Brand Equity As a Mediation on the Influence of Marketing Communication on the Interest of Prospective Students Choosing Private Universities in Besuki Raya Region

Abstract

This study examines and analyzes the influence of marketing communication on the interest of prospective students choosing private universities with brand equity as a mediating variable. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of brand equity as a mediating variable in influencing marketing communication which may impact of prospective students choosing private universities. This research focuses more on the interest of prospective students before making a decision to choose private universities. Respondents who were sampled were grade three high school students or those who had graduated living in the Besuki Raya region which included 6 regencies in East Java. The number of respondents in this study was 380 people, with purposive sampling method, namely students who were interested in continuing their studies to universities. To analyze the data used with Smart Partial Least Square (Smart PLS). The results of the respondents' answers analysis indicate that, prospective students choose neutral. The results of research and hypothesis testing show that direct marketing communication has a significant effect on brand equity, and brand equity directly has a significant effect on the interest of prospective students choosing private universities. While marketing communication does not significantly influence the interest of prospective students choosing private universities, it means that brand equity has the role of mediating the influence of marketing communication on the interest of prospective students choosing private universities.