Advisers

Reynold R. Bangalisan, LPT

Discipline

Marketing

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media has transformed how consumers interact with brands, with influencers increasingly shaping awareness, perceptions, and purchasing decisions. For emerging local brands such as Don't Blame the Kids (DBTK), influencer marketing serves as a strategic tool to enhance visibility and credibility in competitive retail environments. However, challenges such as content saturation, authenticity concerns, and influencer–brand alignment create uncertainty regarding its effectiveness. Anchored on Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Theory, this study examined how influencer attributes affect consumer purchasing decisions toward DBTK and provided a basis for a strategic marketing initiative. The research focused on consumers at SM City North EDSA, addressing gaps in understanding how influencer-driven factors contribute to brand awareness, engagement, trust, credibility, and purchase decision-making. This descriptive-quantitative study involved 40 purposively selected DBTK consumers who answered a validated survey covering demographics, influencer attributes (credibility, trustworthiness, attractiveness, relatability), and purchase decision indicators. Data were collected and analyzed using frequency and percentage distributions, weighted mean, Mann-Whitney U-test, and ranking methods to determine influence levels and identify marketing challenges. Respondents were mainly young adults (18–24), mostly male, with low income and active on Facebook and TikTok. Influencers strongly influenced product credibility (CWM=3.42), product trust (CWM=3.33), and purchase decisions (CWM=3.27), all interpreted as strongly agree. Brand awareness (CWM=3.20) and customer engagement (CWM=3.13) were rated agree, indicating moderate but positive effects. Influencers effectively shape consumer confidence and buying behavior, though engagement consistency and promotional participation need improvement. Influencer marketing significantly shapes consumer perceptions and purchase decisions for DBTK, supporting CBBE theory in digital marketing. Influencers enhance brand familiarity and trust, translating into purchasing intentions. Limitations include small sample size and single-location scope. Future research may explore broader geographic coverage and comparative brand analysis. Practically, findings highlight the need for consistent influencer partnerships, authentic content, and platform-focused strategies to strengthen marketing effectiveness.

Keywords

customer engagement, brand awareness, social media influencers, consumer purchasing decision, product trust, product credibility, strategic marketing initiative, dbtk (don't blame the kids)