Toby Fernando Ch1 5

BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY – SARMIENTO CAMPUS 1
Philippine Copyright 2021

By Fernando, Toby O.
And the
Business and Management Department
Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus
All rights reserved. Portions of this manuscript may be reproduced with proper
referencing and due acknowledgment of the author.
AN ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO BUYING
DECISIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS
A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of Business and Management Department
Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus
City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Major in Marketing Management
By
Fernando, Toby O.
June 2021
CERTIFICATION
This thesis entitled AN ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO BUYING DECISIONS OF COLLEGE
STUDENTS prepared and submitted by TOBY O. FERNANDO in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Major in Marketing Management has been examined and recommended for Oral
Examination.
Evaluation Committee
MR. JASON C. SANTOS, MBA DR. BEBINA PAKIG

Adviser Chair
MS. SARAH JANE T. HABER, MBA MR. GERARD CORPUZ, LPT, MBA
Member Member
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPROVAL
Approved by the Panel on Oral Examination on June 18, 2021 with the grade of
_____.
DR. BEBINA PAKIG

Chair
MS. SARAH JANE T. HABER, MBA MR. GERARD CORPUZ, LPT, MBA
Member Member
MS. CHERRY LYNNE A. CHAVEZ, MBA JOFREY R. CAMPOS, DPA

Thesis Instructor Department Head
Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration Major in Financial Management.
LORELEI D. CONSUELO, LPT, MPA

Dean
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The completion of this study could not have been accomplished without the
support and encouragement of my thesis adviser, Mr. Jason C. Santos, MBA. I offer my
sincere appreciation for the learning opportunities you have provided me.
I too cannot express enough appreciation to my thesis instructor, Ms. Cherry
Lynne A. Chavez, MBA, for her utmost guidance and sincere concern for all of us, the 4 th
Year Marketing Management students.
To my caring and loving family, my deepest gratitude for their never-ending
motivation. Thank you very much for all the moral and pecuniary support I needed to
accomplish this project.
Lastly and most importantly, to our Almighty Father for all the infinite provisions
and perpetual grace. All glory to Him!

CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY
This is to certify that the research work presented in this thesis entitled AN
ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
TO BUYING DECISIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS for the degree Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration Major in Financial Management at the Bulacan State
University – Sarmiento Campus embodies the result of original and scholarly work
carried out by the undersigned. This thesis does not contain words or ideas taken from
published sources or written works that have been accepted as a basis for the award of a
degree from any higher education institution, except where proper referencing and
acknowledgment were made.
TOBY O. FERNANDO
Researcher
18 June 2021
ABSTRACT
Title : An Assessment unto the Effectiveness of Social Media Influencers

to Buying Decisions of College Students
Researcher : Toby O. Fernando
Degree : Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in
Marketing Management
Institution : Bulacan State University – Sarmiento Campus
Year : 2021
Adviser : Mr. Jason C. Santos, MBA
The main objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of social media
influencers to buying decisions of college students studying in three tertiary education
institutions in the City of San Jose del Monte Bulacan namely Bulacan State University -
Sarmiento Campus, Collegio De San Gabriel Arcangel, and First City Providential
College. This study attempted to determine the following: (1) the respondents'
demographic details such as their age, gender, and employment and marital status; (2) the
college students’ usage frequency of the popular social media sites; (3) the purpose why
they use social media; (4) the kinds of influencer marketing ads they currently see and
prefer to view (5) their intentionality in terms of watching influencer marketing ads; (6)
the attributes they like about social media influencers; (7) the overall effectiveness of
influencer marketing ads; and (8) the recommedations directly coming from the college
student respondents.
The researcher made use of descriptive method of research to gather significat
data. In selecting the respondents, quota sampling method was applied with the total of
137 respondents. Convenience sampling method was used in choosing the educational
institutions where the scope of the study took place. Percentage frequency distribution
was used to determine respondents' demographics while the weighted mean was
computed to assess the effectiveness of influencer marketing to college students.
The conclusions that were determined based on the findings are as follows: (1)
young female college students, ages 18-22 are the most frequent users of social media
among other age and gender groups. They are also single and are studying full-time –
attributes that allow them to have more time for social media; (2) Facebook is the most
used social networking site by the college students among other popular platforms; (3)
communication and entertainment are the main purposes why college students engage
themselves to social media; (4) online commercials featuring social media influencers are
currently the most visible form of influencer marketing ads. Although it is also proven to
be one of the preferred types of ads by the college students, product reviews are what
they prefer to see the most. As regards to products and services, the ones that they
currently see already match the products that they prefer to see in social media ads –
food, clothing, and personal care items; (5) college students do not deliberately search for
or view advertisements featuring social media influencers; (6) the influencers’ talents and
skills, and their perceived authenticity and honesty are the qualities that college students
like about them; (7) the college students agree that online commercials featuring
influencers attract customers. In particular, they trust influencers’ unsponsored product or
service reviews. Generally, college students agree that featuring influencers in social
media ads is effective in terms of affecting their buying decisions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Philippine Copyright ……………………………………………………………….. i
Title Page ……………………………………………………………………........... ii
Certification and Approval Sheet ………………………………………………….. iii
Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………. iv
Certification of Originality ………………………………………………………… v
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….. vi
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………....... viii
List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………. xi
List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………… xii
CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………….. 1
Background of the Study ………………………………………………………….. 6
Theoretical Framework …………………………………………………………… 12
Conceptual Framework …………………………………………………………… 18
Statement of the Problem …………………………………………………………. 19
Hypotheses ………………………………………………………………………... 20
Scope and Limitations …………………………………………………………….. 21

Significance of the Study …………………………………………………………. 22
Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………….. 24
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
Foreign Literature
26
…………………………………………………………………...
Local Literature ……………………………………………………………….......... 30
Foreign Studies …………………………………………………………………….. 35
Local Studies ………………………………………………………………………. 40
Synthesis and Relevance to the Study ……………………………………………... 44
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Method of Research ………………………………………………………………... 46
Population, Sample Size, and Sampling Technique ……………………………….. 47
Description of Respondents ………………………………………………………... 48
Research Instruments ………………………………………………………………. 49
Data Gathering Procedure ………………………………………………………….. 51
Statistical Treatment of the Data …………………………………………………... 52
CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION

OF DATA
Profile of Respondents ……………………………………………………………... 54
College Students’ Usage Frequency of Popular Social Media Sites ………………. 58

The Purpose Why College Students Use Social Media ……………………………. 59
Kinds of Advertisements College Students Currently See and Prefer to View 60

Featuring Social Media Influencers ………………………………………………...
Products and Services College Students Prefer to See in Social Media Ads ……… 64
College Students’ Intentionality in Watching Influencer Marketing Ads …………. 63
Attributes why College Students Like Social Media Influencers ………………….. 65
The Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing Ads …………………………………… 66
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary …………………………………………………………………………… 69
Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………… 73
Recommendations ………………………………………………………………….. 74
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………… 77
APPENDICES
1 Survey Questionnaire ………………………………………………………. 91
2 Adviser’s Acceptance Form ……………………………………………….. 96
3 Adviser’s Endorsement……………………………………………………... 97
4 Title Approval Sheet ……………………………………………………….. 98

LIST OF TABLES
Number Title Page
1 Number of Respondents ………………………………………………. 48
2 Legend: Verbal Instrumentation (VI) of the Computed Mean ………... 50
3 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents According 54

to Age ………………………………………………………………….
to Gender ………………………………………………………………
to Civil Status ………………………………………………………….
to Occupational Status …………………………………………………
7 College Students’ Usage Frequency of Popular Social Media Sites…... 58
8 The Purpose Why College Students Use Social Media .......................... 59
9 The Forms of Social Media Ads that College Students Currently See .. 60
10 The Forms of Social Media Ads that College Students Prefer to See .... 61
11 Products and Services College Students Currently See in Social Media 62

Ads ……………………………………………………………………..
12 Products and Services College Students Prefer to See in Social Media 63
Ads ……………………………………………………………………..
13 College Students’ Intentionality in Watching Influencer Marketing 64
Ads ……………………………………………………………………..
14 Attributes why College Students Like Social Media Influencers …….. 65
15 The Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing Ads ……………………… 66
LIST OF FIGURES
Number Title Page

1 McClelland’s Theory of Needs ……………………………………….. 13
2 Alderfer’s ERG Theory ……………………………………………….. 14
3 The Conversion Theory ……………………………………………….. 15
4 Maxims of the Cooperative Principle ………………………………..... 16
5 The Persuasion Slide ………………………………………………….. 17
6 The Research Paradigm of the Study …………………………………. 18
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
Marketing strategies are not stagnantly absolute as it swings along with the needs
and desires of the public. To reach more target markets, according to Karpunina,
Konovalova, Shurchkova, Isaeva, and Abalakin (2019), businesses always do their best to
adapt to the ever-evolving trends that capture the attention, and to an extent, the purchase
decision-making of customers.
Consumers are greatly influenced by what is seen on print ads, audio promotions
on the radio, and TV commercials. TV ads have proven their power for decades as one, if
not the most, effective channel to market organizations' goods and services (Rush, 2019).
With proper assistance from advertising agencies and popular celebrities' service as
endorsers, sales of the marketed products surely go up.
Aside from the straightforward TV commercials, ads can be incorporated as the
main parts of the programs themselves. Game show sponsorships, for example, can be a
great way to promote a business as they yet portray a positive image for the firm as a
whole. TV has nonetheless contributed to the success of companies and the entire
business sector all over the world.
But despite all of that, TV cannot offer its aid to all. TV commercials entail
businesses to spend a fortune for a few second features. Celebrity endorsements are also
found unaffordable by firms, not to mention a strict agreement between the artists'
management following a crucial assessment of the celebrities' image.
The limited duration of television ads also gives a glimpse of an overview of what is
being offered. It does not allow customers to be provided with fully detailed
specifications of the products. Moreover, the actual product usage and realistic product
reviews are out of the picture since, as might be expected, the organizations' goal is to
showcase the most fitting side of its business.
The continuous progress in the business industry gave birth to further success in
other fields, to wit: technological advancements. The beginning of the new millennium
was simultaneously also the beginning of the rise of new media through the full-blown
wide usage of the internet. The World Wide Web has changed the world since.
The internet has rendered everyone from tedious processes (Sha, Sariyska, Riedl,
Lachmann & Montag, 2019). From our plain day-to-day activities, education,
communication, personal sales transactions to large business operations, the internet has
doubtlessly made these processes much easier. Much more than just a privilege, access to
the internet is now becoming a necessity.
The internet also gave birth to a new business industry: e-commerce. It is a way to
conduct transactions mainly through automation and self-service processes. One of the
benefits of technological adoption and e-commerce is that it has developed a convenient
alternative way to earn income, increase market share, and lessen operating expenses
(Wiganepdo & Azizah, 2019).
Now that the number of people engaged in e-commerce is perpetually increasing,
businesses through a new way to market their products: online advertising. Digital
marketing is the process of utilizing the internet, mobile phones and other smart gadgets,
social media platforms, search engines, and other new technological means to promote
goods and services to reach customers. Some marketing specialists deem digital
marketing an entirely new venture that needs a new way of reaching customers and
recognizing how customers respond compared to traditional marketing (Barone, 2020).
Examples include online banners and posters strategically positioned on web pages, video
advertisements interrupting video programs or movies available online, pop-up ads,
social media integration, product placement on online shopping platforms, and the list
goes on. Since the internet has been considered a mainstream medium of communication,
opting to use e-marketing strategies is certainly a wise move for businesses due to better
market visibility and lower advertising cost than traditional media such as radio and
television.
Another main reason why people turn to the internet is the convenient access to
entertainment. Viewers now have absolute control over their viewing habits. They are
free to choose what to watch at the most suitable time for them. This is the internet's edge
over television with limited programs and definite schedules. Most of the entertainment
programs are shown on different social media platforms. According to
WeAreSocial.com, a global socially-led creative agency, there had been 3.484 billion
people who are active on social media in January 2019. Such a figure equates to 45% of
the world's entire population. Inevitably, this gave rise to popular internet personalities,
mostly visible on social media platforms, known as influencers.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, an influencer is a person or a group who can
influence the opinion or behavior of other people. Social media influencers are internet
celebrities who display their personal lives to their fans or followers via social media
(Chae, 2017). They are random people who have once used social media just for
personal, non-profitable intentions; published posts such as commentaries or statuses,

photos, and videos for public viewing, and such posts were found by many as
informative, relatable, and enjoyable. Eventually, the number of their followers
ballooned. Hence, they are deemed as the new celebrities.
Unlike movie and television stars, social media influencers do not always have to
be at their best aesthetically. As defined by Pixlee, an agency specializing in e-marketing,
so long as a person has established his credibility and authenticity and has a huge
following on social media who are deemed as the audience of his online content, he can
be labeled as a social media influencer. However, although a huge number of following is
not the only criterion that matters, it is undeniably impressive and advantageous
(Torossian, 2020).
Social media influencers' huge following is why they are now being targeted and
used by businesses as endorsers for their brands. This kind of advertising is called
influencer marketing. InfluencerMarketingHub.com (2020) defines influencer marketing
as a combination of old and new marketing tools. It has the concept of celebrity
endorsement and puts it into modern marketing campaign strategies. The main difference
is that the collaboration is simply between the influencers and the brands. Currently,
StarNGage, an influencer marketing platform, records 7,575 social media influencers in
the Philippines who have more than 1,000.
Across Southeast Asia, the Philippines has one of the highest numbers of social
media users as of January 2020. Filipinos, on average, spend almost 4 hours on social
media in a day. Currently, there are a total of 76.2 Million Filipinos who are active in
social networking sites (Sanchez, 2020).

