INFLUENCE CONTENT MARKETING AGAINST PURCHASE DECISIONS WITH BRAND TRUST AS A MEDIATION VARIABLE (STUDY OF CONSUMERS USING SOMETHINC PRODUCTS )

This study aims to determine the influence of Content Marketing Brand Trust as a mediating variable on Purchasing Decisions among Harapan University Medan students in the 2022–2025 academic year who have used Somethinc products. This study uses a quantitative method. with a causal associative approach . The population in this study amounted to 2,204 students, while the sample size was 96 respondents determined using the Slovin formula with a 10% error rate. The sampling technique used non-probability sampling , while data collection was carried out through the distribution of questionnaires with a 4-point Likert scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26. through validity, reliability, classical assumptions, F-test, t-test, path analysis, and Sobel test. The results of the study indicate that Content Marketing has a positive and significant effect on Purchasing Decisions , with a path coefficient value of 0.305 and a significance of 0.000 <0.05 . Content Marketing also has a positive and significant influence on the brand Trust , with a path coefficient of 0.451 and a significance of 0.000 <0.05. Furthermore, Brand Trust has a positive and significant effect on Purchasing Decisions , with a path coefficient of 0.572 and a significance of 0.000 <0.05. The results of the path analysis show that the indirect effect of Content Marketing on Purchasing Decisions through Brand Trust is 0.258 . The results of the Sobel test obtained a calculated Z value of 4.11 > 1.96 , so that Brand Trust is proven to be able to mediate the effect of Content Marketing on Purchasing Decisions. The R Square value in Equation I is 0.204, while in Equation II it is 0.577. Thus, Content Marketing not only has a direct effect on Purchasing Decisions, but also indirectly through increasing Brand Trust.