The Influence of K-pop Brand Ambassador BTS and Brand Image on McDonald’s Purchasing Decisions: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) as a Mediating Role
##plugins.themes.EpsilonTheme.article.main##
Sherlyn Valencia Arief*
Liestyaningrum Rahmadhani Wisnu Putri
McDonald's leveraged popular culture trends through collaboration with BTS (K-Pop idol group) by launching the BTS Meal, successfully capturing the attention of global consumers including those in Indonesia. This phenomenon demonstrates the role of brand ambassadors, brand image, and psychological factors such as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in influencing consumer purchasing decisions. The objective of this research is to examine how BTS, acting as a brand representative and shaping the brand's image, impacts the choices customers make when purchasing McDonald’s items. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) will be considered as a mediating factor. The study is prompted by the partnership between McDonald’s and the popular South Korean group BTS, which caused excitement among consumers worldwide, including in Indonesia. The research method used is a quantitative approach, conducted through a survey of 246 respondents who are McDonald’s customers and BTS fans. The results suggest that having BTS as a brand ambassador positively affects the fear of missing out (FOMO) and buying choices. Furthermore, the brand's image is also shown to have a positive influence on FOMO. The study also reveals that FOMO plays a crucial part in connecting BTS as a brand ambassador, brand image, and purchase decisions. This study implies that strategic collaborations with global celebrities can enhance brand appeal and drive purchasing decisions through psychological mechanisms such as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Therefore, companies should take into account the emotional aspects of consumers when designing marketing strategies.
Anggraeni, A. D., Thorfiani, D., & Hidayat, I. (2023). Pengaruh Brand Ambassador Dan Testimoni Sosial Media Terhadap Minat Beli Generasi Z Pada McDonald Setiabudi Bandung. Jurnal Manajemen Dan Bisnis Kreatif, 8(2), 17–22.
Awuy, M., Lapian, S. J., & Wangke, S. (2024). The Influences Of Brand Ambassador And Brand Awareness On Consumer Purchase Decision Of Nature Republic Skincare In Manado. Jurnal EMBA: Jurnal Riset Ekonomi, Manajemen, Bisnis Dan Akuntansi, 12(01), 662–671. https://doi.org/10.35794/emba.v12i01.53858
Bancin, J. B., Damayanti, N. E., Aprilita, A., & Banurea, J. J. N. (2023). Pengaruh Promosi dan Kualitas Pelayanan terhadap Keputusan Pembelian melalui Peran Mediasi Citra Merk di McDonald’s Palangkaraya. Jurnal Manajemen Dan Organisasi, 14(4), 392–413. https://doi.org/10.29244/jmo.v14i4.51251
Bartosiak, A., Lee, J. E., & Loibl, C. (2025). Fear of missing out, social media influencers, and the social, psychological and financial wellbeing of young consumers. PloS One, 20(4), e0319034. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319034
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach for structural equation modeling. In G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.). In Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Dinh, T. C. T., & Lee, Y. (2024). Social media influencers and followers’ conspicuous consumption: The mediation of fear of missing out and materialism. Heliyon, 10(16), e36387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36387
Erb, T. O., Von Ungern-Sternberg, B. S., Keller, K., & Frei, F. J. (2013). The effect of intravenous lidocaine on laryngeal and respiratory reflex responses in anaesthetised children. Anaesthesia. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2012.07295.x
Goodstat. (2025). Restoran Cepat Saji Favorit Anak Muda Indonesia 2022. Goodstat. https://goodstats.id/infographic/indonesia-jadi-negara-dengan-kuliner-terbaik-di-asean-2024-2025-gCfzp?utm_campaign=read-infinite&utm_medium=infinite&utm_source=internal
Inak, A. (2021). Antusiasme ARMY Indonesia Sambut BTS Meal. Kumparan. https://kumparan.com/kumparank-pop/antusiasme-army-indonesia-sambut-bts-meal-1vuNEgVe3bb/full
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2017). Marketing Management. Pearson. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=UbfwtwEACAAJ
Liu, S. (2025). Exploring Purchase Intention in Online Influencer Marketing Campaigns Through an Integrated Model. SAGE Open, 15(3), 21582440251355184. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251355184
Mardiana, N. R. (2019). Analisa Pengaruh Brand Ambassador, Citra Merek Dan Kualitas Produk Terhadap Minat Beli Produk Kosmetik Emina. Jurnal Online Internasional & Nasional, 7(1), 1689–1699.
Milyavskaya, M., Saffran, M., Hope, N., & Koestner, R. (2018). Fear of missing out: prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of experiencing FOMO. Motivation and Emotion, 42(5), 725–737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9683-5
Mutiah, D. (2021). McD BTS Meal Laku Keras hingga Bungkus Dijual Rp 599 Ribu, Ini Kata Pakar Marketing. Liputan6. https://www.liputan6.com/bisnis/read/4577755/mcd-bts-meal-laku-keras-hingga-bungkus-dijual-rp-599-ribu-ini-kata-pakar-marketing?page=5
Patrisya, F., Afifah, N., & Purmono, B. B. (2025). Mediasi FOMO: Pengaruh Influencer dan Online Review terhadap Purchase Decision Produk The Originote. Jurnal Akutansi Manajemen Ekonomi Kewirausahaan (JAMEK), 5(1), 186–195. https://doi.org/10.47065/jamek.v5i1.1676
Rumaidlany, D., Mariam, S., & Ramli, A. H. (2022). Pengaruh brand image dan brand awareness terhadap keputusan pembelian pada Mc Donald’s di Palmerah Jakarta Barat. Jurnal Lentera Bisnis, 11(2), 102.
Sitorus, H. M., Lukitaningsih, A., & Fadhilah, M. (2024). The Influence of Brand Image, Brand Reputation on Purchase Decision of Thrift Clothing with Purchase Media Intention Towards Young People In Yogyakarta. Jurnal Ekonomi Pembangunan, 22(02), 217–229. https://doi.org/10.22219/jep.v22i02.39993
Sofiana, E., & Hayu, R. S. (2025). FoMO And Discounts: Why Generation Z Can’t Resist Online Shopping? Management Analysis Journal, 14(2), 160–169. https://doi.org/10.15294/maj.v14i2.26979
Sugiyono. (2022). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Ummat, R., & Hayuningtias, K. A. (2022). Pengaruh Kualitas Produk, Brand Ambassador dan Persepsi Harga Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Nature Republic. Fair Value: Jurnal Ilmiah Akuntansi Dan Keuangan, 4(6), 2279–2291.
