JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 The Effect Of Celebrity Endorsers And Social Media Marketing On Purchase Decisions For Labubu Dolls. With Trust As A Mediating Variable Lola Lubna Qaulika1. Mohamad Rifqy Roosdhani2 Prodi Manajemen Universitas Islam Nahdlatul Ulama Jepara lolalubnaqaulika@gmail. com, 2roosdhani@gmail. ABSTRAK Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menguji bagaimana pengaruh Celebrity Endorser dan Social Media Marketing terhadap Purchase Decision untuk membeli boneka Labubu, dengan Trust sebagai variabel Penelitian ini berawal dari meningkatnya minat konsumen terhadap produk yang dipromosikan oleh tokoh publik, terutama setelah unggahan Lisa Blackpink yang meningkatkan popularitas Labubu di Indonesia. Studi ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif yang diolah menggunakan SmartPLS versi 4. 0 dan melibatkan 150 responden yang telah memilih untuk membeli boneka Labubu. Hasil studi menunjukkan bahwa endorser selebriti dan pemasaran media sosial memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap kepercayaan konsumen dan keputusan pembelian mereka. Nilai p yang signifikan pada jalur mediasi menekankan bahwa variabel kepercayaan memediasi pengaruh keduanya terhadap keputusan pembelian. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa tokoh publik dan strategi pemasaran digital sangat penting bagi keputusan pembelian konsumen muda. Kata kunci: Celebrity Endorser. Social Media Marketing. Trust. Purchase Decision ABSTRACT This study's objective is to examine how celebrity endorsers and social media marketing influence consumers' decisions to purchase Labubu dolls, using trust as a mediating factor . This study stems from increased consumer interest in products promoted by public figures, especially after Lisa Blackpink's post, which boosted Labubu's popularity in Indonesia. This study employs a quantitative method processed using SmartPLS version 4. 0 and involves 150 respondents who have chosen to buy Labubu dolls. The results show that consumer trust and purchase decisions are significantly impacted by social media marketing and celebrity endorsers. The trust variable mediates the impact of both on purchasing decisions, according to the significant p-value on the mediation path. These findings show that public figures and digital marketing strategies are very important for young consumers purchasing decisions. Keywords: Celebrity Endorser. Social Media Marketing. Trust. Purchase Decision INTRODUCTION In this increasingly advanced digital age, marketing through social media and the role of Celebrity Endorsers have become popular strategies among businesses to advertise their goods and (Ali et al. , 2. Technological developments in information and communication have also impacted the behavior of manufacturers who want to promote their products more easily and to a wider audience (Lailiya, 2. Combining market observation capabilities with digital marketing strategies enhances the company's ability to acquire data in real time and analyze market trends (Komariyatin et al. , 2. Entering the era of digital marketing, traditional messages such as those conveyed through television no longer have a significant impact on consumers (Darmawan & Setiawan, 2. This phenomenon is clearly seen in the case of Lisa Blackpink, who posted a photo of a Labubu doll on Instagram, causing a surge in popularity Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 and sales of the product among Indonesian Gen Z. Data from ICE. id shows that collaboration between brands and public figures is one of the main strategies for increasing trust, especially among young people who are active on social media (ICE. id, 2. For businesses, the use of celebrities and influencers is considered capable of expanding the market and building customer trust, which is difficult to achieve through conventional advertising (Ismail, 2. To boost sales, companies often use celebrities to promote their products through their personal Social Media accounts (Upadana & Pramudana, 2. The use of a famous person in a commercial campaign is also known as a Celebrity Endorser, and marketers can use Celebrity Endorsers to differentiate their products from competitors' products in the market (Zuhad & Yoestini, 2. The research gap in this study is the difference of opinion between (Kristanto et al. , 2. which states that Purchase Decisions are significantly influenced by Celebrity Endorsers. Meanwhile, according to (Nggilu et al. , 2. Celebrity Endorsers have no substantial impact on purchasing decisions. However, there is research from (Parmariza, 2. states that the Celebrity Endorser variable does not have a significant effect on Purchase Decision, whereas according to (Dewa, 2. Decisions to buy are heavily influenced by Celebrity Endorsers. Therefore. This study uses Trust as a mediating variable to investigate how Social Media Marketing and Celebrity Endorsers affect Purchase decisions to buy. Specifically, this study seeks to determine the extent to which celebrity figures and Social Media Marketing strategies can build trust, which ultimately