In the Philippines, college students are among the audience groups and active
users of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, to
name a few. They are the ones who frequently view influencers' online content, whether
intentionally or unintentionally. And along with the contents they watch are the
straightforward advertisements and paid or sponsored endorsements presented by these
influencers.
Cars, household items, fast food, clothing, makeup – almost all products and services are
being entrusted to be endorsed by influencers, and their employers range from the biggest
multinational corporations to new micro-small-medium enterprises or MSMEs. Right
now, there are different ways to incorporate brands into the influencers' contents, such as
the following:
• Direct video advertisements presented like television commercials,
• Video Blogs or Vlogs showing tutorials using products or services of a certain brand,
• Skits using brands as props,
• Raffles and games via live streams,
• Prizes and giveaways received after performing influencers' instructions,
• Photos showing influencers as they use the brands, and
• status updates, comments, or "tweets" about the product/service.
However, it is important to know if the public acts out to these despite all these
efforts. Accordingly, this study aims to determine if college students are entrusting
influencers to buy the products they promote and if their influence convinces college
students that they would get value for their money. Ultimately, the purpose of this
research is to determine if the new marketing efforts done by the businesses through the
utilization of influencer marketing are effective in guiding the buying decisions of college
students.
Background of the Study
The origin of social media dates back as early as the 1840s, during the invention
of the telegraph. Still, the modern social media platform was first recognized in 1997
with the online site "Six Degrees" founded by Andrew Weinreich (Ahmad, 2018). Since
then, the number of social media networking sites has increased and continues to develop
to suit users' preferences. Now, social media is undeniably a part of everyone's lives
every day.
In the early 2000s, Friendster, founded by Jonathan Abrams in 2002, was the most
popular and was considered the premier social media site with over 3 million active
users. Back then, ads were presented only as banners displayed on the user account page
positioned on either side of the webpage. Such a strategy was also the original social
media advertisement which was first used for an AT&T ad on Wired.com in 1994 (Gil,
2019).
Currently, according to the latest report by DataReportal.com (2020), 4.14 billion
people around the world, or 53% of the earth's total population, are using social media in
October 2020. This figure continues to rise with an average of almost 2 million new users
each day. On average, a single user usually uses six social media platforms.
In 2019, based on the Global Web Index (GWI) released by the World Economic
Forum (WEF), Filipinos spent the most time on social media networks among all other
nations making the Philippines the "social media capital" of the world. And out of all the
social media networks, Facebook is the most used in entire Asia with a user population of
over 800 million, and the Philippines with 74 million active users and 93% market share
(Ordinario, 2020).
In another data presented by We Are Social (2020), as of January 2020, Facebook
topped the list as the most-used social media platform, followed by YouTube, then by
Facebook Messenger on the third spot, Instagram on the fourth, and Twitter as the fifth
most frequented site.
Facebook is an American company founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz,
Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hughes in 2004. Currently, it is the biggest social networking
site worldwide, with 2.7 billion users. Through Facebook, people can create their
profiles, post messages and statuses, upload pictures and videos, and join groups. Using
Facebook is free, and the company mostly earns profit from advertisements. On
Facebook's News Feed, people can see their friends' activities, such as changes of profile
pictures, added information, and react to such activities (Hall, 2020).
The popularity of Facebook opens opportunities for businesses to conveniently
market their products online. On October 3, 2016, Facebook Marketplace was launched
to make offers and find products and services (Cohen, 2018).
In July 2015, Facebook started monetizing videos. 55% of advertisements go to
the content creator, while 45% goes to Facebook (Griffith, 2015). The qualifications to be
eligible for Facebook Video Monetization have been released by Facebook's Business
Help Centre, such as the following:

• 18 years old, at least
• Located in a country where in-stream ads are eligible
• Compliance to Partner Monetization Policies of Facebook
• A Facebook Page (not profile) with 10,000 followers, at least
• 30,000 views that last for 1 minute on videos with at least 3-minute duration within 60
days
This monetization policy has encouraged more people to create videos that aim to
appeal to more audiences, consequently, the rise of more social media influencers.
Another popular social media platform is the video-streaming website Youtube. It was
launched by Steve Chen, Jawed Karim, and Chad Hurley in 2005, focusing on content
generated by users. Since then, YouTube has dominated the internet in video content
creation and viewing (Burgess, 2011). Google purchased the company in November 2006
for 1.65 billion (Hosch, 2009).
YouTube allows users and viewers to freely publish and watch videos to their
liking as long as they do not violate its policies. Next to Google, YouTube is as the
second largest search engine (Wagner, 2017).
The vast nature of the platform's contents makes it the home for influencers of
different interests. According to Google Support (2021), for a YouTube video to be
qualified for monetization, one must adhere to the following requirements:
• Compliance with YouTube's Community Guidelines, Spam Policies, Terms of Service,
and Partner Program Policies
• 1,000 subscribers, at least

• At least 4,000 hours of watch time within 12 months
• An AdSense account
• Located in a country where YouTube Partner Program is available
Like Facebook, 45% of the profit from advertisements goes to YouTube, while
55% goes to content creators. However, in November 2020, there has been an addition to
the terms of service of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) -- its "Right to Monetize."
With this, YouTube has the discretion to show ads on videos not under the YPP, and
creators will not get any amount from them (Koetsier, 2020).
Technological advancements also allowed us to communicate much more
conveniently through different sites and tools, and one of which is greatly used nowadays
is Facebook Messenger. In August 2011, Facebook launched Facebook Messenger. It is
an instant messaging service anyone can create an account on and use without a
Facebook account. It can be accessed via the mobile Messenger app or on
Messenger.com (Moreau, 2020).
Through Facebook Messenger, people can send text messages, photos, videos,
voice messages, and even play games. In 2016, its developers started incorporating
chatbots that allow conversations with businesses (Kroh & House, 2020). Automated
chats from different brands are the only used marketing strategy on Facebook Messenger
to date, apart from its direct usage as a convenient mode of conversations for sales
inquiries and customer service between the public and businesses ranging from MSMEs
to big corporations.
There is also Instagram (or IG), a photo-sharing application invented by Kevin
Systrom and was launched in October 2010 after a series of developments (Blystone,
2020). In March 2012, Facebook bought Instagram for 1 billion dollars. Instagram has 1
billion users worldwide who can freely upload, edit, and share their photos online
(Forsey, 2020).
Since the app is focused on video and photo-sharing, it also allows businesses to
aesthetically market their products effectively. Furthermore, most followers of celebrities
and influencers turn to Instagram for a more personal connection with them. On the part
of the ones being followed, it is another means to earn.
Chacon (2020) enumerated six ways to monetize one's IG profile as follows: [1]
product selling via Instagram Shopping, [2] creating Instagram shopping posts with
tagged products from partnered brands, [3] online store integrated with Facebook Shops,
[4] making money from IGTV ads, [5] getting "Tips" on Instagram Live, and [6] live
shopping on the Instagram app.
The internet has also given voice to everyone who will share their thoughts and
opinions and know other's insights, and Twitter is the usual go-to site for such
individuals. Twitter is a micro-blogging site launched in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone,
Noah Glass, and Evan Williams (Forsey, 2019). Its 330 million users, at present, can post
status updates or "tweets" limited to 140 characters. Aside from posts in text form, users
can also share photos and videos.
In 2007, the "hashtag" – the pound or hash symbol – was introduced on Twitter
(Cooper, 2013). The number of hashtags mentioned on posts is counted to determine the
"trending" topics, news, programs, movies, businesses, and brands. Other social
networking sites are also now using hashtags.
Twitter's system of showing real-time trends is a direct way for social media
influencers to determine what popular topics they can relate their content to and
eventually earn money. Hott (2020) listed these nine ways to earn money using Twitter:
[1] using sponsored Tweets, [2] promoting products of others, [3] promoting own
products, [4] generating website traffic, [5] building email lists, [6] providing customer
service, [7] running giveaways, [8] creating ads, and [9] monetizing Twitter account.
These top social media platforms have given rise to a new career that was not
considered a real job years ago. Now, being a social media influencer is thought of by
many as one of the hottest careers. People and brands now trust influencers over
celebrities because of their authenticity and being more interactive (Ahmad, 2017).
The first "influencer" partnership was taken into account in 1760 when a potter
named Wedgwood came up with a unique tea set for the Queen Victoria of England. He
then marketed his business as "Royal-approved" since the monarchy was the great
influencer at that time (Brooks, 2019). Over the centuries, influencer marketing has
evolved and became wide along with the developments of media used to influence the
public. As we speak, due to the prevalence of social networking sites, influencer
marketing via online social media is one of the top choices to market businesses.
According to Brown (2017), influencers top as the fastest-growing online
marketing channel. In addition, Flores (2018) stated that businesses will most likely get
their return on investment (ROI) faster via influencer marketing and that it is indeed wise
to invest in such because of the following reasons: [1] it is cheaper than print or TV ads,
[2] influencers' posts can easily sell products, [3] it is easier to categorize your target
market, and [4] Social Media videos generate more engagements.
Theoretical Framework
The online celebrities' aim to reach more viewers, the public's response to their
contents, and the potential success of these to affect buying decisions of the market are
ultimately sourced from the level of influence among the social groups involved. There
have already been studies conducted to further analyze influences, one of which is
McClelland's Theory of Needs.
Also called Achievement Theory of Motivation or the Three Needs Theory, this
concept by David McClelland, an American Psychologist, explains human needs and
how they should be approached. It discusses three important aspects as Achievement,
Power, and Affiliation. This theory further explains that regardless of culture, race,
wealth, age, or sex, people's needs are acquired and developed as time goes by through
their experiences (Kukreja, 2018).
Figure 1: McClelland’s Theory of Needs

(Note: McClelland’s Theory of Needs (Power, Achievement, and Affiliation). Adapted
from Management Study HQ, https://www.managementstudyhq.com/mcclellands-theory-
of-needs-power-achievement-and-affiliation.html. Copyright 2021)
The Need for Achievement. This refers to one's desire to achieve something in
whatever he does. People who are more motivated to achieve always try to excel more.
These people tend to be alone most of the time and seeks more challenges – the more
challenges they face, the more genuine the success eventually.
The Need for Power. It is the urge of a person to be in authority or control over
other people, influence them, and affect their choices according to his desires. This roots
from the want to be acknowledged, boost self-esteem, and have a sense of good
reputation. These people enjoy winning arguments and competitions and give high regard
to status and recognition.
The Need for Affiliation. This talks about one's need to be in social groups or
relationships. They like to maintain a healthy social life, and they always want to feel
loved and accepted. Thus, they fear rejection.
This theory presents the social media personalities' motivation to widen their
influence and their audience's inclination to imitate them.

