The Role of AI-Based Content Marketing and User-Generated Content (UGC) on Brand Equity : The Mediating Effect of Value Co-Creation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31000/digibis.v4i2.14918Abstrak
In the era of digital transformation, small businesses such as local cafés are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and user-generated content (UGC) to enhance brand engagement. This study investigates the effects of AI-based content marketing and UGC on brand equity, with value co-creation as a mediating variable. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach, with data collected from 200 customers of a local café in Purwokerto, Indonesia. The analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that AI-based content marketing has a significant direct effect on brand equity, but does not significantly influence value co-creation. Conversely, UGC significantly enhances value co-creation but does not directly affect brand equity. Moreover, value co-creation is found to mediate the relationship between UGC and brand equity, while no mediation effect is observed in the path from AI-based content marketing. These findings highlight the importance of participatory and collaborative digital strategies in fostering strong brand equity within micro and small enterprises. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of service-dominant logic and brand equity in the digital context and offers practical insights for MSMEs to integrate AI tools with community engagement strategies to build sustainable brand value.Referensi
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