The Effect of Non-Celebrity Endorsers and Viral Marketing on Purchase Decisions through Brand Images of Mytha Donuts Fruit Products in Malang

Mytha Donuts is a fruit and vegetable-based donut producer that was established since 2017 in Malang. With the emergence of various competitors, Mytha Donuts is required to carry out marketing through endorsement. To increase the effectiveness of endorsements, a non-celebrity endorser spokesperson was chosen to deliver advertisements effectively. Also, Mytha Donuts uses the concept of viral marketing to reach more consumers. The use of non-celebrity endorsers and the concept of viral marketing aim to enhance the brand image and purchasing decisions of Mytha Donuts products. This study's objective is to determine the impact of non-celebrity endorsement and viral marketing variables on purchasing decisions directly or indirectly through brand image. The independent variables (X) in this study include non-celebrity endorsers (X1) and viral marketing (X2). The dependent variable (Y) in this study is the purchase decision (Y). While the moderating variable (Z) in this study is a brand image (Z1). The data were obtained using a questionnaire instrument that was distributed to 154 Mytha Donuts consumers who were selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis using SPSS Version 22.0. The results showed that the variable of non-celebrity endorsement and viral marketing had a positive effect on purchasing decisions, directly or indirectly, mediated by brand image variables.