Another theory that explains the relationship between human needs and social
influence is Clayton Alderfer's ERG Theory which developed Maslow's popular
Hierarchy of Needs theory but lessened the classifications of feeds from five to three
(Robitaille, 2011).
Figure 2: ERG Theory by Alderfer
(Note.Alderfer's ERG Theory. Adapted from Management Innovation Exchange, by A.
Brook, Retrieved September 21, 2012 from
https://www.managementexchange.com/hack/three-tier-management-latest-version.
Copyright 2012.)
Existence refers to one's need to satisfy physical well-being, such as food, shelter,
and clothing. Relatedness is about the need for a harmonious relationship with other
people. And growth is about the development and realization of aptitudes and potentials.
As related to the influencer-market relationship, these needs are the foundation in
understanding why consumers are affected by advertisements or endorsements.
Only a few people out of billions of social media users are considered influencers.
The ultimate metric is the level of influence measured on the number of followers a user
can have. The key factor in increasing this number is to have a relatively unique style of
communicating with the audience. This concept is explained by the Conversion Theory,
which states how vocal minorities can greatly influence the less vocal majority (Benzu,
2019).
Figure 3: The Conversion Theory
(Note. The Conversion Theory. Adapted from SimpliLearn, by C. Benzu, Retrieved
March 15, 2021 from https://www.simplilearn.com/science-behind-influencer-marketing-
article. Copyright 2021.)
This case usually happens when the majority have not yet formed their solid
opinions or beliefs. This is why they seek people they think are credible enough to affect
their decisions by presenting them with options or validating their pre-existing thoughts.
Today, people can now conveniently seek this kind of help online.
However, although there are now countless opinions that can be found on the
internet, people should ideally be discerning on what and who to listen to. The
Cooperative Principle elaborates this, wherein the speakers must improve their thoughts
before they say them to be understood better (Benzu, 2019).
Figure 4: 4 Maxims of the Cooperative Principle

(Note. 4 Conversational Maxims. Adapted from SimpliLearn, by C. Benzu, Retrieved
March 15, 2021 from https://www.simplilearn.com/science-behind-influencer-marketing-
article. Copyright 2021.)
Some information may be too direct and somehow unpleasant for the audience.
Thus, some modifications or reframing of information by making them look and sound
more presentable must be done. This marketing skill is one of the basics that an
influencer should master to persuade people more effectively.
Another concept that relates to social media influence is Roger Dooley's
Persuasion Slide. It represents the process starting from the influencers' presentation of
information to persuade them, down to the outcome of influence and the factors that
affect the movement.
Figure 5: The Persuasion Slide

(Note. The Persuasion Slide. Adapted from Buffer, by K. Lee, Retrieved April 29, 2014
from https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-influence/. Copyright 2014.)
The Nudge is information presented by the social media personality in the form of
an ad or endorsement. Gravity refers to the customer's pre-existing motivation before
viewing the ad, which weighs down the chance of a successful transaction. However,
factors such as the Angle and Friction or the supplementary motivation and the difficulty
of persuasion affect the turnout (Lee, 2014).
These discussed concepts provide a theoretical framework for this research. They
are of assistance in better understanding the consumers' needs to be sufficed, the
influencers' motivation to seek popularity and make an impact, and the factors that can
potentially help them convert their influence into sales.
Conceptual Framework
The Input-Process-Output or the IPO model is the conceptual framework
used in this research. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines the IPO
model as an evaluation wherein inputs are transformed into results or outputs after going
through processes. Thus, the IPO model presents the essence and provides an overview or
a summary of the entire research (Canonizado, 2020).
Figure 6: The Research Paradigm of the Study
The determination of the respondents' demographic profile, their current
perception about social media influencers, and the information related to businesses'
utilization of influencer marketing are the inputs to be assessed primarily to establish the
concerns that need to be addressed to eventually come up with recommendations for the
improvement of influencer marketing. Then, a set of survey questionnaires are to be
handed over and answered physically or through online means to college students, as
respondents of this study. The collected responses are then to be presented via charts,
graphs, and/or tables for a clearer view and better comparison of the corresponding
factors. A well-comprehended interpretation is to be made after. Finally, an assessment
and evaluation of influencer marketing in terms of its effect in the buying decision of
college students is to be conducted preceding the endorsements of conclusions and
recommendations. The output of this research is to be regarded as feedback as the system
carries on and as potential studies are conducted thereafter.
Statement of the Problem
The main goal of this research is to assess the effectiveness of social media on the
buying decisions of college students by determining the answers to the following
questions:
1. What are the respondents' demographic profiles?
1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
1.3 Civil Status
1.4 University/College Attending
1.5 Occupational Status
2. How frequent do college students use the popular social media platforms?
3. What are the college students' purposes for using social media?
4. What are kinds of advertisements do college students see involving social media
influencers?
4.1 Forms of advertisements

4.2 Products/Services being advertised
5. How intentional are the college students in watching influencer marketing ads?
6. What attributes do college students like about influencers?
7. How effective are the social media influencers in promoting products and services?
8. What are the respondents' recommendation/s to improve the businesses' and online
creators' marketing strategies?
Hypotheses
This section states the theories assumed by the researcher as the outcome of the
study regarding the assessment on the effectiveness of social media influencers to
buying decisions of college students. The following hypotheses are assumptions
concerning the main topic of the study:
1. H01: The level of trust among social media influencers has no effect on college
students in terms of interest in buying the products or services they promote.
2. H02: The influencers' honest feedbacks on the brands they use has no effect on the
level of trust the college students have towards them.
3. H03: There is no direct relationship between the influencers' entertainment value and
their trust level in terms of convincing the public to purchase the brands they endorse.
4. H04: Online commercials featuring social media influencers are not as effective as
those starring traditional celebrities.
5. H05: Employing influencers to promote a business or a brand does not affect the
overall success of the company.
Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on assessing the effectiveness of social media influencers as to
how they lead college students to arrive at their buying decisions.
College students have expansive access to gadgets and the internet. Thus, seeing social
media influencers using and promoting products and services is common. Their high
level of mobility also allows them to arrive at stores and shops they have become
interested in after seeing them on the internet. Be that as it may, compared to other
market groups, college students have limited purchasing power, yet they have the same
needs and preferences as others. These aspects account for the reason why they have been
selected as the target respondents for this research.
Ninety-two (92) college students from Bulacan State University - Sarmiento
Campus, twenty-three (22) college students from First City Providential College, and
twenty-three (23) college students from Collegio De San Gabriel Archangel make up the
total two-hundred (137) respondents for this research. The said university and colleges
are all located within the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The city was declared a
highly urbanized city under Proclamation No. 1057 by President Duterte last December
6, 2020 (Ramos, 2020), after surpassing the 200,000 population mark and earning 50
million. Accordingly, the number of shopping malls and different stores is unceasingly
increasing, making more products and services available to the public.
This study is conducted during the first half of the year 2021 when classes are
done mostly through using the internet, encouraging the students to always go online;
consequently, having them see commercials and promotions involving social media
influencers inevitably.
This study only focuses on the effectiveness of influencer marketing by going into
the details of the purchases made by college students to avoid diversion from the topic of
this research, t. The classifications of college student respondents do not include those
outside the schools mentioned above, those who are temporarily "on leave" from their
college education, students who have graduated even recently, and students enrolled in
graduate schools.
Furthermore, only the advertisements, endorsements, and other promotional
activities seen on social media platforms are to be considered bases in determining the
influencers and their partnered brands' effectiveness in terms of affecting the buying
decisions of the market, particularly the college students. Mainstream media marketing
such as TV commercials and print ads are excluded.
Significance of the Study
This study intends to be beneficial to the following:
Advertising Agencies. This research can be a supplementary material to other studies as
bases for ad agencies if they would focus on or shift to using influencer marketing instead
of other strategies as it would likely be more cost-efficient for them.
Aspiring Influencers. This research can be an additional assertion that being a social
media influencer is a valid career. The formal recognition of this job will attract social
media users to exert more effort to increase their followers and hopefully have brand
endorsements.
College students. The college students who are also the respondents of this research will
benefit from this study. It will provide them further information about the marketing
efforts involving their followed influencers. Hence, such information can contribute to
the further establishment of trust they have towards these internet celebrities. The
responses will also give them an idea about the insights and views of their fellow college
students.
Economy. This study will help businesses assess the effectiveness of influencer
marketing. The ideally positive turnout of this research will entice businesses to hire
influencers resulting in higher sales. Collectively, this will promote a healthier economy.
Environment. This research can convince businesses to switch to digital marketing,
which will be better for the environment as non-eco-friendly materials used in traditional
marketing methods will be reduced.
Government. This study can contribute to the number of already existing researches
about digital marketing – a field that the government can further regulate by possibly
coming up with new laws like the imposition of taxes to influencers. The revenue from
such will increase government funds for public works and programs.
Future Researchers. This research can be a reference for future researchers as it is
expected that more studies are to be conducted since more businesses are anticipated to
continue using influencer marketing.
MSMEs. This study will give MSMEs knowledge about influencer marketing – if it
would be feasible for them to use it and if it would be advantageous for them.
Popular Brands. Through this research, the brands who are already using influencer
marketing can assess if it is effective enough to advance their business.

Social Media Influencers. This study states how the public view the influencers, and
from that, they can plan on how to improve their level of influence to reach more
audience and have more partnerships with different brands.
Definition of Terms
The following are some of the terms that are possible unfamiliar to readers and
literary critics of this study; hence the relevant definitions of such expressions are
provided:
Blog. It is publicly shared online content about one's insights or ideas commonly in
textual form.
Chatbots. Short for "chatterbots," refers to a computer program or an Artificial
Intelligence (AI) that simulates conversation using voice commands and/or text chats.
Digital Marketing. It is a marketing style wherein businesses and advertisers attempt to
reach customers using the internet.
E-Commerce. It refers to business transactions done via the internet.
Followers. It refers to persons whose decisions are greatly influenced by other people's
actions and opinions. In the social media context, these are users who have intentionally
chosen to follow other users to have quick access to the latter's accounts.
Hashtag. It is a word or phrase, unseparated by spaces and preceded by the pound or
number (#) symbol, which relates to the specific topic of articles, statuses, video and
photo posts, and other online content.
Influencers. These are persons who guide, lead, inspire, or persuade other people to
make certain decisions or actions. These are popular social media personalities who have
a large number of followers.
Influencer Marketing. It is a kind of digital marketing wherein advertisements and
endorsements are conveyed through social media influencers' online content.
Internet. It is a communications network that links computer networks worldwide,
providing countless benefits and vast information to users.
MSMEs. It stands for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises; these are businesses
considered to undertake smaller scale transactions compared to major companies and
corporations.
Persuasion. It denotes the process of inducing an idea affecting other people's thinking.
Social Media. It refers to means of communication wherein users make up online
communities to share messages, information, photos and videos, and other contents.
Subscribers. In the context of social media, these are people who follow influencers
officially by subscribing to their influencers' social media account/s. The number of
subscribers is a common basis to measure the popularity and success of influencers.
Trending. It talks about the current popular preferences or topics of the general public.
Vlog. It is a blog in the form of a video, usually done personally or with minimal help
from a production team.

