ANALISIS PENGARUH UGC (USER GENERATED CONTENT) DAN BGC (BRAND GENERATED CONTENT) TERHADAP BRAND AUTHENTICITY MELALUI PURCHASE INTENTION PADA KLAPPERTAART KAWANUA MANADO

This study aims to examine and analyze the effects of User Generated Content (UGC) and Brand Generated Content (BGC) on Brand Authenticity, both directly and indirectly through Purchase Intention as a mediating variable among consumers of Klappertaart Kawanua Manado. A quantitative explanatory design was applied using an online Likert-scale questionnaire survey. A sample of 160 respondents was selected via purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) executed in SmartPLS software version 4.2.9. The empirical findings reveal that: (1) UGC has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Intention; (2) BGC has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Intention; (3) UGC has a positive and significant effect on Brand Authenticity; (4) BGC has a positive and significant effect on Brand Authenticity; (5) Purchase Intention has a positive and significant effect on Brand Authenticity; (6) Purchase Intention partially mediates the effect of UGC on Brand Authenticity; and (7) Purchase Intention partially mediates the effect of BGC on Brand Authenticity. All hypotheses (H1–H7) were supported. Overall, BGC exerts a more dominant influence than UGC in driving purchase intention and enhancing perceived brand authenticity. Culinary MSMEs should combine professional, transparent official brand messaging with customer endorsements to sustain competitive advantage. Keywords: User Generated Content, Brand Generated Content, Purchase intention, Brand Authenticity, Social Media.