ABSTRAK
Kakao Talk merupakan salah satu aplikasi mobile messaging yang mampu mendominasi pasar di Indonesia. Persaingan yang kompetitif saat ini membuat para pengelola merek mobile messenger melakukan berbagai upaya komunikasi untuk menjadi merek yang memiliki value lebih di mata konsumen. Penelitian ini penting dilakukan untuk menguji keberlakuan model kekuatan merek yang secara konseptual dibangun melalui efek komunikasi merek dan user’s experience. Keberlakuan model dapat digunakan sebagai referensi untuk pengukuran kinerja merek  pada  umumnya,  dan  merek  mobile  messenger  Kakao  Talk  khususnya. Model ini menjelaskan efek komunikasi merek dan user’s experience apa saja yang secara strategis perlu diperhatikan atau diprioritaskan dalam menghadapi persaingan yang semakin kompetitif.
Penelitian ini mengembangkan model kekuatan merek David Aaker (1996) yang melibatkan faktor Brand Awareness, Perceived Quality dan Brand Loyalty. Peneliti menambahkan variabel lain sesuai dengan fenomena yang berkembang saat ini, yaitu aspek Innovation, Word of Mouth Social Media, Digital Campaign Advertising Awareness, Conventional Advertising Awareness, CSR Awareness, serta aspek-aspek Value, Trust, Satisfaction, dan Brand Usage.
Penelitian dilakukan pada mahasiswa pengguna Kakao Talk di Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta dengan jumlah responden sebanyak 110 orang. Sampling dilakukan secara bertahap dengan menggunakan cluster sampling di tingkat fakultas, setelahnya menggunakan simple random sampling di tiap kelompok cluster dan kelompok program studi di bawah fakultas. Responden direkrut menggunakan accidental sampling dengan menggunakan kriteria: mahasiswa program   studi   yang   telah   ditentukan,   pengguna   Kakao   Talk   dan   lama menggunakan minimal tiga bulan. Penelitian ini dilakukan dari bulan November s/d Desember 2014. Metode analisis data menggunakan Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Hal ini disebabkan pengukuran Kekuatan Merek melibatkan berbagai atribut indikator yang dianggap relevan mencerminkan setiap aspek yang ingin diukur.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa model kekuatan merek fit dengan nilai RMSEA 0,033 dan P-value 0,09207. Model menunjukkan adanya peran efek komunikasi  merek  dan  user’s  experience  dalam  membentuk  kekuatan  merek. Peran terbesar secara berurutan pada kekuatan merek mobile messenger Kakao Talk adalah Innovation   (0,48), disusul Word of Mouth melalui Social Media (0,44) dan Satisfaction (0,36). Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa konsep pesan yang mengangkat brand innovation dalam komunikasi merek perlu diutamakan selanjutnya pengelolaan pesan melalui social media perlu dioptimalkan.
Kata Kunci: Brand Awareness, Perceived Quality, Conventional Advertising Awareness, WOM Social Media, Digital Campaign Ad Awareness, Trust, Brand Usage, Satisfaction, Value, Loyalty, Innovation dan CSR Awareness, Kekuatan Merek.
ABSTRACT
Kakao  Talk  is  one  of  mobile  messaging  app  which  can  dominate Indonesian market. Intense competition among mobile messaging app providers today, facing them to perform various communication activities to create brand that has added value to consumers. This research is important to test the validity of brand equity model which conceptually builds through brand communication and user's experiences. Validity of the model can used as a reference to measure brand performance in common, and mobile messenger brand Kakao Talk to be spesific. This model shows brand communication effects and user’s experiences which strategically are need to be observed or prioritized to face intense competition.
Developing David Aaker's (1996) brand equity model, this research are involving Brand Awareness, Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty. Researcher adds other variables that corresponds to a growing phenomenon today, they are Innovation, Word of Mouth Social Media, Digital Campaign Advertising Awareness, Conventional Advertising Awareness, CSR Awareness, and aspects Value, Trust, Satisfaction, and  Brand Usage.
The research population were students of Universitas Sebelas Maret which are Kakao Talk's user with 110 respondents as a sample. This research used multi-stage sampling methods using cluster sampling in faculty stage, next simple random sampling is used in every cluster group and major group under faculty. Respondents  recruited  using  accidental  sampling  with  few  criterias  such  as student of the chosen major, Kakao Talk's user and recently using Kakao Talk no shorter than three months. This research was done from November 2014 to December 2014. The data analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This is  due  to  Brand  Equity's  measurements  involving  some  various  indicator's attribute which can be relevant reflect every measured aspects.
The  results  of  this  research  shows  that  brand  equity  model  is  fit,  with RMSEA 0,033 and P-value 0,09207. The model shows that there are roles of the brand communication effects and user’s experiences which builds brand equity. The most significant roles sequentially in brand equity of mobile messenger brand Kakao Talk are Innovation (0,48), followed by WOM Social Media (0,44) and Satisfaction (0,36). These result shows that message concept brings brand innovation up as prioritized in brand communication after that messages management through social media needs to be optimized.
Key words: Brand Awareness, Perceived Quality, Conventional Ad Awareness, WOM Social Media, Digital Campaign Ad Awareness, Trust, Brand Usage, Satisfaction, Value, Loyalty, Innovation, CSR Awareness, Brand Equity.