Brand Image, Brand Awareness, and Brand Loyalty among University Students Using Sports Shoes: Testing Social Media Marketing Activities as a Moderator

Research Aim: This study aims to examine the direct effects of Brand Image and Brand Awareness on Brand Loyalty and to investigate whether Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMA) moderate these relationships among university students using sports shoes in Semarang City, Indonesia. Design/Methods/Approach: This study employed a quantitative explanatory research design using a survey of 260 university students selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the lavaan package in R. The analysis included measurement model evaluation, structural model assessment, and moderation analysis to test the proposed relationships. Research Finding: Brand Image had a positive and significant effect on Brand Loyalty, while Brand Awareness also had a positive and significant effect and showed the strongest direct effect among the predictors examined. However, SMMA did not significantly moderate the relationship between Brand Image and Brand Loyalty or between Brand Awareness and Brand Loyalty. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study extends the digital marketing and brand loyalty literature by examining SMMA as a moderating mechanism rather than solely as a direct antecedent of consumer responses. Practitioner/Policy Implication: Sports footwear marketers should prioritize strategies that strengthen Brand Awareness and Brand Image as foundations for developing Brand Loyalty. Social media should remain an important communication and engagement channel; however, greater social media activity alone should not be assumed to strengthen the effects of consumers' existing brand awareness and image on loyalty. Marketing strategies should therefore integrate social media communication with consistent brand recognition, positive brand associations, and consumer experiences. Research Limitation: The study used a cross-sectional design, purposive sampling, and respondents limited to university students in Semarang City, which restricts causal inference and the generalizability of the findings. Future studies should include more diverse consumer populations and geographical settings, employ longitudinal designs, and examine alternative roles of SMMA, particularly as an antecedent or through mediating mechanisms involving Brand Awareness and Brand Image.