THE INFLUENCE OF PRODUCT QUALITY, BRAND IMAGE, AND BRAND TRUST ON THE PURCHASE DECISION OF AVOSKIN SERUM IN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

: This study aims to determine the effect of Product Quality, Brand Image, and Brand Trust on the Purchase Decision of Avoskin Serum among female students at the National University. The sample in this study were 100 female students at the National University who had purchased avoskin serum products. This study uses primary data by collecting data through questionnaires distributed to 100 respondents, using a purposive sampling method. The data analysis technique uses the Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-SEM) 3.3.2 program. This shows that Product Quality (X1) has a positive and significant effect on Purchasing Decisions (Y), Brand Image (X2) has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Decisions (Y), Brand Trust (X3) has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Decisions (Y ). So it can be concluded that product quality, brand image, and brand trust have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions.


INTRODUCTION
In today's modern era, technological advances have made it easy for individuals to meet their various needs and interests.For women who are actively involved in various activities outside the family environment, there are a number of challenges that need to be faced.In addition to the ability to manage time, the appearance aspect also has an important role in increasing selfconfidence.Women who undergo an active routine can also face various skin problems that have the potential to affect their appearance.For example, the importance of beauty care is becoming more and more prominent, and beauty products are now a necessity that cannot be ignored.For women, taking care of the skin as a part of themselves has a very important meaning, especially when trying to meet the desired beauty standards.(Montolalu, et al 2021).
According to research by Robiah & Nopiana in 2022, the skincare industry sector is experiencing rapid growth.Many local brands have entered the market and compete fiercely with a wide selection of ingredients to overcome various facial skin problems.Players in this industry compete with each other to get consumer attention by presenting new brands.Competition among skincare companies is getting tougher, prompting new brands in the industry.These companies continue to improve the quality of their products and present a wide range of products with different benefits to attract consumers.
According to research results from SAC (Science Art Communication) Indonesia, skincare has become the largest segment in the cosmetics and personal care market during 2018.The skincare market reached approximately 2.022 million US dollars in the total cosmetics and personal care market which reached 5.502 million US dollars.The Ministry of Industry also reported that Indonesia's cosmetics industry is estimated to experience growth of around 9% and is expected to maintain growth of around 7.2% per year until 2021.In Indonesian media news, Indonesia is said to have a significant market share in the beauty industry, specifically in the field of skin care or skin care.Data from Euromonitor International in a report entitled "The Future of Skincare" also shows that Indonesia is considered the second largest contributor to the growth of the skin care industry globally.(Mediaindonesia.com, n.d.) Serum is one of the skin care products that has gained high popularity among Indonesian women.This product is in the form of a special liquid containing small molecules with various active ingredients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and salicylic acid.The advantages of serum include its ability to overcome various skin problems such as acne, dryness, and signs of aging.
Consumer needs are met with high-quality products and prices that are comparable to the value provided.Avoskin presents a variety of products for various types of facial skin, such as sensitive, oily, dry, and acne-prone skin.In addition, they also provide special care to treat the eye area at varying prices and functions.
According to Anugrah Pakerti, founder of Avoskin, the skincare brand was founded in 2014 in response to women's concerns over skincare products.Anugrah Pakerti realizes that Avoskin has become a pride for many Indonesians.Not only that, this brand is thought to be a solution of natural skin care with safe ingredients.Based on a study tried by the internal compass team, sales for local skincare brands can also be said to be quite great where in the first 2 weeks in February 2021 total sales in the marketplace have reached Rp. 91.22 billion with a transaction amount of 1. 285.529., in the Avoskin brand itself occupies the 4th position with total sales reaching Rp. 5, 9 billion its superior product is avoskin miraculous refining toner 100ml ( Compas. co. id, n. d.).Sourced in Figure 1. 1 above Avoskin is quite far behind its competitors is Ms Glow with total sales of Rp. 38.5 billion, Scarlett Rp. 17.7 billion, Somethinc Rp. 8, 1 billion and slightly different from the number of sales of the Wardah brand of Rp. 5.3 billion.The number of sales of Avoskin lagging far behind its competitors can be said that Avoskin is not perfect in terms of attracting the buying attention of consumers, consumer assumptions override the price and quality of products offered by Avoskin can be one of the influences in making decisions.
Based on the results of the pre-survey that has been distributed to National University students, it is known that all respondents know Avoskin products with a percentage of 95%.
However, only 55% have ever purchased Avoskin products.And there are 90% know Avoskin Serum products and only 50% use Avoskin serum.
Brands have a significant impact on both parties, namely consumers and producers.The branding function also includes aspects of giving confidence to consumers that they will always get a fixed quality every time they choose the brand when shopping.The existence of brands makes it easier for consumers because they do not need to do an in-depth evaluation of all product choices when shopping.However, after consumers build trust in a brand, the buying process becomes smoother and easier for them (Sulistyari, 2012).
Building a brand image is actually an opportunity to attract the attention of consumers so that they feel satisfied when it comes to the brand.The distinctive characteristics possessed by the brand, as well as a variety of attractive products, can make consumers prefer such products over products offered by competitors.A view reinforced by Kotler & Keller (2009) describes a brand as "any term, symbol, or image used to recognize a product or service."Similarly, the view of Kotler & Armstrong (2001) describes brand image as "the perception of trust that consumers have in a brand." Consumer trust in a particular brand has a positive impact on their confidence when making purchasing decisions.This internal factor has a very strong role in influencing the purchasing decision process (Maslichah, 2013).Findings from the study also indicate that a sense of confidence has a significant positive influence on purchasing decisions, making this trust factor the dominant main factor in its influence on purchasing decisions (Ramadhani, 2011).(Pasharibu, 2019), "The purchasing decision-making process involves individual consideration of various alternatives and finally choosing one product from various available options.Every individual makes a purchasing decision based on the suitability of a product or service that triggers the desire to own or utilize it.
Based on this description, the author is interested in conducting research on "The Effect of Product Quality, Brand Image and Brand Trust on the Purchase Decision of Avoskin Serum Products in National University Students".

