Digital Marketing Communication, Career Prospects, and Students’ Intention Toward Agro-Maritime Higher Education

Abstract

Background: The declining interest in agro-maritime higher education has become a strategic concern for Indonesia’s sustainable development agenda. As universities increasingly use digital marketing communication to attract prospective students, limited attention has been given to how digital communication, career-related perceptions, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs jointly shape students’ educational choices. 
Purpose: This study investigates students’ intentions toward agro-maritime higher education by examining the role of digital marketing communication within an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework.
Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 1,424 Grade XII science-track students from 44 senior high schools across six regions in Indonesia. The proposed model was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS).
Findings/Results: The model explains a substantial proportion of the variance in students’ intentions (R² = 0.588). Digital marketing communication was identified as the strongest determinant of intention (β = 0.447, total effect), influencing students both directly (β = 0.345) and indirectly through perceived career and employment prospects and attitude. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control also showed significant positive effects on students’ intentions.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the strategic role of digital marketing communication in shaping students’ educational choices by influencing their perceptions of future career opportunities and attitude toward agro-maritime study programs.
Originality/value (State of the art): By integrating psychological, economic, and informational factors within a single framework, this study offers a more comprehensive explanation of higher-education choice behavior. The findings extend the TPB by demonstrating a communication-driven mechanism in which digital marketing communication shapes perceived career and employment prospects, which subsequently influences attitudes and intentions toward agro-maritime higher education. 

Keywords: agro-maritime higher education, career and employment prospects, digital marketing communication, higher education choice, students’ intention