AI-Powered Digital Marketing and Its Impact on Customer Engagement and Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust in E-Commerce Platforms

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has significantly transformed digital marketing practices, particularly in e commerce platforms. AI powered digital marketing enables firms to analyze consumer behavior, personalize promotional messages, and improve the effectiveness of marketing communication strategies. In highly competitive online marketplaces such as Shopee, Tokopedia, and Blibli, companies increasingly utilize artificial intelligence to enhance customer interaction and influence purchasing decisions. However, the effectiveness of AI driven marketing strategies does not depend solely on technological capability but also on consumers’ trust in the brand. Without sufficient trust, consumers may hesitate to respond to algorithm based marketing recommendations. Therefore, understanding the role of brand trust in mediating the relationship between AI powered digital marketing and consumer purchase intention becomes increasingly important in digital commerce environments. This study aims to analyze the influence of AI Powered Digital Marketing on Customer Engagement and Purchase Intention with Brand Trust as a mediating variable in e commerce platforms. The research employs a quantitative explanatory design using a survey approach. Data were collected from 200 consumers who purchased herbal medicine products through e commerce platforms, consisting of 85 Shopee customers, 60 Tokopedia customers, and 55 Blibli customers. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling to test the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. AI-powered digital marketing significantly influences customer engagement and purchase intention, both directly and through brand trust on Customer Engagement. Customer Engagement significantly affects Purchase Intention, indicating that consumers who actively interact with digital marketing content are more likely to develop stronger purchasing intentions. The findings also reveal that AI Powered Digital Marketing directly influences Purchase Intention. Furthermore, Brand Trust significantly mediates the relationship between AI Powered Digital Marketing and Purchase Intention, demonstrating that trust plays an important role in strengthening the effectiveness of AI driven marketing strategies. This study contributes to digital marketing literature by integrating artificial intelligence capability, customer engagement, and brand trust into a comprehensive model explaining purchase intention in e commerce platforms. The findings suggest that companies should not only focus on technological sophistication but also prioritize transparency and trust building strategies to maximize the effectiveness of AI powered marketing.