Problem Statement
Based on the information and facts that have been described according to sources (www.compas.co.id),Avoskin is one of the local skincare product brands that has gained significant popularity on various E-Commerce platforms in Indonesia.Based on the survey results, Avoskin is ranked fourth as one of the most popular local skincare product brands on the E-Commerce platform, with total sales reaching Rp. 5.9 billion.From these data regarding the purchase of Avoskin products, it shows that there is a problem, namely the purchase of products that are less than optimal.It is also indicated that there is dissatisfaction felt by consumers of Avoskin products such as high product prices, packaging is not perfectly sealed, and customer service is not satisfactory.
Based on the background of these problems, this study proposes a research problem, namely how to improve purchasing decisions by consumers at National University students so that the purchase value of these products can increase.From these research problems, research questions were compiled as follows:

b. Research Benefits
Every activity carried out should have benefits for the party doing it and other parties.The benefits of this research activity are as follows:

1) For Avoskin Manufacturers
The benefit of this research for Avoskin manufacturers is so that Avoskin manufacturers can formulate and take good and appropriate steps in competing with other skincare products through Avoskin product marketing strategies.

2) For Readers
The benefit for readers is that the results of this study are expected to increase reader knowledge and also as a reference regarding the influence of Product Quality, Brand Image, and Brand Trust on purchasing decisions for Avoskin serum products.

3) For Researchers
The benefit for researchers is that the results of this research are used as one of the scientific papers in order to meet the requirements for completing the S1 Management level.

