PENGARUH USER-GENERATED CONTENT TERHADAP BRAND LOYALTY MELALUI CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PADA KONSUMEN SKINCARE GENERASI Z DI TIKTOK SHOP

Abstract

This study examines the effect of user-generated content (UGC) on brand loyalty through customer satisfaction among Generation Z skincare consumers on TikTok Shop. Skincare is an experience good whose results cannot be verified before use, so consumers lean on the experiences that other users share when deciding what to buy and whether to buy again. The study applies a quantitative explanatory design with a cross-sectional online survey of 200 Generation Z consumers aged 18 to 29 who had bought skincare on TikTok Shop and had watched consumer-generated reviews before purchase. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). UGC has a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction (β = 0.388, p < 0.001) and on brand loyalty (β = 0.336, p < 0.001), and customer satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on brand loyalty (β = 0.350, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of UGC on brand loyalty through satisfaction is also significant (β = 0.136, 95% BCa CI [0.073, 0.206]), so satisfaction partially mediates the relationship (complementary mediation). The model rests on the stimulus–organism–response framework and expectation–confirmation theory, and it treats satisfaction as the mechanism that turns the information in UGC into repeat purchase and recommendation. Brand managers should use UGC to align expectations rather than only to promote, and back it with products that deliver what the reviews describe. The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and the sample from Malang narrows generalization. Future studies can separate organic UGC from affiliate-created content and test the model with longitudinal repurchase data.