Samsung Faces Increasing Competition in Indonesia’s Smartphone Market
Smartphones have become an important part of everyday life, supporting communication, work, information access, and various daily activities. As consumers increasingly use social media and online platforms to search for and compare products, digital opinions and reviews have become an important part of the purchasing process.
The study points to a decline in Samsung’s Top Brand Index (TBI) in Indonesia between 2021 and 2025. Samsung’s score decreased from 37.1% in 2021 to 30.4% in 2025. Although Samsung remained the leading brand in the smartphone category during the period examined, the downward trend indicated increasing competitive pressure from brands such as Oppo and iPhone.
This situation makes consumer purchase intention particularly important. Purchase intention represents a consumer’s willingness or desire to buy a product before an actual purchasing decision is made.
Researchers Surveyed 120 Samsung Smartphone Consumers
Muhammad Rizal Ramadhan and Wala Erpurini used a quantitative research design with descriptive and associative approaches. The research focused on people aged 17 and above who lived in Cimahi City, were interested in Samsung smartphones, and had encountered Samsung-related content on social media.
The researchers collected primary data through an online questionnaire distributed using Google Forms. The study involved 120 respondents, selected through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression with SPSS version 27. The researchers also conducted validity, reliability, normality, multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity tests before testing the hypotheses.
Most respondents were between 21 and 25 years old, accounting for 43.3% of the sample. Students represented the largest occupational group, at 70% of respondents.
The study examined two main factors: electronic word of mouth and brand trust. Electronic word of mouth refers to positive or negative comments, reviews, recommendations, and opinions about products or companies shared online. Brand trust refers to consumers’ confidence that a brand can fulfill its promises and meet their needs.
Brand Trust Has the Strongest Influence
The results show that both e-WOM and brand trust have a positive and significant relationship with Samsung smartphone purchase intention.
Electronic word of mouth recorded a regression coefficient of 0.182, meaning that an increase in e-WOM was associated with an increase in purchase intention when other factors were held constant. Its standardized coefficient beta was 0.370, with a t-value of 5.453 and significance below 0.001.
Brand trust recorded a regression coefficient of 0.174. Its standardized coefficient beta reached 0.514, with a t-value of 7.558 and significance below 0.001.
The comparison between the standardized coefficients indicates that brand trust had a stronger influence on purchase intention than electronic word of mouth among the respondents.
The researchers also tested the two factors simultaneously. The F-test produced a value of 81.374, with significance below 0.001. This confirms that electronic word of mouth and brand trust together have a significant positive effect on consumers’ intention to purchase Samsung smartphones in Cimahi City.
At the descriptive level, respondents rated e-WOM at an average of 2.90, brand trust at 2.94, and purchase intention at 2.95, all within the study’s “fair” or moderately positive category.
Among the brand trust indicators, Samsung’s reputation in the smartphone industry received the highest average score, at 2.98. For purchase intention, the highest score was related to consumers’ intention to purchase a Samsung smartphone soon, also at 2.98.
Reliable Digital Information Can Strengthen Consumer Interest
The findings suggest that Samsung’s digital communication strategy can play an important role in maintaining consumer interest. Positive reviews, recommendations, and discussions on social media and other digital platforms can increase consumers’ confidence when considering a smartphone purchase.
However, the study indicates that brand trust is an even stronger factor than online word of mouth. Consumers who have greater confidence in Samsung’s product quality, reputation, and ability to meet their needs tend to show stronger purchase intentions.
An ethical paraphrase of the researchers’ conclusion is that Ramadhan and Erpurini of Jenderal Achmad Yani University argue that increasing Samsung purchase intention requires both reliable online information and stronger consumer confidence in the brand.
For Samsung, the researchers recommend encouraging reliable and informative user-generated content, collaborating with credible technology reviewers, and actively engaging with consumers through social media and online communities.
The study also recommends improving transparency about product specifications and pricing, strengthening after-sales service, maintaining consistent product quality, and increasing product differentiation and innovation. These measures could help Samsung strengthen its position against competing smartphone brands.
Implications for Businesses and Digital Marketing
The research provides a practical message for businesses operating in competitive digital markets: online consumer conversations and brand credibility can directly influence purchase intention.
For technology companies, simply generating online exposure may not be enough. Consumers also need trustworthy information and confidence that the brand can deliver the promised product benefits.
The researchers note several limitations. The study used a cross-sectional design, convenience sampling, and self-reported questionnaires. It was also limited to Cimahi City, meaning the findings should not automatically be generalized to consumers in other regions. Future studies could examine additional factors such as brand image, brand awareness, perceived value, product quality, price, customer experience, social media marketing, and influencer marketing.
Author Profile
Muhammad Rizal Ramadhan is affiliated with the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Jenderal Achmad Yani University. The article does not specify his academic degree or a more detailed field of expertise.
Wala Erpurini, is affiliated with the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Jenderal Achmad Yani University, and served as the research supervisor. Her academic field in the article is associated with management and business studies.
Source
Article Title: The Influence of Electronic Word of Mouth and Brand Trust on Purchase Intention on Samsung Smartphones in Cimahi City
Authors: Muhammad Rizal Ramadhan and Wala Erpurini
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Applied Sciences (IJSAS)
Publication: Volume 4, Number 8, 2026, pp. 811–824
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijsas.v4i8.33
Official Journal: https://ijsasjournal.my.id/index.php/ijsas
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