Solidifying Fear Appeal Effect on E-Commerce Customer Purchase Intention during Covid-19 Pandemic through Digital Public Relation Persuasion

Abstract

The aim of this study is to measure the effect of fear appeal and digital public relation persuasion respectively on e-commerce customer purchase intention and to solidify the effect of fear appeal on e-commerce customer purchase intention through digital public relation persuasion, during the Covid-19 pandemic. For this survey study, the data processed with SPSS and Amos programs is collected from Indonesian e-commerce customers, and taken using a snowball and non-probable sampling method. All hypotheses are supported. The constructs of this study can elaborate the theory of reasoned action since fear appeal and digital public relation persuasion function to solidify e-commerce customer purchase intention. The implication is e-commerce must develop digital public relation persuasion to solidify the effect of fear appeal on e-commerce customer purchase intention. Keywords— Fear Appeal; Public Relation Persuasion; Purchase Intention; E-Commerce; Covid-19