The impact of brand experience on students' satisfaction, trust, and advocacy: a case study of a public university in Indonesia

This study investigates the impact of brand experience on customer satisfaction, brand trust, and brand advocacy in the context of a higher education institution in an emerging market. A dataset of 411 responses was collected from diploma and undergraduate students at one of the largest public universities in Indonesia and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The current study finds that brand experience significantly affects customer satisfaction and brand trust (p < 0.05, f² = 0.872; p < 0.05, f² = 0.233, respectively), while customer satisfaction significantly influences brand trust (p < 0.05, f² = 0.217), and both variables significantly impact brand advocacy. This study offers a distinctive perspective on the relationships among these variables, which are commonly examined in the context of companies and businesses, rather than higher education institutions. The research findings provide university leaders with insights into the importance of brand experience, trust, and satisfaction in developing brand advocacy to address increasing competition. Both managerial and social implications of the results are discussed.