increases Purchase. THEORY REVIEW AND HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT Based on Signaling Theory (Spence, 1. Celebrity figures send positive signals to consumers regarding the quality and credibility of advertised products. In this case. Lisa Blackpink, as a celebrity endorser, plays a role in conveying the message of Labubu's product excellence and reputation, which then builds a positive perception in the minds of consumers. In the context of marketing and Celebrity Endorsers, this theory explains that celebrities act as a signal of quality for products. The presence of credible, famous celebrities with a positive image signals to consumers that the product also has good quality and reputation (Roosdhani et al. , 2. Therefore, signaling theory is used to understand how companies communicate with consumers through symbols, brand attributes, or endorsers to build trust and influence purchasing decisions (Connelly et al. , 2. According to Shimp, celebrities are personalities . ctors, entertainers, or athlete. who are wellknown for their accomplishments in a variety of sectors from the organizations they assist (Zahra & Rina, 2. Celebrities receive compensation for endorsement services. receive payment for advertising services as product spokespersons (Kurnia & Komariyatin. A celebrity endorser is defined as a figure who is well known to the public and acts as a consumer in advertisements. There are four indicators of a celebrity endorser according to (T. Matiza & E. Slabbert, 2. namely trust, safety, perception, and country image. Based on the results of statistical tests that have been conducted (Kalangi et al. , 2. shows that Celebrity Endorsers have a favorable influence on Purchase Decisions to buy. The goal of social media marketing is to raise exposure, recognition, and recall, and even action towards brands, products, businesses, individuals, or groups, utilizing social media platforms including blogging, microblogging, and social networking, either directly or indirectly (Kurniasari & Budiatmo, 2. There are several indicators in Social Media Marketing according to (Ismail, 2. namely brand awareness, brand loyalty, value awareness, and Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 According to research (Rachmadhaniyati & Sanaji, 2. This study demonstrates that trust in Social media marketing has a good and significant impact on online commerce. Trust is one of the factors that motivates customers in choosing a brand or product. Consumers are less interested in companies and products that are not trusted like influencers (Afni & Roostika, 2. Trust is one of the elements that can develop consumer interest in a company while choosing a product or brand to purchase (Dharma et al. , 2. Trust is a commitment to the positive performance of other companies. Furthermore, trust is the conviction that service providers can utilize it as a strategy to cultivate enduring relationships with clients (Triandani & Effendy, 2. There are three indicators of trust according to (Anggraeni & Djuwita, 2. namely security, trust, and integrity. When trust increases, purchase decisions also Trust has a certain impact on decisions about purchases. In this study. Purchase decisions are positively impacted by trust (Widhiaswara & Soesanto, 2. Making a purchase decision is the procedure whereby consumers choose between various options that help them purchase their desired products or services. Purchase Decision is inseparable from consumer behavior, meaning that every customer has unique purchasing habits (Sarpiana et al. , 2. Making a purchase decision is a step in the consumer decision making process, where individuals actually purchase products. The indicators according to (Diva & Churniawati, 2. namely stability in a product, habits in purchasing products, and making purchases. Decision making is basically the process of choosing from various alternative actions that can be selected with the hope of producing the best decision (Noviana & Roosdhani, 2. HIPOTESIS DEVELOPMENT According to (Pudyaningsih et al. , 2. , customer trust refers to consumers' awareness and conclusions about a product's expertise and usefulness. For celebrity endorsers, trust is crucial because it encourages a lot of people to purchase the products being advertised. Due to her many advantages, including a sizable worldwide fan base, wide appeal, and the capacity to engage with followers through a number of social media platforms and material. Lisa Blackpink has shown to be a celebrity that her fans trust. Perceived honesty, believability, and integrity are the three determinants of trust. According to (Matiza & Slabbert, 2. , the findings of research by Pudyaningsih et al. demonstrate that Celebrity Endorser who endorse products have an indirect impact on purchasing decisions through trust. H1: Celebrity endorsers have a positive and important effect on trust. In order to reach a wider range of consumers and increase consumer awareness and brand trust, social media marketing combines digital and traditional marketing tactics (Ratnaningsih & Nurlinda, 2. One kind of Social Media