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
The theories, articles, publications, and other researches related to this study are
summarized in this chapter to provide further information and a more in-depth
understanding of the topic.
Foreign Literature
Barker (2020) has published an article that explains the definite influence of
social media influencers on consumers' decision-making in purchasing products. As
people living in a "techie" world and having easy access to interact with friends and other
individuals, we can pay attention to the information posted on social platforms. Barker
states three ways on how social media influencers affect the psychological aspect of their
audience. One is building awareness. Social media influencers spend many years learning
how to live, survive, and gain an audience on social networks. They are much
knowledgeable in creating exciting content for the promotion. They can execute all the
facts about the product with a fun presentation; they provide shows through making
videos, live streams, skit, or vlogs as content to advertise a product. The second one is the
customer relationship. Social media influencers have many followers who might also
follow their interests. If people are aware of the influencers' knowledge and trust them,
they will also believe in the product they use. Lastly -- the unbiased opinion. Social
media influencers are excellent storytellers. They promote development without being
too "pushy." Plus, they explain the product/s in detail, from using the item, the contents,
facts, personal experience from using it, and even their honest overview, including the
positive and negative. These understandings are why influencers' would fit to do
endorsements.
According to Digital Market Institute (2019), social media has become part of our
daily lives, and the social influencers make a big appearance; Youtubers, Instagram stars,
Facebook vloggers, and Twitter personalities. Since they are trendy and well known on
social platforms, many companies trust them to advertise their product. In this article, the
publisher conducts some influencer marketing statistics. (1) 70% of teens trust social
media influencers more than traditional celebrities. In the survey, 4 out of 10 teenagers
agree that they purchase the product based on their favorite social media star promotion.
They said that they trust the product as the influencer explains it clearly to their
advertisement content. (2) 86% of women use social media as a purchasing guideline.
45% of the women claim that they are active in social media, and over half of the
percentage answered that influencer marketing content is the basis to buy the product. (3)
49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendation; they purchase the item after
being satisfied and believed in the influencer's overview about the product. (4) 22% of
the marketers hire influencers to promote their products. They say that hiring the more
cost-effective method of obtaining new consumers. (5) Influencer marketing surpassed
print marketing. Most companies claim that they save a lot of money from printing ads
such as newspapers and magazines; plus, they believe that hiring influencers deserve
spending their budget. (6) Facebook is the most influential Facebook social media
network. 19% of Facebook users agree that they have purchase items through this
website. (7) 60% of the consumers have been influenced by blogs and vlogs while
shopping at the store. Most of them purchased the product or went to a specific shop after
watching videos suggesting items from the influencers on Youtube. (8) Marketers believe
that influencer partnership benefits the business. 12% of the market professionals agree
that making influencers as ambassadors for their product promotes their goods and their
consumers' trust.
Grin's (2020) blog explains the psychology of influence; people want to become
different and seek belongingness; this is when persuasion happens, and people decide to
follow other suggestions. Business-minded people or entrepreneurs understand this
psychology of influence, so to gain more consumers, they find the best people to promote
their product, which is the social media influencers. Today, the traditional marketing
strategy is losing its purpose. Everything appears in the digital world. Many people,
especially millennials, are very focused on their mobile devices, browsing their social
media accounts, and following their favorite social media star; it is a good reason for the
company to trust their product to the influencers. In addition, the cost of hiring them,
including the script, content, and filming, is much more negotiable than casting
celebrities.
AdSpark Team (2016) shows the guides to influencer marketing. The first step is
to analyze what type of influencers to hire. The types of influencers include (1)
informers, (2) entertainers, (3) snoopers (4) infotainers. The second step is to determine
your target audience; it is necessary to know who the product is. Knowing your consumer
will be a great help to make a good story to connect with the product. The third step is to
review the content and the context of the advertisement. It is essential to know about the
product to achieve the perfect presentation. Lastly, take action. Influencers post their
finished work on different social platforms.
Libert (2019) explains what makes an influencer an influencer and its relationship
to its followers. The context of "influencer" does not only focuses on the person's
popularity and the number of followers they have; it is also about the right ones.
Followers are not classified as fans; they have a more profound understanding and
connection with the influencer they follow.
Regarding advertising the products, do not mistake the difference between
influencer marketing and celebrity endorsement and the followers and loyal fans. In
celebrity advertisement, primarily, the strategy is to attach the product with the artist's
popularity; unlike influencer marketing, the influencer explains the product and its
features. Loyal fans are more committed to the person or celebrity, while the followers
use influencers as their basis to know whom they will gather.
Chen (2020) explains the opportunity and changes in the social media world. One
of her examples is the official account of Instagram featuring different people. The
chance to be posted by the page can high the opportunity to become one of the greatest
influencers on Instagram. After getting exposure from the page, some people continue
their career to influence people using this platform and accept brand advertisements.
Chen also examples the quality and trend type of photo edits, which clearly explain the
rapid change of people's reference in social media. Same thing with the influencers; that
is why these people should be creative in making ideas to provide new content for their
followers.
According to Jin, Ryu, and Muqaddam (2019) in their published article about
Instagram celebrities and Traditional celebrities, consumers trust Instagram celebrities'
posts. They conclude that people can relate to the influencers' content more than
traditional celebrity commercials.
Vinelab (2020) discussed success in influencer marketing as something that
depends on the campaign. If the goal is to increase sales, but the activity detail spreads
awareness, you would measure the wrong things. If the goal is to raise awareness, it
would measure reach, plus retention and completion rates. A business or a company must
choose the "right" influencer for its brand. One should have the correct performance, the
right persona, and the right story -- someone who is "fit" for the brand. There is no magic
button to push that will choose an influencer. They must be fit in the perfect platform and
create appropriate content that will highlight the product and service being endorsed
without losing the entertainment value. Content remains a manual process of creation, but
the results of such content can be measured with precision.
Local Literature
According to StarNGage (2021), now that we are in the digital shift, the
Philippines has overtaken the global leader in one specific area: the number of hours
spent on social media. Tagged as the "social media capital of the world," it is a no-brainer
that the Philippines is eyed for social media marketing to prosper. The market potential
does not cease to grow as more Filipinos spend lots of time on social media.
Social media continues to evolve in the Philippines, and one of the trends is
influencer-generated content. Though not a new concept, it will remain a dominating
force in social media marketing. A study states that 78% of consumers choose brands and
companies that deliver custom content over those that do outright advertising. What will
continue to increase in popularity is interactive content. Sponsored content will be the
fastest-growing format in the next five years. It is predicted that traditional push
advertising such as online banner ads and pre-rolls will become obsolete, be lost, and
give way to more native forms of advertising.
Christine (2019) discussed influencer marketing being a trending topic wearing
brands are prioritizing collaborating with influencers to increase audience engagement.
Influence is what social media is all about. Gone are those days when companies were
able to control the narrative across media channels. Because of digital and social media,
consumers now have access to information. They do not just hear about brands in the
news or advertisements rolled out; they also now hear about products, services, and
brands from influencers who are fellow consumers.
Along with Facebook and YouTube, Instagram is also one of the most used social media
platforms locally. Whether it's handling an established brand or launching a new digital
or online business, entrepreneurs now consider collaboration with Instagram influencers
to boost their visibility and engagements.
According to the RedKite Digital Marketing Philippines (2021), one of the
essential questions businesses must ask themselves nowadays is if they need to
collaborate with social media influencers to promote their brand. Most probably, the
answer should be "yes." Brands can benefit from influencer marketing, but such
advantages will not be as equal as others, especially if the products and services are not
entirely fitting for social media influencers to cater to their audience. Products like
clothes, bags, food, and other consumable items are easier to promote. They are more
accessible for consumers to recognize and digest as they are lighter on the eyes and can
effortlessly be associated with the image influencer goals. Businesses in a heavier
industry like construction firms, makers of large equipment, and other outfits of the same
kind could be a challenge for social media marketing influencers and ultimately might
not push through at all. The nature of the business is still where the usage of a social
media influencer depends. An established brand that has been thriving for many years
without employing a social media influencer could still try what social media influencers
can provide for their business. It can be done by simply making a limited series or set of
posts about the brand and then determine from there if it is worth resuming.
Nowadays, social media influencers are the celebrity endorsers of the digital
world. They are on the rise and do not seem to be out of the scene anytime soon. Still, it
must be realized that they can only do so much advertising for the products and services.
The brand will still need to speak for itself through quality and customer service; if not,
the entire investment with influencer marketing will be meaningless.
Based on Sigil Digital Marketing (2019), the first advantage of influencer
marketing is to identify how to use its two types: earned influencer marketing and paid
influencer marketing. Reached influencer marketing pertains to unpaid collaborations and
works similar to an X-Deal. It means that a business will send an influencer their
products, then they will create contents that will either be a review of those products or
content that will mention them. It is ideal for smaller businesses attempting to have their
name out there without spending a fortune. On the other hand, paid influencer marketing
involves the company sponsoring the influencer themselves. It means that the business
will be paying them to post a specific kind of content based on the campaign. The
company can categorically state what kind of posts they want them to make or send the
key points they would like them to mention. The advantage of influencer marketing is
that consumers trust influencers as genuine and natural people, making it easier for them
to trust products shown to them.
Now that social media sites allow consumers to restrict ads, it has become hard
for brands and businesses to reach their target audience. Their audience trusts the
influencers because they regularly create contents that their viewers and followers can
relate to. The constant release of output develops respect and authority among the
viewers and the content creators. Influencer marketing is beneficial in the online world
because the businesses' products get promoted without needing to buy any ad space.
Curious to see just how well influencer marketing works? Well, besides developing a
trust for a particular product, these new consumers also establish trust for your company
itself. To form a stronger connection to this new market, it must make sure to have active
social media accounts on multiple or all top platforms if possible.
Propelrr (2021) stated that narrowing marketing budgets is the main reason why
influencer marketing has experienced challenges in the face of the pandemic. Budgets are
redirected towards conversion-driving efforts rather than awareness campaigns. However,

that doesn't mean that brands have been undervaluing influencer marketing altogether. In
fact, in May and June 2020, brands were seen to restart and even jumpstart in influencer
marketing services, although with changes in how business is done and measured. While
how much the pandemic has changed influencer marketing is still left to be seen, you can
get a clearer picture of how the local scene is doing with what these different influencers
have to say.
According to Kobe (2019), getting people to identify the brand is the first step in
promoting a business. However, establishing trust among the target customers sets the
brand apart from the competitors. Nowadays, gaining consumer trust is a tricky business.
The modern market is populated mainly with competitors who are also looking for
potential customers—as such, having an advantage among the rivals has become
increasingly difficult. The business's success in the competitive market depends on
innovative strategies to establish and reinforce consumer trust.
Influencer marketing is a marketing strategy that enters social media communities
through online content creators of influencers. Unlike a celebrity, an social media
influencer has built their name, image, and reputation through social media platforms.
Influencers actively engage themselves with a community of loyal followers. Fans who
trust influencer endorsements come from a genuine liking of the brand's product and
message. As a business collaborates with an influencer to promote a brand, building the
audience's trust is essential.
Apart from being highly effective, influencer marketing in the Philippines is easy.
Instead of focusing on a broad target audience, a business may market directly to several
influencers. Influencer marketing allows a brand to develop a mutually beneficial
relationship with influencers. This marketing approach will eventually enable the
company to establish meaningful connections with your target audience without
sacrificing authenticity.
Foreign Studies
Grafstrom, Jakobsson, and Wiede (2020) stated that influencer marketing affects
consumer behavior for various reasons. Primarily, the consumer must note the
collaboration between the company and the influencer; hence, the consumers must mind
the influencers' relevance to the product being endorsed or promoted and if they are using
them. If proven to be so, this will develop consumers' trust among the influencers.
Furthermore, a personal bond between the influencers and the consumers is vital
to establish. The failure to achieve such will result in business loss. Although vouchers,
freebies, gifts, etc., might not be costly for the company, the company's loss of trust in the
influencer-business partnership will eventually result in the loss of confidence towards
the entire company and collectively more significant sales loss. The key to a successful
collaboration is to genuinely convince the followers that the influencers genuinely use the
products. Contents that are not sponsored are thought to be authentic and convincing,
which leads to a higher conversion rate or, simply, to actual sales. The social media
influencers must also not forget why they caught the people's attention, have risen to
fame, and then be given the trust of the public and the businesses to tap them as their
endorsers. They should stick to their authenticity, being inspirational and entertaining.
After all, influencers are indeed opinion leaders who shoulder the responsibility to help
the public decide on consumer purchasing decisions and assist the businesses in
promoting their offerings. Thus, they have to stay relevant and reliable to maintain their
popularity and carry on such responsibility.
Manero and Navarro (2020) stated that corporate sustainability must be preserved
as commercial ads prevail on social media networks. Hence, it is essential to identify the
traits of the influencers. Macro-influencers, or those with 100,000 to 1 Million followers,
are thought to be more admirable and credible if they have a more polished and
professional image.
Meanwhile, micro-influencers, or those with 10,000 - 100,000 followers, get the
public's trust through their friendliness, closeness to the people, and naturalness.
Although the latter have fewer followers, they have a higher level of interaction, sharing,
and comments; therefore, they can reach a more specific and dedicated target audience.
Primarily, emotions stand out as the primary determinant of commitments. Micro-
influencers express themselves in a less structured and fluid way, and the followers
expect them as the source of positive emotions. On the other hand, macro-influencers
influence their followers with elements of appearance, elegance, and style. Although
macro-influencers have a larger audience, they seem to lack authenticity despite their
pleasantness. Ultimately, the transmission of emotions is the primary way to motivate
engagement.
Additionally, the researchers stated that influencers or ambassadors might face a
complicated future and probably need to reinvent themselves from time to time to retain
the names to the public and maintain their relevance. Many macro-influencers want to
change the term itself to make it sound more professional and formal. This idea came to
rise also because of the emergence of fake followers. As a counter-measurement, sites
such as Instagram regulate stricter rules and regulations in verifying accounts, those who
are awarded blue checks.
Nandagiri and Philip (2018) established in their study that consumers prefer
product reviews over direct advertisements; hence, it is naturally more compelling.
Influencers who feature product reviews are seen as more relevant because of their
authenticity, especially since the positive and negative sides of the product or service
being featured are stated, compared to advertisements that only showcase the good sides
of what is being featured offered. Therefore, people are engaged with them to relate to
them being actual users with honest comments. The customers' questions are directly
answered by watching the influencers practically using or enjoying the products or
services they feature -- this is why influencers are now extensively used by companies.
Baker (2018) found that millennial consumers are divided in their interest in
dealing with influencers. Though it may indicate their interest in influencers, this does
not mean a sure purchase as they still discern whether or not to believe what the
influencers show. An open, encouraging, and approachable influencer is trusted more by
the followers because of their relationship with their audience.
Moreover, the influencers' ability to relate to the public is considered critical in
continuing their engagements. Social media influencers are now taking television and
movie celebrities as endorsers because millennial consumers can relate to them more and
identify themselves. Still, brands such as the beauty industry need to be careful in
selecting the influencers they collaborate with. Not only the appearance but also the
influencers' credibility is being considered. They must have this persona of someone who
lives the same lives as their target audience. Also, they must appear reachable or
contactable by the consumers – something that celebrities do not have.
Another concern of millennial consumers is the photo and video editing by
influencers, and are much more common to celebrities featured indirect advertisements.
Generally, a product or person who has undergone too many edits is not trusted by
millennial consumers. Still, it boils down to the influencers' honesty, truthfulness, and
genuineness. Hence, it is essential to be realistic in the reviews and comments on the
featured products or services.
Padamanabhan (2019) focused on her research on the relationship of influencer
marketing to product placement – how a brand establishes its image through the help of
social media influencers. In general, influencers positively impact consumer response
towards a business's marketing efforts as most of their followers sees them as credible.
The reviews and insights influencers state in their contents affect the purchasing behavior
of the consumers. Moreover, sponsorship disclosure, or the deliberate mentioning that the
product or service being tested and reviewed, does not negatively affect the consumer
response and increases the credibility of the influencers because it shows their
transparency.
Shtern, Hill, and Chan (2018) examined in their study how influencers in the
Philippines understand and engage with their followers and their impact on them. Based
on their findings, creators of a higher socioeconomic status than their audiences succeed
in influencing them if they incorporate their content with the social realities. However, it
is still true that social media influencers, by producing content featuring products or
services, proactively use and review, or sponsored to them, cause commodification or
turn such products or services into a commodity. Because these online celebrities
influence followers, they look up to relate to them emotionally.
Additionally, Filipinos love entertainment and have long been desiring actual
relational interactions with celebrities. The emergence of social media personalities, who
are much more reachable and relatable, causes to influence more Filipinos. Businesses
see this as an opportunity to incorporate their brands into the entertaining content of the
influencers. Although the researchers' study suggests that creators show authenticity in
their engagements with their fans, only a deeper understanding of the audience can
identify if they are being manipulated through social media entertainment with
commercial practices.
In his research, Fotis (2015) stated that online creators commonly show on their
content that also dramatically influences their audience: travel. Social media is used as a
stimulus or an inspiration for the audience to do the same. Nowadays, businesses
collaborate with and invite influencers for a vacation and to experience the service they
render. The audience then would have an idea about those places and then assess if they
would go. Influencers give the audience information about the place's safety, details
about accommodation, and other small things that could be encountered during the trips
as they share them online. If a person has been successfully influenced and has decided to
make a trip, a common thing to do is to share his/her experience online. It will result in a
chain of influence among other social media users – this is proof of the influence of the
popular online content creators being opinion leaders.
Local Studies
Based on the study of De Guzman (2018), which focused on the students of
Apayao State College, most of the respondents are reasonably aware of their ethical level
in dealing with trends and issues that impact their academic performance and their use of
social media. Furthermore, their usage of social media influences their decisions in other
matters involving technology. However, the researcher also stated that Understanding the
ethical and moral reasoning of the student respondents could not be fully identified by
merely knowing their specific decisions through a set of questionnaires and determining
the reasons behind them by conducting more in-depth studies.
Concerning this same study, the responses of the students of Apayao State
College can be a factor to say that the students consider the values they witness and try to
emulate, whether deliberately or subconsciously, from the influencers they frequently see
online. Such values are an essential point to keep in mind when making decisions, such
as making actual purchases of the offerings the influencers promote.
Duque, San Antonio, and Brazil (2017) agreed that the current technology and
trends have significantly changed the whole world, one of which is how people
communicate using social media sites. This new socializing mode enables everyone to
reach others more quickly and conveniently; however, getting "addicted" to social media
may decrease their interest in other activities. It implies the pros and cons of social
media. On a positive note, based on the researchers' findings, social media do not always
cause harm but are most beneficial as it allows people to connect.
Additionally, contrary to the samples of the study they conducted, the researchers
believe that more variables could arise the respondents were not limited to only college
students. Aside from the demographic profiling they employed based on age, gender,
year level, and length of usage of the social media sites/apps, other factors like religion,
civil status, and nationality could have been identified.
Segismundo, Zacarias, Parinas, Gonzales, Gonzales, Panganiban, Magcamit, and
Ople (2016) arrived at the following conclusions that were derived from the findings
presented in their research: (1) For the majority of the companies, word-of-mouth
marketing is not yet an item that requires allocation of significant budget; (2) the growth
in spending for online social media and offline word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing is
expected; (3) WOM and Social marketing are much effective more than the traditional
marketing; (4) Marketers and entrepreneurs have identified the objectives of WOM
marketing and social media; (5) marketers and entrepreneurs have already taken many
WOM marketing strategies and tactics; (6) Marketers have expressed great satisfaction as
they employ WOM marketing tactics; (7) Most incorporate the terms WOM and Social as
offline and online marketing activities respectively; and (8) measurement problems are
considered as significant hindrances by small and medium businesses or enterprises.
Since major companies have expressed the need for word-of-mouth measurement
standards, developing practical measurement standards for the return on investment
(ROI) is necessary for offline WOMM and marketing via online social media.
According to Domanais, Dorado, and Penaflor (2019), ever since the development
and continuous evolution of technology in society, digital marketing has been an essential
part of every business. The constant changes in technologies paved the way for the
improvement of digital marketing, making it a factor in the success of established
companies and the new entrants in the industry. One of the sites where digital marketing
is prevailing is YouTube, a platform for countless creators or influencers, attracting a
massive portion of the whole market. Past research stated that YouTube content creators
impact society and the economy, particularly appealing to younger audiences. However,
there is not enough information about the actual figures about its substantial impact on
the entire digital marketing industry. The researchers' study condensed the basic statistics
about Yoaboutularly, the numbers of subscriptions, views, and content uploads relating to
the Philippines' top 100 YouTube communities. The researchers found out that there are
lots of marketing tools used by YouTubers when they are collaborating with different
brands.
Palma (2017) concluded in his study that there is a potential capacity for
increasing revenue even in coming up with just free advertisements on
Facebook. Organic reach is also proven to be effective in promoting a brand. It
contributes to the view that Facebook is an excellent marketing tool for businesses. In
return, Facebook is also immensely earning from advertising or sponsored online organic
reach. However, although Facebook is a less-costly option to promote products and
services, its success as a marketing tool still depends on the aggressiveness of the
promotion and the level of understanding of human emotions or consumer behavior.

