For Jakarta’s Gen Z TikTok users, affiliates and prices were linked to buying interest

A survey found that both affiliate marketing and perceptions of price were positively associated with interest in buying products on TikTok Shop.

Abstract editorial illustration accompanying the article: For Jakarta’s Gen Z TikTok users, affiliates and prices were linked to buying interest

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers surveyed 96 active Generation Z users in Jakarta who met set criteria for the study. Participants completed an online questionnaire using rating scales about affiliate marketing, price perception and their intention to buy products on TikTok Shop.

The researchers analyzed the responses with multiple linear regression and related statistical tests. They reported that affiliate marketing and price perception were each positively and significantly associated with purchase intention, and that the two factors were significant when considered together.

What the survey found

Affiliate marketing had a positive and statistically significant association with purchase intention, with a reported t-count of 5.214 compared with a t-table value of 1.985. Price perception also had a positive and statistically significant association, with a t-count of 4.988 compared with 1.985. When analyzed together, the two factors were statistically significant, with an F-count of 178.686 compared with an F-table value of 3.09. The model’s coefficient of determination was 79.4%, meaning the included factors accounted for that share of the variation in purchase intention in this sample and model.

Why these links matter

The findings identify two factors associated with buying interest among the surveyed Generation Z TikTok Shop users in Jakarta: exposure to affiliate marketing and how suitable they considered a product’s price relative to its benefits and quality. The results may help businesses and sellers understand which parts of the TikTok Shop shopping experience were linked to purchase intention in this group, while not showing that the same relationships apply to all TikTok users or consumers elsewhere.

Evidence and caveats

This was a quantitative survey study based on an online Likert-scale questionnaire completed by 96 respondents selected through non-probability purposive sampling. The researchers used multiple linear regression and statistical tests to examine the reported relationships. Because the sample was selected non-randomly and the data came from respondents’ survey answers at one point in time, the results show associations within this group rather than proving that affiliate marketing or price perception directly caused people to want to buy. The findings may not generalize beyond active Generation Z TikTok Shop users in Jakarta who met the study’s criteria.

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