RESEARCH METHODS
According to Sugiyono (2014), the object of research is a scientific goal to obtain data with certain goals and functions validly and objectively.The object of this study is the Purchase Decision of Avoskin Serum products at National University Students, which is influenced by Product Quality, Brand Image and Brand Trust.The subjects used in this study were survey research with National University Students who used Avoskin Serum Products.Survey research aims to provide conclusions using data obtained from surveys.

a. Data Collection Techniques
Data collection techniques refer to the methods used to collect and analyze diverse forms of data.In this study, the authors used questionnaires or questionnaires in data collection.A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of statements for the purpose of collecting information from respondents through surveys or statistical studies.This questionnaire was submitted online to respondents who had met the criteria, namely National University students who had purchased Avoskin serum products at least once purchased.

b. Data Collection Tools
The tool used in this study is the interval scale, then the variables to be measured can be described on variable indicators that are scored based on the attitude scale (likert scale).Then the indiactor is used as a point of departure in compiling instruments in the form of statements or questions.The answer of each instrument that uses the five-point Likert scale has a value from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Description of Research Data
Data description is a description of data used in a study.In testing this data description, researchers try to find out the picture or condition of respondents who are sampled in this study.From the collection of questionnaire data, the results of respondents' answers with a sample of 100 respondents.Details of obtaining questionnaires in this study can be seen in the appendix section of the data recapitulation.Once the data is collected, the next step is analyzed with the help of SmartPLS 3.3.2.
The object of research in this study is Purchasing Decisions which are influenced by Product Quality, Brand Image, and Brand Trust on the National University campus with respondents being National University Students.
For the purposes of descriptive analysis, the characteristics of respondents are included, the characteristics of respondents are data about the personal circumstances of respondents.This characteristic is needed to make it easier for researchers to analyze respondents, so that the characteristics of the majority and minority of respondents can be known, such as gender, age and occupation.

History of the object of study
Avoskin is one of the beauty and skincare product brands produced by PT AVO Innovation Technology.This is a local product pioneered by Anugrah Pakerti, Ahmad Ramadhan, and Aris Nurul Huda.On October 10, 2014, the company PT AVO Innovation Technology was established in Yogyakarta with the aim to create skin care products that use natural ingredients, as a step to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
In the course of time, the company continues to innovate through learning from past experiences.
PT AVO Innovation Technology focuses more on online platforms and expands Avostore to various cities in Indonesia.This step is one of the strategies to empower the local economy and open business opportunities for the community, especially those involved in the distribution of Avoskin products.Following the trend of digital sales, the company is also working on entering the online market.The company also remains consistent in implementing the concept of green beauty, including by innovating in packaging designs that are more environmentally friendly.

Description of Respondents
In the following section will describe the data obtained from respondents.Descriptive data that describes the state or condition of respondents needs to be considered as additional information to understand the results of the study.

