The influence of social media celebrity endorsements on Varsity College students.

Abstract

There is a limited understanding on the influence of social media celebrity endorsements, and their impact on student’s perceptions and overall buying behaviour, and that is the research and real-world problem that this study aimed to solve. According to Nirmala, Akila and Mahalaxmi (2017) celebrity endorsements are a popular method of persuading consumers as they act as influential icons that people look up to. This study can provide value for a range of different brands within the South African market. The theoretical framework upon which this study is based is McCracken's (1989) meaning transfer model. Qualitative questionnaires were utilised to conduct the research as they allowed the researcher to gather in-depth information on students' perceptions and experiences. Ten students were given the questionnaire and their responses assisted in answering the research questions and solving the research problem. The major key finding from the research is that social media celebrity endorsements are in fact an influential tool that is used to create awareness of the brand being advertised. Therefore it was found that social media celebrity endorsements have an overall positive influence on students attitudes, perceptions and buying behaviour.