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Social Media and Influencers Fail to Build Trust Without Engagement, Study Finds
A 2026 study by Arditha Afriani, Dina Lusianti, and Faridhatun Faidah from Universitas Muria Kudus reveals that social media marketing and influencer promotions alone do not directly build brand trust among cosmetic consumers. Published in Jurnal Multidisiplin Madani (MUDIMA), the research shows that customer engagement plays a decisive role in turning digital marketing efforts into trust. The findings are based on Wardah lipstick users in Kudus Regency and highlight a critical gap between online promotion and consumer confidence in Indonesia’s growing beauty industry.
Background: Trust Challenges in Indonesia’s Booming Beauty Market
Indonesia’s beauty industry continues to expand as cosmetics become part of everyday lifestyle. Lipstick products, in particular, dominate consumer demand, making them a strategic segment for brands like Wardah.
Despite strong brand recognition, Wardah has experienced a decline in its Top Brand Index score—from around 33 percent in 2021–2022 to approximately 15 percent in 2025. This drop signals weakening consumer trust amid intensifying competition and rising expectations.
Digital marketing strategies, including social media campaigns and influencer endorsements, are widely used to maintain relevance. However, consumer complaints—such as product quality not matching online promotions—suggest that visibility does not automatically translate into trust.
Methodology: Surveying Active Cosmetic Consumers
The researchers applied a quantitative approach to examine how marketing strategies influence trust.
- Sample: 140 Wardah lipstick users in Kudus Regency
- Criteria: Consumers who purchased at least twice, actively used social media, and were exposed to influencer promotions
- Data collection: Structured questionnaires using a 1–5 Likert scale
- Analysis: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS 24
The study framework followed the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model, where marketing activities act as stimuli, customer engagement represents internal response, and brand trust is the final outcome.
Key Findings: Engagement Is the Missing Link
The study delivers a clear message: marketing exposure alone is not enough. Trust depends on interaction.
Main results include:
- Social media marketing → Customer engagement: Positive and significant
- Influencer marketing → Customer engagement: Positive and significant
- Social media marketing → Brand trust: No significant effect
- Influencer marketing → Brand trust: No significant effect
- Customer engagement → Brand trust: Strong positive effect
In simple terms, social media and influencers successfully attract attention and interaction—but they do not directly convince consumers to trust a brand.
Full Mediation: Why Engagement Matters
Further analysis shows that customer engagement fully mediates the relationship between marketing and trust.
- Social media marketing indirectly influences trust through engagement (indirect effect: 0.549)
- Influencer marketing indirectly influences trust through engagement (indirect effect: 0.455)
These indirect effects are significantly stronger than the direct effects, which are negligible or negative.
This means:
- Consumers must first interact with content
- Engagement builds emotional connection
- Trust emerges only after meaningful interaction
Real Consumer Experience vs. Online Promotion
The study highlights a key issue in digital marketing: mismatch between expectations and reality.
Consumers reported:
- Product texture inconsistencies
- Dry or uncomfortable results
- Differences between advertised and actual colors
- Doubts about influencer credibility
These gaps weaken trust, even when marketing campaigns are highly visible.
Academic Insight
Dina Lusianti of Universitas Muria Kudus explains that brand trust is not created through exposure alone. It develops through interaction and experience.
She emphasizes that customer engagement acts as a psychological bridge between marketing communication and consumer belief, aligning with the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework used in the study.
Implications: Rethinking Digital Marketing Strategy
The findings offer practical insights for businesses, marketers, and policymakers.
For cosmetic brands:
- Focus on interactive content, not just promotion
- Respond actively to customer feedback
- Ensure product quality matches marketing claims
For marketers:
- Design campaigns that encourage participation (comments, shares, discussions)
- Choose influencers who can explain products authentically
- Build long-term engagement, not short-term visibility
For influencers:
- Prioritize credibility and transparency
- Provide realistic product demonstrations
- Avoid exaggerated claims that damage trust
For policymakers and consumer protection bodies:
- Strengthen regulation on misleading advertising
- Promote transparency in influencer marketing
Broader Industry Impact
The study reflects a wider shift in consumer behavior. Modern consumers are no longer passive recipients of advertising—they actively evaluate, interact, and share experiences.
Trust is increasingly shaped by:
- Peer interaction
- Authentic engagement
- Consistent product performance
This trend applies beyond cosmetics, influencing industries such as fashion, technology, and e-commerce.
Author Profiles
Arditha Afriani – Bachelor’s degree researcher in marketing management, Universitas Muria Kudus, specializing in consumer behavior and digital marketing.
Dina Lusianti, S.E., M.M. – Lecturer and researcher at Universitas Muria Kudus, with expertise in marketing strategy, brand management, and consumer engagement.
Faridhatun Faidah, S.E., M.M. – Academic at Universitas Muria Kudus focusing on digital marketing, branding, and business development.
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