Complete Results of Research Estimates a. Results of Descriptive Analysis 1) Results of Exogenous Variable Analysis
The exogenous variables in this study are Product Quality, Brand Image, and Brand Trust that for the questionnaire statement in the Product Quality indicator variable (X1) consists of 8 indicators, as many as 0.125% of respondents strongly disagree, 0.5% of respondents disagree, 1.12% neutral, 87% agree and 89.75% strongly agree.The average score for this sentence is 3.91 which means it is placed in the "agree" category in average interpretation.
And from the highest assessment of product quality variables contained in the statement with the Feature indicator of 4.09, namely "Avoskin serum products have various benefits for the wearer's facial skin".While the lowest assessment is found in a statement with a Reliability indicator of 3.73, namely "Avoskin serum products are safe to use and BPOM certified".
Based on these results, it can be stated that the quality of this avoskin serum product has many benefits for national university students who use it so that they recommend avoskin serum products to others.
For the questionnaire statement in the Brand Image indicator variable (X2) consisting of 3 indicators, as many as 0.3% of respondents strongly disagree, 0.3% of respondents disagree, 6.66% neutral, 45% agree and 47.66% strongly agree.The average score for this sentence was 3.89, meaning it was placed in the "agree" category in the average interpretation.
From the highest assessment of the brand image variable, there is a statement with a Product Image indicator of 3.90, namely "Avoskin serum products are known to have many benefits needed".While the lowest assessment was found in a statement with a User Image indicator of 3.87, namely "By using this Avoskin serum makes more confidence for the wearer".
Based on these results, it can be stated that if the image of the avoskin serum product is known to have many benefits needed, the more satisfied the users are with the avoskin serum product so that it recommends it to others to use the product.
For the questionnaire statement in the Brand Trust indicator variable (X3) consisting of 4 indicators, as many as 0.25% of respondents strongly disagree, 1% of respondents disagree, 6.75% neutral, 46.75% agree and 45.25% strongly agree.The average score for this sentence is 3.80 which means it is placed in the "agree" category in average interpretation.
And from the highest assessment of the brand trust variable is contained in the statement with a Brand Reliability indicator of 3.86, namely "Avoskin serum products can provide benefits for the user's facial skin according to the promised claims".While the lowest assessment is found in a statement with a Brand Reliability indicator of 3.73, namely "Avoskin serum products can meet all the needs of the user's facial skin" Based on these results, it can be said that brand trust has a high influence on users because it can provide good benefits, so that national university students trust the brand of the serum product and recommend it to others.

Results of Endogenous Variable Analysis
for the questionnaire statement in the Purchase Decision indicator variable (Y) consisting of 4 indicators, as many as 1% of respondents strongly disagree, 0% of respondents disagree, 9.75% neutral, 46.75% agree and 45% strongly agree.The average score for this sentence is 3.89 which means it is placed in the "agree" category in the average interpretation.
And from the highest assessment of the purchase decision variable, there is a statement with an indicator of Giving recommendations to others of 3.97, namely "Users are satisfied using avoskin serum so they recommend to others".While the lowest assessment was found in the statement with the indicator Decided to buy because the most preferred brand was 3.85, namely "Users prefer to buy avoskin serum products compared to other serum products".
Based on these results, it can be stated that the variable purchase decision has a high influence on its users, so that users are satisfied and recommend Avoskin serum products to others.

Evaluation of the Measurement Model (Outer Model)
The measurement model will be tested to display the results of validity and reliability testing.In the context of this study, the validity test aims to determine whether the construct has met the requirements that allow the continuation of the research.In this validity test process, there are three types of evaluations that will be carried out and presented in the following figure.

b. Discriminant Validity
It is a cross-loading factor that is useful for evaluating whether a construct has adequate separation, where the ratio between loading values on certain constructs must be higher than values on other constructs.The standard minimum value for each construct is usually 0.7.The results of Table 4.7 show that the loading factor value in each construct exceeds 0.7.This indicates that the variables seen in this study correctly describe the latent variables and ensure that all items are valid.
All loading indicators of the construct are greater than the cross loading value, so this model meets the criteria of discriminant validity.
The results of outer model testing are shown by Figure 4.1 from the previous criteria, so this research model can be declared valid and reliable.

c. Composite Reliability
To measure the reliability of a construct in PLS-SEM with the SmartPLS application, two ways are used, namely with Cronbach's Alpha and Composite reliability.However, ratings using Cronbach's Alpha give a lower value so it is recommended to use composite reliability and the value should be more than 0.7.
In table 4.8 below it can be seen that all variable values in reliability testing using both Cronbach's Alpha and composite reliability have values above 0.7.Therefore, it can be concluded that the variables tested are valid and reliable, so that structural model testing can be carried out.