Additionally, the researcher stated a relevant gap among its users, the marketers, and the
Facebook policies essential points of interest. Overall, businesses must consider chiefly
utilizing Facebook in their promotion as it allows increasing revenue and minimizes
advertising costs, which can eventually lead to optimizing entrepreneurial profit.
The study of Brillon and Padilla (2013) explored some ways by which sentiment
analysis can help in theorizing and the research of Filipino online users. While it is a tool
created by and from a western perspective, it can be used in local settings. Still, a more
in-depth study is required to understand its complexity or simplicity further and tackle its
capability to generate data considering the specifics of the Filipino culture. In the possible
local application of this tool, the actual formulation and development of means
appropriate to the realities of Philippine society should be taken into account. Some
methods are not barred by national boundaries but with the universal or international
application. They align with the firm scientific method with the proper and systematic
data gathering process towards resolving research problems.
Moreover, the researchers have observed that Filipinos have become interactive,
multi-taskers, and digitally motivated from being passive audiences. They now comprise
the market that participates in the local and global economy through their massive
engagements to different social media platforms. The average citizens are now given a
space to voice out their insights into issues concerning the public. The presence of the
masses is now heard and felt because of social media. Nowadays, the power and
influence of social media and its impacts on the social, political, and economic aspects of
its citizens' lives are very evident. Hence, the need to understand people's online
sentiments can assist in bringing the power to create and shape current discourse back to
the people.
Synthesis and Relevance to the Study
The related literature and studies state that trust is an essential factor that students
consider when choosing the influencers to follow and decide whether to purchase the
products and services they endorse. The same goes for businesses when choosing the
social media influencers to whom they entrust their brands. Influencer marketing does not
only affect a product item or a product line, but the whole organization as these endorsers
carry the name of their business. Accordingly, not all influencers are effective endorsers
because the consumers – due to their broad access to information and the ability to make
background checks to these online content creators -- can discern whether or not to trust
them depending on the image they present to the public.
The related literature and studies also state that most followers trust influencers more
than celebrity endorsers using straightforward commercials. More so, social media users
trust influencers who give truthful feedback on the products they review over those who
are just directly promoting sponsored brands. Also, the influencers being interactive and
deemed approachable seem to be dependable to deliver realistic feedback because the
public has this feeling that they can identify themselves with them.
The impact of influencers also does not end when a follower sees a video or any
online content. Word of mouth is still proven to be a powerful method in spreading
information and igniting interest among consumers. Commonly, an entertaining vlog is

shared, now more conveniently, on social media platforms. Thus, if a video content
features a product, the advertisement is distributed for free. This a win-win for the brand
and the influencer. Although there is no concrete method yet to compute the return on
investment (ROI) associated with the post-application of influencer marketing ads. Based
on the findings of the cited literature and studies, influencer marketing is an ideal
marketing strategy that businesses should employ to reach more potential customers.
Being the "social media capital" of the world, the Philippines is a good battleground for
primary players in the business sector and new entrants who are already using and are
inclined to use influencer marketing. Because of its relatively lower cost compared to
traditional advertising methods, quick conveyance of the advertising message to the
public, a vast audience because of the influencers' already established fan base. There are
also fewer restrictions on the duration of advertisements because influencers are free to
decide on how long their content would be.
All of the cited literature and studies are beneficial to the goal of this research to
assess the effectiveness of social media influencers in buying decisions of college
students. The information presented by these writings will serve as supporting data to the
findings that will arise upon the conclusion of this study.

CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter provides the detailed methodological approaches and procedures
utilized in this research to understand the study's objectives and arrive at the
determination of the findings appropriately. It also contains an in-depth discussion of
methods used in data collection, representation, and analysis. Furthermore, this chapter
generally narrates the profile of the respondents, the data-gathering instrument, and the
statistical treatment of the data.
Method of Research
To collect the vital information for this study, the researcher used the descriptive
method of research. Koh and Owen (2000) stated that descriptive research is a study of
status. It is widely used in nutrition, education, behavioral sciences, and epidemiology.
The assumption that problems can be solved and that practices improve through
observation, analysis, and description is the basis of its value. The most widely-used
descriptive method is the survey, including personal interviews, questionnaires,
normative surveys, and phone surveys.
For this particular study, the researcher will be utilizing the descriptive method as
it is the most suitable method for assessing the effectiveness of social media influencers
to buying decisions of college students. Accordingly, the researcher will be handing out
survey questionnaires to respondents, specifically the college students from the biggest
university and colleges in the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Ideally, the original
plan would be to distribute the instruments physically, but due to the presence of the
threats brought by the Covid19 pandemic, social distancing has to be observed. Hence,
the researcher will resort to distributing the survey questionnaires online via the
Facebook Messenger application.
Furthermore, the responses will be collected, be carefully calculated, evaluated,
and be truthfully presented to secure the integrity of the findings of this research. The
proper execution of this research method will ultimately result in the attainment of the
goal to come up with a valid and fruitful study.
Population, Sample Size, and Sampling Technique
The quota-sampling method was applied in the selection of the number of
respondents for this study. Aprameya (2016) defines quota sampling as a method wherein
the surveyed population is divided into subgroups. The subgroups are chosen respectively
to specific known features, interests, or traits. The people in the subgroups are chosen by
the researcher or interviewer who conducts the survey.
The total 137 college student respondents for this research was composed of the
following: ninety-two (92) college students from Bulacan State University - Sarmiento
Campus, twenty-two (22) college students from First City Providential College, and
twenty-three (23) college students from Collegio De San Gabriel Archangel. These
schools are all located within the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Recently, the city
has been proclaimed as a highly urbanized city under Proclamation No. 1057 by
President Duterte last December 6, 2020 (Ramos, 2020). Thus, malls and various dining
and other retail shops continue to increase. This means more products and services are
made available to the local customers, including the college students who have a high
level of mobility and average purchasing power.
he college student respondents for this research do not include those attending
schools apart from those previously stated: Bulacan State University-Sarmiento Campus,
First City Providential College, and Collegio De San Gabriel Arcangel. Additionally,
students who have temporarily left their college education, students who have recently
finished their studies, and students enrolled in graduate schools are not included as
participants of this survey.
Population
Location Schools Respondents
SY 2020-21
Bulacan State
4,815 92
University – SC
City of San Jose
Collegio De San
Del Monte, 3,000+/- 23
Gabriel Arcangel
Bulacan
First City Providential
4,000+/- 22
College
TOTAL 11,815 +/- 137
Table 1: Number of Respondents
Description of Respondents
The respondents for this research are from the three schools within the City of San
Jose del Monte, Bulacan offering tertiary education, specifically Bulacan State University
– Sarmiento Campus located in Brgy. Kaypian, First City Providential College located in
Francisco Homes, Brgy. Narra, and Collegio De San Gabrial Arcangel in Sapang Palay.
The respondents from the selected public school and private schools are college
students who ordinarily have broad access to the internet and frequent various social
media platforms. Thus, they have common knowledge about social media influencers, the
activities they do, the current trends, and the products and services they promote.
Furthermore, the chosen schools are close to shopping districts such as Tungkong
Mangga, Francisco Homes market, Palmera, Sampol, and major shopping malls in the
city, namely Starmall San Jose del Monte and SM City San Jose del Monte. It gives the
students convenient access to the products and services the social media influencers
promote.
Using the quota-sampling approach, a total of 137 college student respondents
were surveyed for this study. The respondents consist of 100 student respondents from
Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus, 50 student respondents from First City
Providential College, and 50 student respondents from Collegio De San Gabriel
Arcangel.
Though presumably having a high level of familiarity with social media
influencers, all of the respondents who will participate in the survey will still be asked to
confirm if they will have broad knowledge about them to ensure the validity of their
responses.
Research Instruments
The researcher has used a survey questionnaire as the primary research instrument
for data-gathering. Ultimately, the purpose of the survey is to help assess the
effectiveness of social media influencers in buying decisions of college students.
The questionnaire is divided into seven parts. Part one is the demographic profile
of the respondents entailing different information necessary in the determination of the
findings. Part two is about the college students' frequency of usage of the top social
media platforms. Part three is to identify the purpose of why college students use social
media. Part four refers to the forms of advertisements viewed involving social media
influencers. Part five is about the college students' motivation in viewing influencer
marketing advertisements. Part six refers to factors as to why college students are fond of
social media influencers. Part seven is to determine the effectiveness of influencer
marketing in guiding the buying decisions of college students. Finally, part eight solicits
recommendations from the respondents on how businesses and influencers can improve
their marketing methods to reach and convince more potential customers.
Overall, to avoid overwhelming the student respondents with a lengthy
questionnaire that may appear tedious to fill out, the researcher has decided to come up
with an all-in-all concise survey form including only the necessary questions that will be
vital to the arrival of the findings of this study.
Legend: Verbal Interpretation of the Computed Mean
Value of Weighted Measurement Verbal Interpretation

