Configurational Pathways to Digital Marketing Impact: A Mixed-Methods Architecture of Trust and Consumer Verification in Travel Planning

The study investigates how digital trust architectures influence consumer travel planning decisions within a multi-platform social media marketing network. Moving away from traditional linear frameworks, the paper adopts a mixed-methods explanatory design combining semi-structured qualitative interviews (N = 24) with a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA) of survey data (N = 114). The necessary condition analysis reveals that while no standalone marketing channel or attribute is strictly mandatory, trust in user- generated content (UGC) acts as the primary enabling baseline for consumer purchasing decisions (consistency = 0.882). The configurational truth table minimization identifies three distinct, highly consistent equifinal pathways that explain 68.4% of high decision-making influence (overall solution consistency = 0.892). First, a Mature Peer-Verification Pathway is driven by informational channels (Facebook/YouTube) and independent cross-checking. Second, a Youth Aesthetic-Influencer Pathway demonstrates that short-form video and lifestyle imagery (Instagram/TikTok) must be validated by peer reviews. Third, a Youth Informational Validation Pathway reveals that a segment of digital natives actively bypasses traditional influencer grids in favor of long-form informative content. The findings provide critical strategic insights for tourism marketers and destination management organizations (DMOs). Ultimately, digital conversions and consumer engagement depend not on superficial vanity metrics or general platform visibility, but on structuring campaign ecosystems to support active consumer verification habits and authentic peer-to-peer validation.