An Empirical Study on the Impact of Brand Equity and Relationship Marketing on Students’ Purchase Decisions and Trust in Indonesian Higher Education

This study, framed as an exploratory investigation, examines the influence of brand equity and relationship marketing on purchase decisions and institutional trust.The focal point is the 2013 Curriculum books for junior high school students at PT. Gramedia in the Ciayumajakuning region (Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka, Kuningan) in West Java.Utilizing descriptive and verification research methods, data were collected through questionnaires, observation techniques, and a comprehensive literature review using a saturated sampling technique.Descriptive analysis reveals moderate to good levels of brand equity, relationship marketing, purchase decisions, customer value, and customer trust.The verification results, analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), indicate significant positive effects.Specifically, brand equity significantly influences purchase decisions (t-value = 4.7548, p <0.05), and relationship marketing has a substantial impact on purchase decisions (t-value = 4.8536, p <0.05).Moreover, the study identifies that relationship marketing positively influences customer value (t-value = 5.0536, p <0.05).The path coefficients demonstrate that customer trust is positively influenced by both purchase decisions (0.5138) and customer value (0.4973), with significant t-values (p <0.05).In conclusion, this research offers valuable insights into the relationships between brand equity, relationship marketing, purchase decisions, customer value, and customer trust in the context of PT.Gramedia Junior High School's 2013 curriculum book customers in the Ciayumajakuning area.These findings underscore the significance of these factors in shaping the perceptions and decisions of the school institution, providing meaningful implications for educational product marketing strategies.