Mean Scales of
Weighted Mean
5 4.49-5.00 Always (Daily)

4 3.50-4.49 Often (Multiple Times a Week)
3 2.50-3.49 Sometimes (Once a Week)
2 1.50-2.49 Seldom (Once a Month)
1 1.00-1.49 Never (Haven’t Tried/Not Interested)
A five-point scale was be used for the determination of the frequency of usage of
top social media platforms, identification of the purpose of using social media, and
knowing the kinds and forms of influencer marketing advertisements that are viewed and
preferred by college students.
Value of Weighted Mean Measurement Scales of Verbal Interpretation

Weighted Mean
5 4.49-5.00 Strongly Agree
4 3.50-4.49 Agree
3 2.50-3.49 Neutral
2 1.50-2.49 Disagree
1 1.00-1.49 Strongly Disagree
Another five-point scale was used to identify their level of intention as they view
influencer marketing ads, the attributes they like about the social media influencers, and
to determine the effectiveness of social media influencers to buying decisions of college
students.
Data Gathering Procedure
The survey questionnaire which was the main instrument to gather data for this
research was checked, evaluated, and validated by the Business and Management
Department of Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus before releasing it to the
target respondents. After undergoing this process, the questionnaire was transformed into
a Google Form and were sent via online means such as making Facebook posts and
sending messages via Facebook Messenger. Instead of handing over the questionnaires
physically, the researcher has decided to do it via online means due to the restraints to
conducting physical contacts because of the ongoing global Covid19 pandemic to ensure
the safety of both the researcher and the respondents.
Furthermore, the survey form was designed to be concise and easily
understandable to not draw away the respondents' interest from answering the questions.
The researcher thoughtfully developed a short but essential set of questions based on
empirical observations as someone who identifies himself with the respondents.
After sending out the questionnaires, the responses were then collected, carefully
tallied, and evaluated to attain sound and justifiable results.
Statistical Treatment of the Data
Quantitative methods are employed to determine the following: a) the
demographic profiles of the respondents, b) the frequency of their usage of popular social
media platforms, c) their purpose for using social media, d) the usual kinds of
advertisements they view and prefer involving social media influencers, e) their
intentionality in viewing influencer marketing advertisements, f) the influencers'
attributes that appeal to the college students, g) the level of effectiveness of influencer
marketing to college students' buying decision, and h) to identify recommendations from
the respondents as to how businesses and influencers can do to improve their marketing
strategies.
The researcher calculated and assessed the gathered data using the following
statistical tools:
1. Percentage Frequency Distribution
It displays gathered data that states the percentage of observations that occur for
each or grouping of data points. It is a useful way of stating the relative frequency of
responses from surveys and other data. Usually, percentage frequency distributions are
presented in pie or bar graphs and tables (Lavrakas, 2008).
Accordingly, the total frequency of a particular item is divided by the number of
respondents then multiply it by one hundred to get the percentage:
f
%= x 100
N
Where:
f = Frequency
N = Total number of respondents
2. Weighted Mean
Glen (2021) explained Weighted Mean as "a kind of average wherein instead of
each data point contributing equally to the final mean, some data points contribute more'
weight, than others."
This equation should be followed to compute for the weighted mean:
Where:
Σ= summation
f = frequency
x = weight
n = number of observations
The ranking is used to arrange data, from highest to lowest.
CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION, ANALAYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter is comprised of the results of this study displayed in detailed
presentations and discussions of the gathered and analysed data from the survey
conducted. The sequence of data are organized according to the order of items on the
questionnaire.
1. Profile of Respondents
Table 3
Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents According to Age
Bulacan State
Collegio De San First City
University –
Gabriel Providential TOTAL
Sarmiento
Age Arcangel College
Campus
f % f % f % f %
33 and
2 2% 1 4.4% 0 0% 3 2.2%
above
28-32 10 11% 4 17.4% 0 0% 14 10.2%
23-27 36 39% 6 26% 2 9% 44 32.1%
18-22 44 48% 12 52.2% 20 91% 76 55.5%
Total 92 100% 23 100% 22 100% 137 100%
Results show that majority of the respondents are of ages 18-22 with 55.5%,
followed by those who are at 23-27 years old with 32.1%. 28-32 years old are at 10.2%
while ages 33 years old and above are at 2.2%. This implies that the younger people are
more frequent users of social media hence, they usually see social media influencers
more often.
According to Perrin (2015), 90% of young adults ages 18-29 use social media.
The number has continued to grow over the years due to improvements to access to the
internet and the continued number of social media platforms.
Table 4
Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents According to Gender
Bulacan State
University –
Sarmiento
Gender Arcangel College
Campus
f % f % f % f %
Male 22 24% 4 17% 7 32% 33 24.1%
Female 64 69.5% 14 61% 13 59% 91 66.4%
LGBTQIA+ 6 6.5% 5 22% 2 9% 13 9.5%
Total 92 100% 23 100% 22 100% 137 100%
Table 4 shows the demographic profile of respondents by gender and it shows that
most of the respondents are female with 66.4%. Males are at 24% while the members of
the LGBTQIA+ are at 9.5%.
Women are likely to use social networking sites more than men. In 2005, only 6%
of women in America used social media -- a little less than men at 8%. But over the
years, women have proven to gain more interest in it. In 2015, more women use social
media as compared to men with 68% and 62% respectively (Perrin, 2015).
Table 5
Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents According to Civil
Status
Bulacan State
University –
Sarmiento
Civil Status Arcangel College
Campus
f % f % f % f %
Single 90 98% 21 91% 22 100% 133 97%
Married 2 2% 2 9% 0 0% 4 3%
Single Parent 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Total 92 100% 23 100% 22 100% 137 100%
The results show that 97% of respondents are single while 3% are married. This is
in relation to the majority of the respondents who are of ages 18-27. However, it is also
proven that single people use social media more than those who have partners or spouses.
According to Vogels and Anderson (2020), singles really use social media more
often compared to those who are in a relationship. This is because they have more
freedom and time to use their gadgets. People who have partners tend to see frequent
usage of gadgets and social media as distraction.

Table 6
Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondents According to
Occupational Status
Bulacan State
Collegio De First City
University –
Occupational San Gabriel Providential TOTAL
Sarmiento
Arcangel College
Status Campus
f % f % f % f %
Full-Time Student 70 76% 10 43.5% 18 81.8% 98 72%
Working Student 16 17% 3 13% 3 13.6% 29 21%
Self-Employed/ 6 7% 10 43.5% 1 4.5% 10 7%

Business Owner
Total 92 100% 23 100% 22 100% 137 100%
Table 6 shows that 72% of the respondents are full-time students. 21% are
working students while 7% are self-employed or owners of their own businesses. Since
majority of the respondents belong to the youngest age range for this study (18-22), most
of them would normally be full-time students. Restrictions due to the current Covid19
pandemic also contribute as to why students have less opportunity to gain employment.
The survey instrument for this research was also sent through online means
particularly via social media. According to St. Cloud Technical & Community College
(2017), social media is deemed as a diversion from work and its heavy usage affects one's
productivity. This is why less working students responded to the survey.

2. How frequent do college students use the popular social media platforms?
Table 7
College Students’ Usage Frequency of Popular Social Media Sites
BulSU-SC CDSGA FCPC Grand Verbal Rank

n=92 n=23 n=22 Weighted Mean Interpretation
N=137
Weighted Weighted Weighted
mean mean mean
Facebook 4.68 4.78 4.45 4.66 Always 1
Instagra
m 3.47 3.09 3.59 3.42 Sometimes 3
TikTok 3.03 2.96 3.64 3.12 Sometimes 4
Twitter 2.4 2.43 2.95 2.5 Sometimes 5
YouTube 4.15 3.91 4.36 4.15 Often 2
TOTAL GRAND MEAN 3.57 Often
Facebook tops as the most frequently used social media site of the respondents
with 4.66% followed by YouTube with 4.15%. 3.42% of the respondents also use
Instagram, while TikTok and Twitter are used by 3.12% and 2.5% of college students
respectively.
According to Sanchez (2021), for the third quarter of 2020, the most used social
networking platforms in the Philippines are Youtube, followed by Facebook (and
Facebook Messenger), Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok. Furthermore, Filipinos are nearly
spending an average of four hours on social media every day – the highest in the whole
world (Chua, 2021).

3. What are the college students' purposes for using social media?
Table 8
The Purpose Why College Students Use Social Media

N=92 N=23 N=22 Weighted Interpretation
Mean
Weighted Weighted Weighted N=137
mean mean mean
a. I use social media for
entertainment 4.58 4.52 4.95 4.63 Always 2
b. I use social media for
communication 4.72 4.91 4.91 4.82 Always 1
c. I use social media to
look for and buy
products and services. 3.65 3.78 3.95 3.72 Often 3
d. I use social media to
promote my business. 3.2 3.7 3.41 3.31 Sometimes 4
Communication is the main purpose why people use social media according to
majority of the respondents with 4.82 weighted mean. Second on the rank with 4.63
weighted mean is for entertainment purposes, followed by the purpose of looking for and
buying products and services with 3.72 weighted mean. Last on the ranking is for the
purpose of product with 3.31 weighted mean.
Wersm.com (2018) published a Q3 2017 Global Web Index report stating that “to
stay in touch” is the topmost reason why people around the world use social media. On
the top 10 list, “to find funny or entertaining content” is on the fourth spot while “to
research new products to buy” is ninth on the list.
4. What are the kinds of advertisements do college students currently see and prefer
to view featuring social media influencers?
Table 9
The Forms of Social Media Ads that College Students Currently See

n=92 n=23 n=22 Weighted Interpretation
Mean
mean mean mean
a. Online
commercials 4.3 4.48 4.32 4.34 Often 1
b. Sponsored
Vlogs/Photos 4.09 3.91 3.86 4.02 Often 2
c. Product
Reviews 3.86 3.52 4 3.82 Often 3
d. Raffles and
Giveaways 3.52 3.09 3.41 3.43 Sometimes 4
Table 9 shows that “online commercials” featuring social media influencers are
the most visible according to the majority of respondents with 4.34 weighted mean,
followed by “sponsored vlogs/photos” with 4.02 weighted mean. Third on the ranking
with 3.82 weighted mean are “product reviews,” while “raffles and giveaways” came last
with only 3.34 weighted mean.

According to Global Web Index (2019), marketers and brands still do not
understand that consumers are increasingly expecting to have full control of what they
would like see on the internet. This is why many companies still produce ads but now
featuring influencers rather than the traditional celebrities because of their popularity on
the internet.
Table 10
The Forms of Social Media Ads that College Students Prefer to See

Mean
mean mean mean
a. Online
commercials 3.93 3.74 4 3.91 Often 2
b. Sponsored
Vlogs/Photos 3.72 3.74 3.32 3.66 Often 4
c. Product
Reviews 4.08 4.13 4.23 4.11 Often 1
d. Raffles and
Giveaways 3.8 3.57 3.9 3.77 Often 3
“Sponsored vlogs/photos” is the topmost choice of the college student
respondents as the form of social media ad they prefer to see with 4.11 weighted mean,
followed by online commercials with 3.91 weighted mean. On the third rank with 3.77
weighted mean are “raffles and giveaways.” “Sponsored vlogs/photos” is on the last spot
with 3.66 weighted mean.

