Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Purpose</bold> This study aims to examine the effect of missing information in pre-launch teaser advertising on purchase intention and to investigate whether state epistemic curiosity mediates this relationship. <bold>Design/methodology/approach</bold> This study adopts a quantitative approach. The research hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with multi-group analysis (MGA) using SmartPLS 3. The sample consisted of 305 respondents from Indonesia who had been exposed to teaser content of Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone. <bold>Findings</bold> The results show that missing information has a positive and significant effect on state epistemic curiosity, and state epistemic curiosity has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention across all samples. However, the hypothesized negative direct effect of missing information on purchase intention was not supported. The direct effect was positive but non-significant in the Samsung Galaxy and iPhone groups, and positive and significant in the combined sample. Furthermore, state epistemic curiosity significantly mediated the relationship between missing information and purchase intention across all samples. <bold>Originality/value</bold> This study advances the literature by demonstrating that the effect of missing information on purchase intention operates primarily through state epistemic curiosity rather than direct influence. It also integrates information-gap theory and the Zeigarnik effect to explain consumer behavior in the context of teaser-based pre-launch marketing. </p>