The Influence of Sensory Experience and Brand Image on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Perceived Value Among Bottled Mineral Water Consumers in Indonesia

Rashid Abinaya Rahman, Dr. Ina Melati , S.E., M.M.

2026 | Skripsi | MANAJEMEN

This study examines how sensory experience and brand image influence consumers' purchase intention toward bottled mineral water in Indonesia, with perceived value tested as a mediating variable, using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework as the theoretical lens. Bottled mineral water represents a low-involvement, habitually purchased FMCG category in which functional differentiation between brands is minimal, making external cues such as sensory attributes and brand-related perceptions central to consumer decision-making. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to 268 Indonesian consumers who had purchased and consumed bottled mineral water, selected via purposive sampling, and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that all seven hypothesized relationships are statistically supported. Sensory experience and brand image both positively affect perceived value, with brand image exerting the stronger effect (? = 0.432 versus ? = 0.242). Perceived value, in turn, positively affects purchase intention (? = 0.364), while sensory experience and brand image also exert significant positive direct effects on purchase intention (? = 0.207 and ? = 0.273, respectively). Perceived value is further found to partially mediate the effect of both sensory experience and brand image on purchase intention. These findings confirm the applicability of the S-O-R framework to Indonesia's bottled mineral water market and indicate that brand image, more than sensory experience, is the dominant driver of perceived value and, by extension, purchase intention in this category. The results suggest that companies operating in this market should prioritize brand reputation and credibility-building strategies over product-level sensory differentiation alone.

Penelitian ini mengkaji bagaimana pengalaman sensorik dan citra merek memengaruhi niat beli konsumen terhadap air mineral dalam kemasan di Indonesia, dengan nilai yang dipersepsikan diuji sebagai variabel mediasi, menggunakan kerangka Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) sebagai landasan teoretis. Air mineral dalam kemasan merupakan kategori FMCG dengan keterlibatan rendah (low-involvement) yang dibeli secara habitual, di mana diferensiasi fungsional antarmerek relatif minim, sehingga isyarat eksternal seperti atribut sensorik dan persepsi terkait merek menjadi sentral dalam pengambilan keputusan konsumen. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner daring yang disebarkan kepada 268 konsumen Indonesia yang pernah membeli dan mengonsumsi air mineral dalam kemasan, dipilih melalui purposive sampling, dan dianalisis menggunakan Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ketujuh hubungan yang dihipotesiskan terbukti signifikan secara statistik. Pengalaman sensorik dan citra merek sama-sama berpengaruh positif terhadap nilai yang dipersepsikan, dengan citra merek menunjukkan pengaruh yang lebih kuat (? = 0,432 dibandingkan ? = 0,242). Nilai yang dipersepsikan, pada gilirannya, berpengaruh positif terhadap niat beli (? = 0,364), sementara pengalaman sensorik dan citra merek juga menunjukkan pengaruh langsung positif yang signifikan terhadap niat beli (masing-masing ? = 0,207 dan ? = 0,273). Nilai yang dipersepsikan juga ditemukan memediasi secara parsial pengaruh pengalaman sensorik maupun citra merek terhadap niat beli. Temuan ini mengonfirmasi penerapan kerangka S-O-R pada pasar air mineral dalam kemasan di Indonesia dan mengindikasikan bahwa citra merek, lebih dari pengalaman sensorik, merupakan pendorong dominan bagi nilai yang dipersepsikan dan, pada gilirannya, niat beli dalam kategori ini. Hasil ini menyarankan agar perusahaan yang beroperasi di pasar ini memprioritaskan strategi pembangunan reputasi dan kredibilitas merek, dibandingkan hanya mengandalkan diferensiasi sensorik pada level produk.

Kata Kunci : Keywords: sensory experience, brand image, perceived value, purchase intention, bottled mineral water, Stimulus-Organism-Response, Indonesia