Djafarova and Rushworth (2017) stated that influencers who do product reviews
have notable impact on purchasing behavior because of their perceived authenticity,
relatability, and reliability.
Table 11
Products and Services College Students Currently See in Social Media Ads

Mean N=137
mean mean mean
a. Food 4.49 4.48 4.64 4.51 Always 1
b. Clothing 4.43 4.57 4.5 4.47 Often 2
c. Personal Care 4.03 4.13 4.41 4.11 Often 3
d. Automobiles 3.55 3.35 3.32 3.48 Sometimes 6
e. Luxury Items 3.59 6.7 3.5 3.59 Often 5
f. Travels 3.59 6.7 3.91 3.66 Often 4
g. Services
(grooming,
wellness, etc.) 3.15 3.22 3.36 3.2 Sometimes 7
Ads about food items are “always” visible and ranked first among other products
promoted on social media with 4.51 weighted mean. It is followed by “clothing” on the
second rank and “personal care” items on the third rank with 4.47 and 4.11 weighted
means respectively. “Travels” is on the fourth spot with 3.66 weighted mean and “luxury
items is on the fifth rank with 3.59 weighted mean. “Automobiles” and “services
(grooming, wellness, etc.)” are only seen “sometimes” with 3.48 and 3.2 weighted means.
According to Bisnar (2017), 49% of all food and beverage industry use social
media as the main method to attract and retain customers. Constant online advertisements
allow customers to be aware of promotions and other marketing efforts by the food
companies.
Table 12
Products and Services College Students Prefer to See in Social Media Ads

Mean
mean mean mean
a. Food 4.65 4.7 4.81 4.69 Always 1
b. Clothing 4.48 4.43 4.91 4.54 Always 2
c. Personal Care 4.05 4.04 4.27 4.09 Often 3
d. Automobiles 3.58 3.78 3.64 3.62 Often 5
e. Luxury Items 3.37 3.87 3.6 3.49 Sometimes 6
f. Travels 3.77 3.96 4.27 3.88 Often 4
g. Services
(grooming,
wellness, etc.) 3.24 3.35 3.59 3.31 Sometimes 7
Majority of the respondents prefer to “always” see “food” products in social
media ads. It is on the first rank with 4.69 weighted mean, followed by “clothing” at 4.54
weighted mean and “personal care” with 4.09 weighted mean. On the fourth spot with
3.88 weighted mean are “travels” while “automobiles” is on the fifth spot with 3.62
weighted mean. The respondents only want to see “luxury items” and “services
(grooming, wellness, etc.)” just “sometimes” with 3.49 and 3.31 weighted means
respectively.
AnyMindGroup.com (2020) stated that food and beverage, fashion, beauty, and
travel are the top influencer categories with highest engagement rates. This proves social
media users’ interest to such products hence, their willingness to view ads about them.
5. How intentional are the college students in terms of watching/viewing ads by
social media influencers?
Table 13
College Students’ Intentionality in Watching Influencer Marketing Ads
BulSU- Grand Verbal Rank

SC CDSGA FCPC Weighted Interpretation
n=92 n=23 n=22 Mean
N=137
mean mean mean
a. I search for and watch
my favorite influencer/s,
then I learn about a
product or service they
endorse. 3.75 3.52 4.05 3.76 Agree 3
b. I initially search for a
specific product or service
I am interested with, then I
see that influencers are
endorsing/reviewing them. 4.08 3.87 4.27 4.07 Agree 1
c. I just see ads by
influencers randomly. 3.85 3.74 3.91 3.84 Agree 2
TOTAL GRAND MEAN 3.89 Agree
Based on the results, majority of the respondents, with 4.07 weighted mean, do
not intend to watch influencer marketing ads on social media deliberately. Instead, if they
are interested with particular products or services, they would search of them then they
just see that some influencers advertise them.
According to Joa, Kim, and Ha (2018), online viewers watch mandatory ads more
than the ones that can be skipped. This implies social media users' lack of interest and
intentionality in viewing influencer marketing ads.
6. Why do you like social media influencers?
Table 14
Attributes why College Students Like Social Media Influencers
BulSU-SC Grand Verbal Rank

CDSGA FCPC Weighted Interpretation
n=92 n=23 n=22 Mean
N=137
mean mean mean
a. I like influencers
because of their looks. 3.23 2.7 3.27 3.15 Neutral 5
b. I like influencers
because of their sense
of humor. 3.96 4.3 4.45 4.09 Agree 3
c. I like influencers
because of their
honesty and
authenticity. 4.08 4.22 4.55 4.18 Agree 2
d. I like influencers
because of their
talents/skills (Gaming,
Cooking, Dancing,
Singing, etc.). 4.08 4.35 4.55 4.2 Agree 1
e. I like foreign
influencers more than
the local ones. 3.33 3 3.14 3.24 Neutral 4
f. I do not like social
media influencers. 2.75 2.52 2.36 2.65 Neutral 6
Table 14 shows that most of the respondents like influencers because of their
talents or skills with 4.2 weighted mean, followed by their honesty and authenticity, as
well as their sense of humor with 4.18 and 4.09 weighted means respectively. A number
of respondents also stated that they like foreign influencers more than the local ones with
3.24 weighted mean, while the looks of the influencers are stated to be the attribute the
respondents like about them with 3.15 weighted mean. Some respondents expressed that
they do not link social media influencers with 2.65 weighted mean.
Marwick (2015) stated that the traditional fame drivers such as talents and skills
still apply for diginal celbrities in order to build an audience and sustain their fame.
Moreover, according to Ahmad (2017), people and brands now trust influencers over
celebrities because of their authenticity and being more interactive.
7. How effective is influencer marketing?
Table 15
The Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing Ads
BulSU- Grand Verbal Rank

SC CDSGA FCPC Weighted Interpretation
n=92 n=23 n=22 Mean

mean mean mean
a. Online commercials
featuring influencers
attract customers. 4.24 4.3 4.5 4.29 Agree 1
b. I can sense if the
featured
products/services in
influencers’ contents
were sponsored or not. 4 4.13 4.41 4.09 Agree 2
c. I trust unsponsored
product/service reviews
by influencers. 3.61 3.57 4.14 3.69 Agree 3
d. I trust sponsored ads
and commercials
featuring influencers. 3.47 3.43 3.86 3.53 Agree 6
e. I tell my family and
friends about the
products and services
influencers promote. 3.68 3.13 3.64 3.58 Agree 5
f. I only buy
products/services
promoted by my favorite
influencers. 3 2.57 3.32 2.98 Neutral 9
g. I trust product/service
reviews even by
influencers whom I don’t
like that much. 3.47 2.91 3.45 3.37 Neutral 7
h. I buy unknown
products and/or services
that came to my
knowledge because of
influencers' promotion. 3.25 2.96 3.45 3.25 Neutral 8
i. I buy all products
endorsed by my favorite
social media influencers. 2.89 2.74 2.95 2.88 Seldom 10
j. Overall, influencers
are effective endorsers. 3.52 3.7 4.14 3.65 Agree 4
According to the majority of respondents, online commercials featuring social
media influencers attract customers with 4.29 weighted mean. Most of the respondents
also can sense if the featured products/services in influencers’ contents were sponsored or
not, with 4.09 weighted mean. On the third rank with 3.69 weighted mean, the
respondents stated that they trust unsponsored product/service reviews by influencers.
And overall, the college students expressed that influencers are effective endorsers, with
3.65 weighted mean. Moreover, a significant number of respondents, with 3.58 weighted
mean, also stated that they tell their families and friends about the products and services
they see in influencer marketing ads.
On the sixth rank with 3.53 weighted mean, some respondents stated that they
trust sponsored ads and commercials featuring influencers while some college students
expressed that they trust product/service reviews even by influencers whom they do not
like that much, with 3.37 weighted mean. With only 3.25 weighted mean at the eighth
rank, some students only buy unknown products and/or services that became aware of
because of influencers' promotion and on the ninth rank with 2.98 weighted mean, other
students stated that they only buy products or services promoted by their favorite
influencers. Lastly, just a few students, with only 2.88 weighted mean, said that they buy
all products endorsed by their favorite social media influencers.

According to Poyry, Pelkonen, Naumanen, and Laaksonen (2019), the brand-
influencer collaboration's application of celebrity-like appeal plus their perceived
authenticity has a positive great effect on consumers' purchase intentions. Based on the
findings of their study, the photos of social media influencers increase purchase
intentions more than those of general celebrities. Accordingly, utilizing social media
influencers are now being practiced by many organizations as a communication channel
to reach more customers.
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of social media
influencers to buying decisions of college students. To accomplish such goal, it was
essential to conduct a survey in order to gather data from college students currently
attending Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus, Collegio De San Gabriel
Arcangel, and First City Providential College all located in the San Jose del Monte City,
Bulacan. The researcher used descriptive research design and different statistical tools
specifically frequency and percentage distribution, and weighted mean and ranking were
employed for this study. This chapter communicates the conclusions and
recommendations that emerged from the findings of this study.
For the safety of all individuals involved, the research instrument was distributed
via online means due to the constraints brought about by the current pandemic. The
survey questionnaire was transcribed onto a Google Form and the link was posted on the
researcher's personal Facebook account and was sent to potential respondents. All
respondents were asked about their demographic information in relation to the topic of
this research. They were asked about their usage frequency of the popular social
networking platforms namely Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter as
well as their purpose why they use social media. They were asked about the forms of
advertisements and the kinds of products they currently see and the ones they would
prefer to see in influencer marketing ads. They were asked questions to measure their
intentionality in terms of viewing ads featuring influencers as well as the reasons as to
why they are fond of them. They were also asked to rate statements in order to determine
the effectiveness of influencer marketing ads.
Overall, the attempt to assess the effectiveness of social media influencers to
college students' buying decision was successful. The summary of findings that prevailed
out of this research process are as follows:
1. Profile of Respondents
The 137 total respondents are composed of 92 college students from Bulacan
State University – Sarmiento Campus, 23 from Collegio De San Gabriel Arcangel, and
22 from First City Providential College. The results derived from the survey returns show
that 55.5% of the respondents are of ages 18-22. 32.1% are of ages 27-27, 10.2% are of
ages 28-32, while only 2.2% are of ages 33 years old and above. In terms of gender, most
of the respondents are female with 66.4%. Males are at 24% while the members of the
LGBTQIA+ are at 9.5%. As regards to marital status, 97% of respondents are single
while only 3% are married. As to their occupational status, 72% of the respondents are
full-time students, 21% are working students, while 7% are self-employed or owners of
their own businesses.
2. College Students’ Usage Frequency of Popular Social Media Sites
Facebook tops as the most frequently used social media site of the respondents
with 4.66% followed by YouTube with 4.15%. 3.42% of the respondents also use
Instagram, while TikTok and Twitter are used by 3.12% and 2.5% of college students
respectively.
3. The Purpose Why College Students Use Social Media
Communication is the main purpose why people use social media according to
majority of the respondents with 4.82 weighted mean. Second on the rank with 4.63
weighted mean is for entertainment purposes, followed by the purpose of looking for and
buying products and services with 3.72 weighted mean. Last on the ranking is for the
purpose of product with 3.31 weighted mean.
4. Kinds of advertisements college students see featuring social media influencers
“Online commercials” featuring social media influencers are the most visible
according to the majority of respondents with 4.34 weighted mean, followed by
“sponsored vlogs/photos” with 4.02 weighted mean. Third on the ranking with 3.82
weighted mean are “product reviews,” while “raffles and giveaways” came last with only
3.34 weighted mean.
With regards to the forms of ads the respondents would prefer to see, “sponsored
vlogs/photos” is the topmost choice of the college student with 4.11 weighted mean,
followed by online commercials with 3.91 weighted mean. On the third rank with 3.77
weighted mean are “raffles and giveaways.” “Sponsored vlogs/photos” is on the last spot
with 3.66 weighted mean.
In terms of the products and services college students currently see in social
media ads, Ads about food items are “always” visible and ranked first with 4.51 weighted
mean. It is followed by “clothing” on the second rank and “personal care” items on the
third rank with 4.47 and 4.11 weighted means respectively. “Travels” is on the fourth
spot with 3.66 weighted mean and “luxury items is on the fifth rank with 3.59 weighted
mean. “Automobiles” and “services (grooming, wellness, etc.)” are only seen
“sometimes” with 3.48 and 3.2 weighted means.
Majority of the respondents prefer to “always” see “food” products in social
media ads. It is on the first rank with 4.69 weighted mean, followed by “clothing” at 4.54
weighted mean and “personal care” with 4.09 weighted mean. On the fourth spot with
3.88 weighted mean are “travels” while “automobiles” is on the fifth spot with 3.62
weighted mean. The respondents only want to see “luxury items” and “services
(grooming, wellness, etc.)” just “sometimes” with 3.49 and 3.31 weighted means
respectively.
5. College Students’ Intentionality in Watching Influencer Marketing Ads
Based on the results, majority of the respondents, with 4.07 weighted mean, do
not intend to watch influencer marketing ads on social media deliberately. Instead, if they
are interested with particular products or services, they would search of them then they
just see that some influencers advertise them.