Marketing is internet advertising that makes advantage of social media to accomplish communication objectives. Because Lisa Blackpink has millions of followers on her personal Instagram account, the brand would greatly benefit from Lisa's endorsement of Labubu dolls. The connection between social media advertising and brand loyalty is mediated by a number of factors, including brand loyalty, brand consciousness, and value consciousness. This study demonstrates that trust in online commerce is greatly and favorably impacted by Social Media Marketing. According to research (Rachmadhaniyati & Sanaji, 2. This study demonstrates that trust in online Social media marketing has a good and significant impact on commerce (Ismail, 2. H2: Social media marketing significantly and favorably affects trust. A celebrity endorser is someone who is well-known to the general public who uses that notoriety to promote consumer products by participating in an advertising. Fans of celebrities Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 can be exploited to generate revenue. Because celebrity endorsers typically appeal to their fans, businesses can employ them for marketing. Fans may see which products a celebrity uses based on (Dewa, 2. Because the choice of celebrities to promote Labubu dolls, such Lisa Blackpink, a well-known performer in South Korea with millions of followers on Instagram, can encourage customers to buy Labubu dolls. According to (T. Matiza & E. Slabbert, 2. four indicators of celebrity endorsers that is trust, safety, perception, and country image. Based on the results of the investigation, purchasing decisions are Considerably influenced by the celebrity endorser variable (Dewa, 2. and (Marlindawaty & Lestari, 2. claims that decisions about what to buy are heavily impacted by the celebrity endorser variable. H3: Celebrity Endorsers have a positive and significant influence on Purchasing Decisions. Social media marketing is a type of online advertising that accomplishes communication goals by leveraging the cultural context of social groups, such as social networks, virtual worlds, social news sites, and social opinion sharing sites. The goal of social media marketing as Attracting and keeping online followers and members is a marketing tactic communities who have similar interests and tastes (Febiamalia & Hayuningtias, 2. Businesses can use social media marketing to change people's perceptions, which can then have a wider effect on other people's perceptions before they decide what to buy (Narottama & Moniaga, 2. According to a study (Dewi et al. , 2. purchasing decisions were enhanced by social media According to (Upadana & Pramudana, 2. , purchasing decisions are positively impacted by social media marketing. H4: Purchase decisions are significantly and favorably impacted by social media According to (Lailiya, 2. , trust is the conviction that buyers have in the capabilities of online merchants to provide security during payment transactions and to guarantee prompt processing of transactions. In order to attain the appropriate level of customer satisfaction in a variety of transactions between sellers and buyers, trust is seen as a driving factor. Customers will become satisfied and trusting of a product once they have used it and consumed it. Customers won't quickly give up on a product and move to another once they are happy with it (Sari et al. , 2. In the meantime, the step of the process of making decisions where customers actually buy a product is referred to as the purchasing decision, according to (Lailiya, 2. The study's findings (Lailiya, 2. show that trust has a substantial and positive impact on purchasing According to (Rafidah & Djawoto, 2. , trust has a big and favorable impact on online shopping decisions on Lazada. id claims that decisions about what to buy online on Lazada. id are heavily influenced by trust. H5: Trust has a favorable and important influence on purchasing decisions. The capacity of trust to link exogenous and endogenous variables has been studied by a number of sources. The results (Suhan et al. , 2. demonstrate the function of trust as a mediator in linking the effects of sustainability and loyalty, despite being distinct from the characteristics examined in this study. Using the same paradigm, trust is seen to have the capacity to mediate the influence of social media marketing and celebrity endorsers on consumer decisions. H6: Trust can mediate Celebrity Endorser on Purchase Decision H7: Social media marketing can be mediated by trust when making a purchase. RESEARCH METODS This research employs a quantitative methodology with the objective of examining the connection between variables consisting of Celebrity Endorser (X. and Social Media Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 Marketing (X. as independent variables. Trust (Z) as a mediating variable, and Purchase Decision (Y) as a dependent variable. The method applied to this study is quantitative data Because it seeks to explain how independent variables affect dependent variables, causal associative research is the sort of study that is employed, both