Analysis of the Influence of Visual Aesthetics and Content Creativity on Brand Awareness Through Brand Image as Mediation (Case Study on Lilo Sketza in Cirebon)

The effectiveness of Lilo Sketza's digital marketing strategy in Cirebon largely depends on its ability to deliver visually appealing and creative content that enhances brand awareness amid increasing competition among nonformal art education institutions. This study was motivated by a substantial decline in the engagement rate of Lilo Sketza's Instagram account, from 35% in 2023 to 5.03% in 2024 and 1.82% in early 2025. The study aimed to examine the direct effects of visual aesthetics and content creativity on brand awareness and their indirect effects through brand image as a mediating variable. A descriptive and explanatory quantitative research design was employed using simple random sampling. Based on a population of 777 Instagram followers, the Slovin formula yielded a minimum sample size of 107 respondents, while the final sample comprised 108 social media users in Cirebon. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software. The results supported all seven proposed hypotheses (H1–H7). Visual aesthetics and content creativity had positive and statistically significant effects on brand image (H1 and H2). Furthermore, brand image, visual aesthetics, and content creativity positively and significantly influenced brand awareness (H3, H4, and H5). Brand image also partially mediated the relationships between visual aesthetics and brand awareness and between content creativity and brand awareness (H6 and H7). The model explained 75.6% of the variance in brand awareness. These findings suggested that enhancing Lilo Sketza's brand awareness required prioritizing visually appealing designs and distinctive, creative content to strengthen brand image and improve brand recognition among target audiences.