The Influence of Authentic Content on Purchase Intention Through Brand Awareness as a Mediating Variabel Among Generation Z Tiktok Users

In today’s digital marketing, the demand for authentic communication between brands and consumers has grown significantly, especially on social media platforms such as TikTok. Consumers, particularly Generation Z, are increasingly skeptical of highly polished advertising and respond more positively to content that conveys honesty, transparency, and emotional genuineness. However, there remains a research gap in understanding how authentic content directly and indirectly affects purchase intention, particularly through the mediating role of brand awareness. This study aims to empirically analyze the effect of authentic content on purchase intention, with brand awareness as a mediating variable.This research employed a quantitative explanatory design using an online questionnaire distributed to 400 active TikTok users aged 17-28. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS to examine both the direct and indirect relationships among the studied variables. The findings reveal a positive and significant relationship between authentic content and purchase intention. Furthermore, brand awareness was found to partially mediate this relationship, indicating that authentic content effectively enhances consumer familiarity, recognition, and recall of the brand factors that ultimately increase their willingness to purchase. The results confirm that authenticity in digital communication strengthens emotional connections and trust, which are essential drivers of consumer decision-making in the digital age. This study provides valuable theoretical and managerial implications, emphasizing the importance of genuine brand storytelling in fostering brand awareness and motivating purchase behavior.