directly and through mediating variables. In this study, the unit of analysis is the individual consumers from Generation Z . ged 12-28 year. who have purchased Labubu dolls and reside in Jepara Regency, particularly those who are members of K-Pop fan communities. This unit was chosen because this group is active on social media and is highly engaged with public figures such as Lisa Blackpink, who is a product endorser (Ferdinand, 2. The required minimum sample size for this study is. Minimum sample size = Number of indicators x 10 = 14 x 10 = 140 With reference to this opinion and based on the considerations that have been put forward, the number employed in this investigation collected 150 samples. From the questionnaire data, 150 respondents were collected as samples. The collected data was then processed and tested using SmartPLS version 4. 0 software is used to analyze structural equation modeling (SEM) data using the partial least squares (SEM-PLS) technique. The analysis stages comprised evaluating the inner model and the outer model . onstruct validity and reliabilit. esting The correlation between the variable. , and testing hypotheses to see The impacts, both direct and indirect between variables. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Convergent Validity Test Validity testing is a method for assessing whether a measuring instrument precisely measures the concept Its purpose is to gauge (Haliza & Roosdhani, 2. Convergent validity, measured according to each construct's loading factor, is considered good and valid if the outer loading value exceeds 0. 7, but some experts argue that a minimum outer loading factor value of Ou 0. is acceptable (Hair et al. , 2. And the AVE (Average variance extracte. value is greater Tabel 1. Convergent Validity Examination Variables Celebrity Endorser Social Media Marketing Trust Indicator Value Outer Loading Value CE1 CE2 CE3 SMMA2 SMMA3 SMMA4 TR1 TR2 Average Variance Extracted (AVE) Result VALID VALID VALID Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 Variables Indicator Value TR3 PD1 Purchase Decision PD2 PD3 Source: processed primary data, 2025 Outer Loading Value Average Variance Extracted (AVE) Result VALID According to Table 1, it can be said that in the analyzed data, all items for the constructs Celebrity Endorser. Social Media Marketing. Trust, and Purchase Decision have high outer loading values and AVE greater than 0. This indicates that all items have high reliability and are very good at measuring each other's constructs. Overall, each item measuring the variables has an outer loading Ou 0. Similarly, the AVE values for all constructs are considered valid because the values are Ou 0. Reliability Testing Reliability testing is a way to measure and guarantee that the equipment offers reliable questionnaire results. In measuring reliability, there are two commonly used metrics, namely Cronbach's alpha. Both have a value range between zero and one. A value above 0. 7 indicates that the construct being tested has a good level of reliability. Tabel 2. Composite Reliability & CronbachAos Alpha Testing Variables Alpha Cronbach SMMA Source: process primary data, 2025 Composite Reliability Value Results RELIABEL RELIABEL RELIABEL RELIABEL Based on the reliability testing results in Tables two , which used Alpha Cronbach and composite reliability value, all constructs showed good reliability. All Cronbach's alpha and Composite Reliability values exceeded the 0. 7 limit, indicating on that the measurement of these variables was consistent and reliable. High values indicate an excellent level of reliability, particularly for the variables of Trust and Purchase Decision. Therefore, the data obtained from the measurement of these variables is consistent/reliable. R-Square To determine The degree to which a model's independent variables affect its dependent variables. R-Square is used. The R-Square value is categorized as strong if it reaches 0. 67 or more, moderate if it reaches 0. 33 to less than 0. 67, and weak if it reaches 0. 19 to less than 0. Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 Table 3. R-squarre Testing Variables R-squarre Trust Purchase Decision Source: Processed data, 2025 R-squarre Description Moderat Moderat Based on Table 3, the research model shows high predictive power for Purchase Decision (Rsqu = 0. 396, adjusted R-sq = 0. as moderate because it is less than 0. 67 and Trust (R-square = 0. 321, adjusted R-square = 0. is also moderate because it is below 0. This suggests that the independent variables have a major impact. Mediation Test Mediation testing is a statistical method used to understand how a variable . ediator variabl. influences the connection between two more variables . ndependent and dependen. In testing using bootstrapping with SmartPLS 4. 0, the P value is key to interpreting the results. If the P values exceeds 0. 