PENGARUH ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH (E-WOM) DAN FEAR OF MISSING OUT (FOMO) TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN BRAND SWITCHING DARI MERK KOSMETIK MAKEOVER KE KOSMETIK SOMETHINC MELALUI PURCHASE INTENTION SEBAGAI VARIABEL MEDIASI (Studi Pada Gen Z di Kota Malang)

This study aims to examine the effect of Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on brand switching decisions from Make Over to Somethinc, with purchase intention as a mediating variable among Generation Z in Malang City. This research employs a quantitative approach using a purposive sampling method. The respondents consist of Generation Z consumers who previously used Make Over cosmetics and subsequently switched to Somethinc. Data were collected through questionnaire distribution and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The results indicate that E-WOM does not have a significant effect on brand switching, and FOMO also does not have a significant effect on brand switching. However, E-WOM and FOMO have a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. Furthermore, purchase intention has a positive and significant effect on brand switching. The mediation analysis reveals that purchase intention fully mediates the effect of E-WOM on brand switching and fully mediates the effect of FOMO on brand switching. These findings suggest that brand switching behavior among Generation Z is a planned behavior that is driven by purchase intention formed through digital social influence and psychological factors.