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This study aims to analyze the effect of price and product quality on purchasing decisions of Gudang Garam Signature Kretek cigarettes in the premium machine-made kretek segment. The Indonesian tobacco industry continues to face sustained regulatory pressure through excise tax increases and intensifying brand competition, prompting consumers to reassess purchasing decisions using both rational evaluation and experiential judgment. A quantitative correlational approach was employed in this study. Primary data were collected through structured Likert-scale questionnaires distributed to 100 active consumers of Gudang Garam Signature Kretek selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data analysis was conducted through validity testing, reliability testing, and multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS software. The results indicate that price and product quality have a positive and significant influence on purchasing decisions, both partially and simultaneously. Product quality emerged as the most dominant factor, suggesting that premium cigarette consumers prioritize consistent quality, taste, aroma, and overall consumption experience as the primary basis for decision-making. Meanwhile, price remains an important rational reference for assessing the fairness between perceived benefits and financial sacrifice. Simultaneously, both variables explain 50 percent of the variation in purchasing decisions, while the remaining variance is influenced by other factors outside the research model. These findings highlight that purchasing decisions in the premium cigarette market are shaped by a value-based assessment, where sustained product quality and adaptive pricing strategies play a critical role in maintaining consumer loyalty amid regulatory pressure and evolving market dynamics

The Independent Entrepreneurship Program is one of the strategic efforts of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in fostering the entrepreneurial spirit of students through direct experiential learning. This program is present as a forum for students to not only understand entrepreneurship theory, but also to practice in real life the process of building and managing a business. In its implementation, the program involves active collaboration between universities, industry mentors, and field supervisors who play a role in providing direction, guidance, and evaluation of student business development. Through Independent Entrepreneurship, students are given the opportunity to design creative business ideas, run a business on a real scale, and solve various entrepreneurial challenges they face. This activity not only trains managerial, communication, and innovation skills, but also improves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In addition, students gain valuable experience in terms of teamwork, financial management, marketing strategies, building business networks, and the use of digital technology to support business sustainability. The results of the program implementation show positive impacts, including increased confidence, independence, and students' understanding of the real business world. Furthermore, this program encourages the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a sustainable campus environment and is able to be the forerunner of the birth of a young generation of Indonesian entrepreneurs who are resilient, innovative, creative, adaptive to changing times, and have high competitiveness. Thus, Independent Entrepreneurship not only plays a role as a skill development program, but also becomes one of the important foundations in preparing students to face the world of work and becoming independent business actors who are professional, visionary, sustainability-oriented, and make a real contribution to the nation's economic development.

 One of the strategies used by Tropicana Slim to win the Top Brand Award for 4 (four) consecutive years is to enter the premium community through brand activation. This research aims to determine and analyze the influence of brand image, experiential marketing, and product quality on customer loyalty of the Tropicana Slim brand in the premium community. This research is associative research and the type of data used is quantitative. The population in this study are members of the premium community. The number of samples in the research was 95 people using a purposive sampling technique with the following criteria: they are premium community members who have experienced brand activation by Tropicana Slim Medan City and have purchased Tropicana Slim products at least 1 (one) time. The data analysis used is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this research show that simultaneously brand image, experiential marketing and product quality have a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty of the Tropicana Slim brand in the premium community. Partially, brand image, experiential marketing and product quality have a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty of the Tropicana Slim brand in the premium community.