Why the Study Matters
Indonesia faces rising energy demand driven by rapid growth in vehicle ownership. Fossil fuel consumption in the transport sector remains high, making cleaner fuel adoption a strategic priority for climate policy and energy transition. Pertamax Green 95, introduced in 2023 as a gasoline blended with bioethanol, represents one of Indonesia’s early efforts to reduce emissions in the mobility sector.
Despite its environmental positioning, market penetration has been modest compared with other fuel types and competitors in the RON-95 category. This gap between innovation and consumer behavior highlights a key challenge: people will only support greener products if they deliver practical value and satisfaction.
How the Research Was Conducted
The researchers gathered data from 200 Pertamax Green 95 users in Greater Jakarta (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi) through structured online questionnaires during the 2024 research period. Respondents were drivers aged 17 and above who had experience using the fuel.
The study used a quantitative modeling approach to examine relationships among several variables: customer experience, service quality, green product perception, customer satisfaction, and repurchase intention. Statistical modeling techniques were applied to determine how strongly each factor influenced consumer behavior and whether satisfaction acted as a connecting mechanism.
Key Findings
The study reveals a consistent pattern across all variables examined:
- Customer experience positively affects both satisfaction and repeat purchase intention.
- Service quality at fuel stations significantly improves customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Positive perceptions of the product’s environmental benefits increase satisfaction and repurchase intention.
- Customer satisfaction is the strongest predictor of repeat purchasing behavior.
- Experience, service quality, and green perception influence repurchase both directly and indirectly through satisfaction.
Statistical results show that the three factors together explain about 67 percent of customer satisfaction and around 70 percent of repurchase intention, indicating strong predictive power for the model.
What the Findings Mean
The results highlight that green fuel adoption depends on more than environmental messaging. Consumers evaluate fuel products based on everyday usability and emotional response. Smooth vehicle performance, reliability, and confidence in product quality shape overall experience.
Service quality also plays a major role. Clean facilities, efficient transactions, and friendly staff interactions reinforce trust in the product and the brand. In fuel retail, the service encounter becomes part of the product experience itself.
Environmental perception is another decisive factor. Consumers who believe the fuel contributes to sustainability or emission reduction are more likely to feel satisfied and continue using it. However, the study suggests that many consumers still lack clear understanding of the environmental benefits, indicating a need for better public communication and education.
As the authors note, customer satisfaction functions as a psychological bridge between product performance and long-term loyalty. In their analysis, Utama and Tafiprios explain that satisfaction strengthens the effect of experience, service, and environmental perception on behavioral loyalty, making it a central mechanism in consumer decision-making.
Implications for Industry and Policy
The findings offer practical guidance for energy companies, marketers, and policymakers working on sustainable fuel adoption.
First, companies should treat customer experience as a strategic asset. Demonstrating real performance benefits and ensuring consistent product quality can increase consumer confidence in green fuels.
Second, service quality at fuel stations must be maintained as part of sustainability strategy. Clean facilities, reliable operations, and positive staff interactions help translate environmental innovation into tangible customer value.
Third, communication strategies should shift from abstract environmental narratives to relatable consumer benefits. Explaining how bioethanol blends improve engine performance or reduce emissions in everyday terms may be more persuasive than macro-level sustainability claims.
At a broader level, the research underscores that energy transition is partly a behavioral challenge. Technology alone cannot drive adoption; satisfaction, trust, and perceived value ultimately determine whether consumers stay with greener alternatives.
Academic Contribution
The study contributes to marketing and sustainability research by integrating experiential, service, and environmental dimensions into a single behavioral model within the energy sector. Most prior research on green purchase behavior focuses on consumer goods rather than fuel markets, making this work particularly relevant to energy transition studies in emerging economies.
The authors also recommend future studies to explore additional variables such as brand trust, perceived price fairness, environmental awareness, and long-term consumer behavior across different regions of Indonesia.
Author Profiles
Yusri Utama, is a lecturer and researcher at Universitas Mercu Buana, specializing in marketing strategy, consumer behavior, and sustainability in business.
Tafiprios, is a professor at Universitas Mercu Buana with expertise in strategic management, marketing research, and sustainable business development.
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