6. Attributes why College Students Like Social Media Influencers
Most of the respondents like influencers because of their talents or skills with 4.2
weighted mean, followed by their honesty and authenticity, as well as their sense of
humor with 4.18 and 4.09 weighted means respectively. A number of respondents also
stated that they like foreign influencers more than the local ones with 3.24 weighted
mean, while the looks of the influencers are stated to be the attribute the respondents like
about them with 3.15 weighted mean. Some respondents expressed that they do not link
social media influencers with 2.65 weighted mean.
7. The Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing Ads
According to the majority of respondents, online commercials featuring social
media influencers attract customers with 4.29 weighted mean. Most of the respondents
also can sense if the featured products/services in influencers’ contents were sponsored or
not, with 4.09 weighted mean. On the third rank with 3.69 weighted mean, the
respondents stated that they trust unsponsored product/service reviews by influencers.
And overall, the college students expressed that influencers are effective endorsers, with
3.65 weighted mean. Moreover, a significant number of respondents, with 3.58 weighted
mean, also stated that they tell their families and friends about the products and services
they see in influencer marketing ads.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, the following conclusions were determined:

1. Young female college students, ages 18-22 are the most frequent users of social media
among other age and gender groups. They are also single and are studying full-time –
attributes that allow them to have more time for social media.
2. Facebook is the most used social networking site by the college students among other
popular platforms.
3. Communication and entertainment are the main purposes why college students engage
themselves to social media.
4. Currently, online commercials featuring social media influencers are the most visible
form of influencer marketing ads. Although it is also proven to be one of the preferred
types of ads by the college students, product reviews are what they prefer to see the most.
As regards to products and services, the ones that they currently see already match the
products that they prefer to see in social media ads – food, clothing, and personal care
items.
5. College students do not deliberately search for or view advertisements featuring social
media influencers.
6. The influencers’ talents and skills, and their perceived authenticity and honesty are the
qualities that college students like about them.
7. The college students agree that online commercials featuring influencers attract
customers. In particular, they trust influencers’ unsponsored product or service reviews.
Comprehensively, college students agree that featuring influencers in social media ads is
effective in terms of affecting their buying decisions.
Recommendations
The researcher emerged with the following recommendations based on the
abovementioned findings:
1. Since social media influencers have already caught the liking of the younger
generation, they must come up with strategies such as creating contents patterned to the
interests of older “netizens.” If such attempts would be successful, they would be able to
gain their interest and trust, hence a wider audience to market the brands they are
entrusted to partner with.
2. This study has proven that Facebook and YouTube are truly the most popular social
media platforms to college students. Accordingly, the researcher suggests that brands and
influencers continue to release marketing materials on such sites. Moreover, brands and
influencers must share their contents to other platforms as they too are frequently visited
by customers. It is advisable to employ all possible means to reach more potential
customers.
3. Since communication and entertainment top as the main purposes why college students
use social media, food companies must target these functions as to where they will
incorporate their marketing strategies. A practical example is to integrate their logos and
other distinctive symbols as message stickers and as photo filters.
4. Apart from producing online commercials starring social media celebrities, brands
must also do more collaborations with influencers to do honest reviews for their products
and services. It will signify triple win benefitting all the parties involved – the brands
who will be able to get straightforward feedbacks for the products and services they offer
and eventually gain more public trust; the influencers who will consequently improve
their image as genuine and credible; and the customers who will be able to know the
insights of other consumers. As to the customers’ choice of products and services,
businesses offering food, clothing, and personal care items must continue their current
influencer marketing campaigns. Other organizations of similar nature must also practice
the same as it is proven to be effective.
5. To reach more college students, who have low level of intentionality of viewing
influencer marketing ads, brands should simply increase the visibility of their ads by
posting them to all social media sites if possible.
6. Brands must tap more influencers who specialize in certain fields showcasing
particular talents and skills. Say an influencer whose content is mainly about cooking will
be an effective endorser for a condiment brand. Actual usage of a product they promote
speaks authenticity.
7. As influencer marketing is proven to be generally effective, all related sectors must be
knowledgeable about it in order to fully appreciate this innovative way of reaching more
target customers. Information drive on how to collaborate with influencers can be done
by establishing an agency for local influencers that businesses can easily get in touch
with. Their services can also be introduced to business owners through partnerships with
financial organizations such as cooperatives. Generally speaking, influencer marketing
must be formally recognized as a legitimate industry.
8. 8. Lastly, the summary of the actual recommendations from the respondents states that
brands and influencers must really exert effort in showing honesty and authenticity. This
can be done by avoiding overreactions when influencers review a brand and by regularly
keeping the public posted about such particular products and services as they consistently
use them. Doing this builds trust – a foundation to a more sustainable industry.
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APPENDIX 1
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
AN ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO BUYING
DECISIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS
(English Questionnaires)
I, Toby Fernando, a 4th-year BSBA-Marketing Marketing student at Bulacan

State University- Sarmiento Campus, am kindly asking for your precious time to answer
all the questions in the survey form that are important and helpful for the completion of
my study. Rest assured that all data gathered from you will be kept with the highest level
of confidentiality.
Direction: Please put a check mark (√) in the box (□) that corresponds your answer.
Part 1. Demographic Profile

Name (Optional): ___________________________
1.1 Age 1.4 University/College Attending

□ 18-22 □ Bulacan State University – Sarmiento Campus
□ 23-27 □ First City Providential College
□ 28-32 □ Collegio De San Gabriel Arcanghel
□ 33 and above
1.2 Gender 1.5 Occupational Status

□ Male □ Full-Time Student
□ Female □ Working Student
□ LGBTQIA+ □ Self-Employed/Business Owner
1.3. Civil Status

□ Single
□ Married
□ Single Parent
Part 2. College Students’ Frequency of Usage of Popular Social Media Platforms
Instruction: Please put a check (√) mark on the box that best represents your answer.
Value Verbal Interpretation

5 Always (Daily)
4 Often (Multiple Times a Week)
3 Sometimes (Once a Week)
2 Seldom (Once a Month)
1 Never (Haven’t Tried/Not Interested)
2. How frequent do you visit the following social media 5 4 3 2 1

sites?
a. Facebook
b. Instagram
c. TikTok
d. Twitter
e. Youtube
3. How frequent do you use social media for the following
purposes?
a. I use social media for entertainment
b. I use social media for communication
c. I use social media to look for and buy products/services.
d. I use social media to promote my business.
4. Forms of advertisements seen involving social media
influencers:
4.1. What forms of social media ads do you currently see?
b. Sponsored Vlogs/Photos
c. Product Reviews
d. Raffles and Giveaways
4.2. What forms of social media ads would you prefer to
see?
b. Sponsored Vlogs/Photos
d. Product Reviews
e. Raffles and Giveaways
4.3. What kinds of products/services do you currently see
in social media ads?
a. Food
b. Clothing
c. Personal Care
d. Automobiles
e. Luxury Items
f. Travels
g. Services (grooming, wellness, etc.)
4.4. What kinds of products/services would you prefer to
see in social media ads?
a. Food
b. Clothing
c. Automobiles
d. Personal Care
e. Luxury Items
d. Travels
e. Luxury Items
f. Travels
g. Services (grooming, wellness, etc.)
Instruction: Please put a check (√) mark on the box that best represents your answer.
Value Verbal Interpretation

5 Strongly Agree
4 Agree
3 Neutral
2 Disagree
1 Strongly Disagree
5. How intentional are you in terms of watching/viewing 5 4 3 2 1

ads by social media influencers?
a. I search for and watch my favorite influencer/s, then
I learn about a product or service they endorse.
b. I initially search for a specific product or service I

am interested with, then I see that influencers are
endorsing/reviewing them.
c. I just see ads by influencers randomly.
6. Why do you like social media influencers?
a. I like influencers because of their looks.
b. I like influencers because of their sense of humor.
c. I like influencers because of their honesty and
authenticity.
d. I like influencers because of their talents/skills
(Gaming, Cooking, Dancing, Singing, etc.).
e. I like foreign influencers more than the local ones.
f. I do not like social media influencers.

7. How effective is influencer marketing?
a. Online commercials featuring influencers attract

customers.
b. I can sense if the featured products/services in
influencers’ contents were sponsored or not.
c. I trust unsponsored product/service reviews by
influencers.
d. I trust sponsored ads and commercials featuring
influencers.
e. I tell my family and friends about the products and
services influencers promote.
f. I only buy products/services promoted by my
favorite influencers.
g. I trust product/service reviews even by influencers
whom I don’t like that much.
h. I buy unknown products and/or services that came
to my knowledge because of influencers' promotion.
i. I buy all products endorsed by my favorite social
media influencers.
j. Overall, influencers are effective endorsers.
Part 8. Recommendations for businesses and/or influencers to improve their
marketing strategies: (Kindly state your answer.)

___________________________________________________________________
Thank you very much for answering this survey!
APPENDIX 2
Republic of the Philippines

BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Sarmiento Campus
Business Administration Department

ADVISER’S ACCEPTANCE FORM
Mr. Jason Santos

Hereby accepts the proponents:
1. Fernando, Toby O.
as thesis advisees for their study;
An Assessment Unto The Efficacy Of Social

Media Influencers In Terms Of Sales As
Perceived By College Students
for the school year 2020-2021
Conforme:
______________________
APPENDIX 3

Sarmiento Campus
Business Administration Department

ADVISER’S ENDORSEMENT
This thesis entitled AN ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO BUYING DECISIONS OF COLLEGE
STUDENTS has been examined and recommended for oral examination.
MR. JASON C. SANTOS, MBA.

Adviser
Approved by the Panel of Examiners on oral examination with a grade of

_____.
Dr. Bebina Pakig

Chairperson
Ms. Sarah Jane T. Haber, MBA Mr. Gerard Corpuz, LPT, MBA
Member Member
Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of

Science of Business Administration Major in Marketing Management
Jofrey R. Campos, DPA

Head, BA Department
APPENDIX 4

Sarmiento Campus
TITLE APPROVAL SHEET
This thesis hereto entitled:
“An Assessment unto the Effectiveness of Social Media Influencers to Buying

Decisions of College Students”
Prepared and submitted by
Toby O. Fernando
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Marketing
Management is recommended for acceptance and approval.
Mr. Jason Santos

Thesis Adviser
Cherry Lynne A. Chavez, MBA
Thesis Professor

Toby Fernando Ch1 5

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BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY – SARMIENTO CAMPUS 1

Philippine Copyright 2021

AN ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO BUYING

DECISIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

Presented to the Faculty of Business and Management Department

Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus

City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Major in Marketing Management

This thesis entitled AN ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

MR. JASON C. SANTOS, MBA DR. BEBINA PAKIG

DR. BEBINA PAKIG

MS. CHERRY LYNNE A. CHAVEZ, MBA JOFREY R. CAMPOS, DPA

LORELEI D. CONSUELO, LPT, MPA

I too cannot express enough appreciation to my thesis instructor, Ms. Cherry

Year Marketing Management students.

To my caring and loving family, my deepest gratitude for their never-ending

accomplish this project.

and perpetual grace. All glory to Him!

ASSESSMENT UNTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

TO BUYING DECISIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS for the degree Bachelor of

Science in Business Administration Major in Financial Management at the Bulacan State

acknowledgment were made.

Title : An Assessment unto the Effectiveness of Social Media Influencers

influencers to buying decisions of college students studying in three tertiary education

The researcher made use of descriptive method of research to gather significat

computed to assess the effectiveness of influencer marketing to college students.

influencers attract customers. In particular, they trust influencers’ unsponsored product or

media ads is effective in terms of affecting their buying decisions.

Philippine Copyright ……………………………………………………………….. i

Title Page ……………………………………………………………………........... ii

Certification and Approval Sheet ………………………………………………….. iii

Certification of Originality ………………………………………………………… v

Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………....... viii

List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………. xi

List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………… xii

CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Background of the Study ………………………………………………………….. 6

Theoretical Framework …………………………………………………………… 12

Conceptual Framework …………………………………………………………… 18

Statement of the Problem …………………………………………………………. 19

Scope and Limitations …………………………………………………………….. 21

Significance of the Study …………………………………………………………. 22

Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………….. 24

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Local Literature ……………………………………………………………….......... 30

Foreign Studies …………………………………………………………………….. 35

Local Studies ………………………………………………………………………. 40

Synthesis and Relevance to the Study ……………………………………………... 44

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Method of Research ………………………………………………………………... 46

Population, Sample Size, and Sampling Technique ……………………………….. 47

Description of Respondents ………………………………………………………... 48

Research Instruments ………………………………………………………………. 49

Data Gathering Procedure ………………………………………………………….. 51

Statistical Treatment of the Data …………………………………………………... 52

CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION

Profile of Respondents ……………………………………………………………... 54

College Students’ Usage Frequency of Popular Social Media Sites ………………. 58

The Purpose Why College Students Use Social Media ……………………………. 59

Kinds of Advertisements College Students Currently See and Prefer to View 60

College Students’ Intentionality in Watching Influencer Marketing Ads …………. 63