchase.
Online reviews and recommendations are two things that help increase buyers' inclinations to buy. According to Kameswara & Respati (2022), Hidayah et al. (2024), Sunaryanto & Oktaviandri (2024), and (2023), E-WOM significantly and favorably influences purchase intention. These findings are also in line with the findings of this study.
The Role of E-WOM in Mediating the Effect of Viral Marketing on Purchase Intention The study's findings suggest that the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention can be mediated by E-WOM.
According to this research, viral marketing that is interesting and simple to share can motivate customers to voluntarily post product suggestions, reviews, or comments on social media, which would then affect other customers' intents to buy. Given that consumers are more likely to believe suggestions from other customers who have had experience than traditional marketing, the findings lend credence to the idea that electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM) influences consumer behavior through social influence (Aditya et al., 2024). This procedure demonstrates how E-WOM acts as a link between behavioral reactions (purchase intention) and marketing stimuli (viral marketing).
These findings theoretically support the hypothesis of planned conduct, especially when it comes to the subjective norms component. Consumers' views of purchase behaviors are thought to be influenced by the opinions or suggestions of others in the digital social environment. Purchase intention tends to decline when the norm is based on unfavorable reviews, and vice versa. Additionally, according to consumer behavior theory, E-WOM influences how consumers assess products before making a purchase, especially when they are debating their options. Because it raises mistrust of a product or service and perceived danger, negative information frequently has a greater impact on judgments.
The results of this study also align with those of a study by Febrianto et al. (2023), which found that, when taken into account through E-WOM, viral marketing significantly influences purchase intention. E-WOM can also mediate the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention, according to Hapsari et al. (2024).
Implications of the Research Findings
The research's ramifications fall into two categories: theoretical and practical. The former will be discussed in more detail below.
The conclusions drawn from the results of this study are as follows:
Purchase intention is significantly and favorably impacted by viral marketing. Customers are more likely to buy Bakmi Akiu products when a viral marketing campaign is executed well.
E-WOM is positively and significantly impacted by viral marketing. Marketing campaigns that are visually appealing and simple to share can inspire customers to help spread the word on social media, thereby increasing the marketing message's reach.
E-WOM has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. This indicates that opinions, reviews, or positive comments from other users contribute to shaping consumers’ positive perceptions and encourage them to make a purchase.
The impact of viral marketing on purchase intention can be mediated by e-WOM. This demonstrates how exposure to viral content and purchase intention are significantly influenced by customer comments and reviews. However, the mood that E-WOM conveys has a significant impact on how effective it is. Viral marketing's impact on purchase intention can be amplified by positive reviews, and vice versa. As a result, the effectiveness of a digital marketing plan depends not only on how viral the material is but also on how E-WOM shapes and controls public perception.