Padang — A 2026 study by Diana Fitri Anggraini and Vidyarini Dwita from Universitas Negeri Padang finds that brand trust plays the strongest role in shaping customer preference for digital telecommunications services in the business-to-business segment. The research shows that brand awareness and perceived value do not directly influence customer choice unless they first strengthen trust in the service provider.
Indonesia’s telecommunications industry is rapidly evolving from a connectivity provider into a strategic partner for digital transformation. Companies increasingly rely on integrated services such as cloud computing, Internet of Things infrastructure, and data analytics platforms to support operational efficiency and business competitiveness. In this environment, customer preference is shaped not only by technical performance but also by trust in service providers.
Telkom’s business segment illustrates this shift clearly. According to corporate performance data, B2B customers contributed approximately 14 percent of total company revenue, equivalent to more than IDR 20 trillion. At the regional level, customer numbers in West Sumatra rose significantly between 2023 and 2025, although the growth rate slowed over time. This pattern suggests that long-term contractual relationships influence how organizations evaluate service providers.
The study conducted by Diana Fitri Anggraini and Vidyarini Dwita from Universitas Negeri Padang examined how brand awareness, perceived service quality, perceived value, and brand trust interact in shaping customer preference among Telkom’s B2B digital telecommunications clients. The research focused specifically on organizational decision makers responsible for selecting digital infrastructure services.
The researchers collected survey data from 117 B2B customers in West Sumatra and analyzed the responses using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. This method allowed them to evaluate both direct and indirect relationships between branding variables and customer preference.
Survey results show that respondents rated all evaluated factors positively. Brand trust recorded the highest score, with an average rating of 4.17 and a respondent achievement level of 83.4 percent. Perceived service quality followed closely at 4.12, while perceived value and brand awareness also received strong ratings above 4.00. These findings indicate that Telkom’s digital service reputation remains strong among enterprise customers.
However, statistical testing revealed that not all branding factors directly influence customer preference. Perceived service quality showed a significant positive effect on customer preference. This confirms that operational reliability, responsiveness, and technical performance remain decisive factors for organizations selecting digital telecommunications providers.
In contrast, brand awareness did not significantly influence customer preference directly. This finding suggests that familiarity with a brand alone is not enough to change organizational service decisions in the B2B telecommunications sector.
Perceived value also showed no significant direct effect on customer preference. The study explains that in long-term contractual environments, perceived value functions as a baseline requirement rather than a competitive differentiator. Organizations expect value as a standard condition rather than a deciding factor.
Brand trust emerged as the most influential variable affecting customer preference. Companies that trust their telecommunications providers are more likely to continue using their services and prioritize them over alternatives. Trust also acts as a bridge connecting service quality and brand awareness with customer decision-making outcomes.
The research further confirms that brand trust mediates the relationship between brand awareness and customer preference. It also mediates the relationship between perceived service quality and customer preference. This means customers respond to branding and service quality signals only after trust has been established.
Interestingly, perceived value did not significantly influence customer preference even through brand trust mediation. The study attributes this to status quo bias in B2B decision-making, where organizations prefer maintaining existing partnerships rather than switching providers unless major operational advantages are demonstrated.
According to Diana Fitri Anggraini from Universitas Negeri Padang, organizational customers tend to prioritize operational performance over promotional messaging when selecting telecommunications partners. She explained that reliability, service-level agreement compliance, and technical responsiveness shape long-term business relationships more strongly than brand visibility alone.
Vidyarini Dwita from Universitas Negeri Padang emphasized that telecommunications providers should strengthen customer trust through measurable service performance rather than relying primarily on branding campaigns. Network stability, rapid outage resolution, and responsive after-sales support remain the most effective trust-building strategies in enterprise markets.
The findings provide practical insights for telecommunications companies competing in Indonesia’s digital infrastructure sector. Strengthening brand trust should become a central strategy for improving customer retention and long-term preference in the B2B market. Companies that focus on consistent service quality and relationship management are more likely to maintain competitive advantage.
The study also highlights the importance of distinguishing between B2B and B2C customer behavior in telecommunications research. Organizational clients evaluate providers differently from individual consumers, particularly in environments shaped by contractual commitments and operational dependencies.
Diana Fitri Anggraini is affiliated with Universitas Negeri Padang. Vidyarini Dwita is affiliated with Universitas Negeri Padang.
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