Digital Marketing Activities, Digital Personal Branding, and Purchase Intention for Luxury Makeup: A Mediation Analysis

INKUBIS: Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis Volume 8, Issue 2, 538-550 e_ISSN: 2775-3913 https://inkubis.polteksci.ac.id/index.php/ink/index DOI: doi.org/10.59261/inkubis.v8i2.197 Digital Marketing Activities, Digital Personal Branding, and Purchase Intention for Luxury Makeup: A Mediation Analysis Ni Putu Anggi Trusiana Maherliza1* Desak Made Febri Purnama Sari2 Universitas Pendidikan Nasional, Indonesia Universitas Pendidikan Nasional, Indonesia *Corresponding author: Ni Putu Anggi Trusiana Maherliza, Universitas Pendidikan Nasional, Indonesia. 🖂 Article Info: Article history: Received: March 22, 2026 Revised: April 29, 2026 Accepted: May 01, 2026 Abstract Background: The rapid development of digital marketing, especially through social media, has changed consumer behavior in seeking information and making purchase decisions. Activities such as influencer marketing engagement, user-generated content (UGC), and viral beauty trends are the main strategies in promoting products, especially in the luxury makeup industry. However, the effectiveness of these activities does not always directly affect purchase intention. Objective: This study examines how influencer marketing engagement, Keywords: UGC, and viral beauty trends influence purchase intention for luxury digital personal branding; makeup products, with digital personal branding as a mediating variable. purchase interest; luxury products; Methods: This study takes a quantitative approach with a causal makeup; digital marketing. associative design. This study's data collection methods include a literature review and questionnaires. This study's analysis utilized a Structural Equation Modeling approach based on Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). Results: This study shows that influencer marketing engagement, usergenerated content, and viral beauty trends have a positive effect on shaping consumers' digital personal branding on social media. The higher the engagement with influencers, the more content from users, and the stronger the trend develops, the stronger the digital identity of consumers is formed. Digital personal branding has also proven to be the most dominant factor in increasing purchase intention for luxury makeup products. In addition, these three variables affect purchase intention both directly and indirectly, with a stronger indirect effect through digital personal branding. Conclusion: Thus, digital personal branding plays a key role as a mediator that strengthens the relationship between digital marketing activities and consumer purchase intention. To cite this article: Maherliza, N. P. A. T., & Sari, D. M. F. P. (2026). Digital Marketing Activities, Digital Personal Branding, and Purchase Intention for Luxury Makeup: A Mediation Analysis. INKUBIS: Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis, 8(2), 538-550. https://doi.org/10.59261/inkubis.v8i2.197 INTRODUCTION In the modern era marked by technological advancements and changes in communication patterns, the business world is undergoing a significant transformation in the way brands interact with their consumers. The existence of social media and various digital platforms has changed the marketing landscape, from previously one-way to interactive and personal relationship-based. Consumers are now looking not only for products that meet functional needs, but also for symbolic value that reflects their identity, lifestyle, and aspirations. This trend is getting stronger especially in industries related to self-image and aesthetics, such as the beauty industry. The global beauty industry is one of the sectors experiencing rapid growth (Choi, 2022; Park & Hong, 2024). The increase in demand is not only influenced by functional factors, but also by aspects of INKUBIS: Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis | 538 Ni Putu Anggi Trusiana Maherliza, Desak Made Febri Purnama Sari Digital Marketing... lifestyle, social identity, and the development of digital technologies that are changing people's consumption patterns (Ningsih & Aestetika, 2024; Uti & Marcella-Hood, 2025). In the cosmetics sector, makeup products in particular are not only used to beautify one's appearance but also to express oneself and serve as a status symbol. Indonesia, as one of the biggest markets in Southeast Asia, also depicts a similar trend. The growth of the middle class and increasing internet penetration, coupled with rising consumer purchasing power, have driven the national beauty industry into increasingly fierce competition (Salsabila & Fitria, 2023; Uyun et al., 2023). According to Ministry of Industry data, the market value of the national cosmetics industry amounted to USD 1.31 billion in 2021 and subsequently increased to USD 1.94 billion, with a forecasted annual average growth of around USD 2–3 billion (Ministry of Industry, 2024), and is projected to reach USD 9.74 billion, equivalent to Rp157 trillion. This growth was driven by approximately a 5.35% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and an increase in business actors from 726 to 1,292 actors between 2020 and 2024 (Ministry of Industry, 2024). This data indirectly proves that Indonesia's beauty industry is not only growing from the customer side, but also from producers and entrepreneurs. The high-end cosmetics industry is highly affected by the transformation of consumer behavior, which is increasingly critical and digitally driven. Today, consumers not only evaluate products by the quality of materials or finishes, but also by brand image and exclusivity, trends, and digital interaction experiences offered by brands. Like fashion items, premium cosmetic products serve as indicators of prestige and aspirational value within that segment, meaning the target market consists of consumers seeking an emotional experience tied to quality. The price range of high-end makeup products popular among consumers reflects the recognition of their positioning and brand value. Top-tier beauty items feature wide price differences, starting from below IDR 400,000 to over IDR 4,000,000. This multi-layered price difference indicates the varying positioning strategies employed by various brands in targeting specific segments of their market. Price, while an important factor in consumer preference for such products, is certainly not the sole driver of this trend; rather, strong brand image, digital exposure through social media, and recommendations from influencers also play a significant role. This strengthens the view that digital marketing strategies and personal branding help consumers build perceptions and develop purchase interest in high-end makeup products. In the beauty product category, high-end makeup has experienced a significant increase in demand both nationally and regionally. According to Wilendra et al. (2024), the growth of the cosmetics industry in Indonesia is driven by evolving consumer lifestyles and the rising middle class, which has contributed to a consistent upward trend in cosmetic sales, including the premium segment. Data on the increas (...truncated)