Structural Model Evaluation (Inner Model)
This model is the specification of relationships between latent variables, also called inner relations.This test is a test of the type and significant magnitude of the latent variable independent of the dependent latent variable.This test consists of 2 stages, namely the R Square (R²) Determinant Coefficient test, which is a test that calculates how much the independent latent variable explains the variance of the dependent latent variable, and the hypothesis test, which is a test of the research model hypothesis.The results of measuring the model using SmartPLS are shown by the following figure:

a. Test Coefficient of Determination / R Square (R²)
R-Square is used to measure the predictive power of a structural model.R-Squares describe the effect of the latent variable R-Squares used to measure the predictive power of structural models.R-Squares explain the influence of latent variables.R-squares values of 0.67, 0.33 and 0.19 indicate strong, moderate and weak models (Chin et al., 1998 in Ghozali andLatan, 2015) the relationship between constructs based on the R-square adjusted value can be explained that the Purchase Decision variable is 0.818 this shows that 81.8% of Purchasing Decision variables can be influenced by Product Quality, Brand Image, and Brand Trust variables, While the remaining 18.2% was influenced by other variables outside the studied.

b. Test the Hypothesis
The determination of the accepted or rejected hypothesis is described as follows: 1.The product quality construct has a t-statistic value of 4.255 greater than the critical value of 1.98, and a p-value of 0.000 less than 0.05.Therefore, the first hypothesis that there is an influence of product quality on purchasing decisions is proven.
2. The brand image construct has a t-statistic value of 2.308 greater than the critical value of 1.98, and a p-value of 0.021 less than 0.05.Therefore, the second hypothesis that there is an influence of brand image on purchasing decisions is proven.3. The brand trust construct has a t-statistic value of 3.721 greater than the critical value of 1.98, and a p-value of 0.000 less than 0.05.Therefore, the third hypothesis that there is an influence of brand trust on purchasing decisions is proven.

a. The Effect of Product Quality on Purchasing Decisions
Purchasing decision refers to the process by which consumers choose the most suitable option from a wide selection of existing products, according to their needs.In accordance with Tjiptono's view (2008: 25), product quality is the result of a combination of properties and characteristics that determine the extent to which the product can meet the requirements of customer needs or the extent to which these properties and characteristics meet these needs.The quality of this product consists of eight important factors, namely Performance (performance), Durability, Conformity to specifications, Features, Reliability (reliability), Aesthetics, Quality perception, and Service capability.Swastha and Handoko (2012: 102) state that one of the seven elements in purchasing decisions is the type of product itself.Consumers will decide to buy an item or service if they feel the product suits their needs.Providing good product quality is the right strategy for companies to attract the attention of consumers.Support for this also comes from Anwar's (2015) study which found that product quality has an impact on purchasing decisions.
Thus, it can be concluded that the purchase decision is the result of choosing a product that suits the needs of consumers from various existing options.Product quality has an important role to play in this process, and companies that are able to deliver quality products have an edge in attracting consumers.
Product quality refers to the steps taken by companies to dominate the competition in the market through determining meaningful differences in the products or services they offer.It aims to differentiate the company's products from the products of its competitors, thus creating a view or perception in consumers that this quality product has the added value expected by them.Companies that consistently produce innovative products will prevent boredom in consumers and provide choices in the process of making purchasing decisions and using products (Syarif, 2008: 45).This view is also reinforced by Monalisa's (2015) study which revealed that product quality that is considered good by consumers will influence purchasing decisions.
The purchase decision is made when consumers have chosen a product that suits their needs.This stage represents the moment where consumers actually make a purchase transaction (Kotler and Amstrong, 2012: 226).Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a close relationship between product quality and purchasing decisions.
This fact reflects that the quality of the product, according to the experience of a female student from the National University who has used Avoskin serum, provides various positive benefits for their facial skin.This aspect has important significance for female students in determining purchasing decisions.The superior quality of the product and its positive impact on facial skin are factors that greatly influence the decision-making process of consumers, even encouraging them to recommend this product to others.Therefore, it can be concluded that product quality has a positive and significant impact on the purchase decision of Avoskin skin skin care serum for female students at National University.The research that has been conducted by Anwar (2016) whose results show that product quality variables have a significant and positive effect on the decision to purchase cookware at the Maxim Housewareѕ Grand City Mall Surabayа Showroom.

