BUILDING CONSUMER TRUST THROUGH HALAL CERTIFICATION AND DIGITAL MARKETING: EVIDENCE FROM CULINARY MSMES IN TANGERANG

Abstract

This study examines the role of halal certification and digital marketing in enhancing consumer trust and its subsequent impact on the performance of culinary micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Tangerang City, Indonesia—a region with a predominantly Muslim consumer base. A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and the analysis was conducted via LISREL software. Data were collected from 100 consumers of halal-certified culinary MSMEs through structured questionnaires. The results indicate that halal certification has a significant positive effect on consumer trust, underscoring its role as a key signal of product legitimacy and religious compliance. Digital marketing also positively influences consumer trust, though to a lesser extent. Notably, consumer trust serves as a potent mediator between halal certification, digital marketing, and the performance of MSMEs. In contrast, the direct effects of halal certification and digital marketing on business performance are weak and statistically insignificant, highlighting the centrality of trust as a mediating mechanism. The findings suggest that MSMEs should strategically integrate halal certification with digital marketing efforts to communicate halal assurance and build long-term consumer loyalty effectively. This study contributes to the growing literature on halal consumption by empirically validating the mediating role of consumer trust in the relationship between certification, digital engagement, and business performance, particularly within an urban Indonesian context where halal adoption is still in its early stages of development.