05, outcome are considered insignificant. Conversely, a P-values below 0. denotes a importantimpact. Tabel 4 Spesific Inderect Effect Variables Original SampleAos (O) Celebrity endorser Ie TrustIe Purchase Decision SocialMedia Marketing Ie TrustIe Purchase Decision Source: Process data, 2025 SampleAos Mean (M) Standard Deviation Test (STDEV) T statisticAos (|O/STDV|) P values Based on Table 4, state saidthat the path Celebrity endorser Ie Trust Ie Purchase Decision is significant . = 0. This demonstrates that PurchaseDecisions are significantly influenced by Celebrities Endorsers through increased Trust. This means that a good Celebrity Endorser strategy increases Trust, which in turn increases purchases. This is also consistent with the Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 results of Social Media Marketing Ie Trust Ie Purchase Decision, which is significant . = This means that Purchase decision are significantly impacted by Social MediaMarketing through trust in this model. Consumers tend to buy from Celebrity endorsers they trust. Effective SocialMedia Marketing builds this Trust, so consumers feel more confident about making a purchase. Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis testing is a statistical method that aims to determine whether a statement is true or In this test, the P-value and T-statistic attached to the hypothesis test can be used with the bootstrapping technique available in SmartPLS version 4. 0 software. Tabel 5 Path Coefficient Testing Variables Original SampleAos Standatrd SampleAos Mean deviationAos (O) (M) (STDEV) CE Ie TR CE Ie PD TR Ie PD SMMA Ie TR SMMA Ie PD CE Ie TR Ie PD SMMA Ie TR Ie Sumber :Processed Data, 2025 T statistic (|O/STDV) DescriptionAos Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Hypothesis 1: Celebrity Endorsers' Impact on Purchase Decisions The p-value for The connection between Celebrity Endorsers and Purchase Decisions is . Since this value is well below . , we can conclude Celebrity endorsers possess a important positive impact on increas the perception of Purchase Decisions. This implies is the more active the celebrities endorser is, the high level of customer purchases of the product or Hypothesis 2: The Social Media Marketing on Purchase Decisions The p-value for the connection between purchasing decisions and Socials Media Marketing has a major effect on make more purchases as well. This implies that activity on social media can trigger positive conversations about products or brands among consumers. Hypothesis 3: Celebrity Endorsers' Impact on Trust The p-value for the relationship between Celebrity and Trust is . Since this value is far below . , we can conclude that celebrity endorsers have a big impact on increasing the perception of Trust. In this means is the high the activity of celebrity endorsers, the high the degree of customer confidence at the product or brand. Volume 17 Nomor 01 Maret 2026 https://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/issue/view/49 JURNAL GEOEKONOMI FAKULTAS EKONOMI DAN BISNIS UNIVERSITAS BALIKPAPAN https://doi. org/10. 36277/geoekonomi. http://jurnal. uniba-bpn. id/index. php/geoekonomi/article/view/674 Hypothesis 4: Social Media Marketing's Impact on Trust The p-values for Socials media marketing's connection to Trust is . Since this value is far below . , it shows that social media marketing has a big impression on Trust. The greater a brand level of consumer trusted. The greater the degree of trust. Hypothesis 5: Trust's Impact on Purchase Decisions The p-value for the connection between Purchase Decision and Trust is . This shows that the factors of trust and Purchase Decision are significantly correlated. Hypothesis 6: Trust Mediates the Impact of Celebrity Endorsers on Purchase Decisions Purchase decisions and celebrity endorsers are mediated by Trust is significant ( p = 0. This indicates that through boosting trust, celebrity endorsers have a big impact on purchasing This means that a good Celebrity Endorser strategy increases trust, which in turn increases Purchase Decisions. Hypothesis 7: Social Media Marketing's Impact on Purchase Decisions. Mediating by Trust The connection between purchase decisions and social media marketing mediated by Trust is significant . = 0. This means that purchase decisions are significantly influencer from social media marketing through trust. Consumers tend to buy from Celebrity Endorsers whom they trust. Effective Social Media Marketing builds this Trust, so that consumers feel more assured about purchasing something. CONCLUSION This study comes to the conclusion that SocialsMedia Marketing and celebrity endorsers have a bigger impression upon trust, which it turn influences more purchasing decisions based on the SEM-PLS 4. 0 analysis results. It has been demonstrated that trust is a essential factor that links promotional strategies with purchasing behavior. This can be seen from the hypothesis testing and mediation testing, which show p-values below 0. 05 on all tested paths, including the relationships Celebrity endorser Ie Trust. Social 3 Marketing Ie Trust, and Trust Ie Purchase Decision. Overall. These results show that the greater the credibility of celebrities and the more effective social media marketing activities are, the greater the Trust, which will ultimately increase Purchase Decision. BIBLIOGRAPHY