b. The Influence of Brand Image on Purchasing Decisions
Brand image refers to the perceptions and beliefs formed in the minds of consumers, reflecting associations intertwined in their memory.The more positive the brand image of the product presented, the more it will influence the purchase decision.In fact, Avoskin is included in the beauty category where especially women use these beauty products.Therefore, the better the brand image of the avoskin serum product, it will have an impact on purchasing decisions.
From the responses obtained from respondents, it can be seen that the perception of brand image has a positive influence on the purchase decision of Avoskin skincare serum products.This response was in line with the fact that participants agreed with the dimensions and indicators associated with the brand image.
This shows that if the product has a good reputation and provides the benefits desired by female students at National University, this will influence their purchasing decision.After knowing that a product has a positive brand image and provides significant benefits, they tend to recommend Avoskin serum to others.The findings of this study are in line with the concept described by Kotler and Keller (2012: 167), where purchasing decisions are the result of consumer actions in comparing brands in their choice and choosing the most desired product.In this context, the brand image of Avoskin enters into the choice of consumers.This finding also supports the results of research by Oktafia Maris M and Janny Rowena (2019) which states that brand image has a significant impact on purchasing decisions.

c. The Influence of Brand Trust on Purchasing Decisions
The second factor influencing purchasing decisions is brand trust.According to Lau and Lee (1999), trust in a brand refers to the willingness of consumers to trust a brand with all possible risks, based on the expectation that the brand will deliver positive results for them.Ryan (2002) also states that trust grows because of the expectation that others will act according to the needs and desires of consumers.When individuals have built trust in a party, they have confidence that their expectations will be met and there will be no sense of disappointment.
Brand trust arises when a product successfully meets consumer expectations and needs, resulting in a sense of satisfaction with the product.Trust grows when consumers feel satisfied after consuming or using products with a certain brand.Consumers who feel satisfied and trust in a product tend not to easily switch to other brand products.Therefore, the brand also serves as a crucial identity for the product.A brand must be able to build trust in consumers that the brand is fully reliable.
Trust arises from consumer expectations of fulfilling the promises given by brands.If this promise is not fulfilled, consumer confidence can diminish or even disappear.When trust in the brand is lost, the Company will face difficulties in rebuilding it.Consumer trust in brands has a significant impact on purchase interest, as consumers will be more cautious of brands they are not familiar with.Through building trust in the brand, companies can convince people that the products released by the brand will meet their needs and desires.
This shows that trust in the Avoskin serum brand has the potential to provide positive benefits and satisfaction to the facial skin of female students at National University who use the product, encouraging them to recommend it to others.The findings of this study are in line with the results of a previous study conducted by Purnama (2014), where the study discussed the impact of Brand Trust on the purchasing decisions of consumers of Erafone BEC Bandung outlets using BlackBerry smartphones.The findings also show that brand trust has an effect on consumers' purchasing decisions.

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Figure 1.1 a. Does the influence of Product Quality have a positive and significant influence on the purchase decision of Avoskin products?b.Does Brand Image have a positive and significant influence on the purchase decision of Avoskin products?c.Does Brand Trust have a positive and significant influence on the purchase decision of Avoskin products?Purpose and Benefits of Research a. Research Objectives The Influence of Product Quality, Brand Image, and Brand Trust on Avoskin Serum Purchasing Decisions in National University Students Based on the formulation of the problem that has been described, this research aims to: 1) To analyze the effect of Product Quality on the purchase decision of avoskin products in National University students.2) To analyze the influence of Brand Image on the purchase decision of avoskin products in National University students.3) To analyze the influence of Brand Trust on the purchase decision of avoskin products in National University students.

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Figure 4.1 PLS Algorithm Results

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Figure 4.2 PLS Algorithm Results